On Site Therapy in the Oil Fields

Christine Sutherland is making her way to the north. As a registered massage therapist in B.C., Alberta and Ontario, writer, filmmaker, teacher and visionary, she pioneered therapeutic On Site Massage Services in 1975.  Her first clients were City Hall Toronto, Canadian Tire Head Office, Motorola, TV Ontario, Connaught Laboratories, Research Dimensions, Cossette Advertising, Blue Skies Festival, Mariposa Folk Festival and Team Canada (Olympic Hockey Team). Her practice includes Palliative care, Sports excellence, Labour and Delivery, Spinal Cord Injury Recovery, Wheelchair Sports Massage and a variety of projects in pediatric massage from Africa to Alberta!   She is the Director of World Wide Massage Services, Inc.

The Oil and Gas Workplace is Unique

Employees of the Oil & Gas Industry are special people. They work long shifts and live away from home in work camps. The many jobs in front of computers in twelve-hour shifts are physically demanding.  The endurance of this administrative activity is taking its toll on the indoor workforce.  For outdoor staff, the weather conditions are extreme, physically demanding and wear and tear predictable. As well, living away from home is stressful in itself, and employees may not sleep as well, not exercise regularly, and tend not to have time to relax. This on site delivery creates a balance and rehabilitation for repeated strain syndromes found in the camp population whether they are in the culinary teams or the executive staff.

Common job related health issues that therapeutic massage therapy will remediate are:

o    Upper back stress pain
o    Tendonitis
o    Palmar fasciitis
o    Carpal tunnel syndrome
o    Neck pain
o    Lower back stress pain
o    Sciatica
o    Contracted iliotibial band
o    Headaches
o    Hip problems and Lumbago
o    Foot problems of all kinds
o    Generalized feelings of stress and anxiety

This is an innovative pilot project that will develop a protocol for a professional massage therapist to live on-site and be available when employees actually need treatment: immediately after or before a shift; or during the workday on the designated twenty-minute breaks.

For more information on these on site services, contact Christine Sutherland.