Skip the commute with mobile health and wellness treatments

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You’d be surprised at the wide range of professional health and wellness services available without having to get out of your pyjamas. Why suffer traffic, pay for parking and sit listlessly in a waiting room when the professionals can come to you, fitting around your schedule? Here’s a look at some mobile services in the Calgary area.

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Spa services

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There’s something to be said for not having to walk back to your freezing car, muscles seizing up after a massage. Catering to individuals, couples, and groups, Tender Touch Mobile Spa Services, can come to your home or office within Calgary and its surrounding communities.

A team of professional estheticians and registered massage therapists offer a wide range of services, including massage, Dermalogica facials, manicures, pedicures and waxing. Don’t think you can get the full spa experience in your home? Think again.

Hot stone massages are accomplished with stones transported by crockpot and warmed with your kettle. Soothe dry, cracked skin with hydrating warm paraffin wax treatments or a full body spa wrap. And it’s completely worth it to add on a hot oil scalp massage.

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Enhancing the customer experience are portable, jetted pedicure tubs, plus massage and facial tables – all of which can be heated (something not all spas offer). Kids can be occupied with their own specialized spa service, and upon request, they’ll bring plush bathrobes for you to use at no extra charge.

For a decadent, salon-grade facial, Kaavish offers a signature head-to-toe treatment that goes beyond the basic cleanse, scrub and mask formula. Using products from Tatcha, a coveted Japanese brand, and Edmonton’s Pura Botanicals, Kaavish 360 facials begin with dermaplaning, in which a scalpel removes the top layer of skin and peach fuzz. After this intense exfoliation, products are more readily absorbed into the skin. Two different masks are applied while your back, legs, feet and scalp are given a robust massage.

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What sets Kaavish apart is their ability to bring medical, non-surgical treatments into the home. Laser hair removal, Lumecca intense pulsed light (IPL) and Forma, a radio frequency wand that stimulates collagen to reduce fine lines, can all be executed in the location of your choosing.

Dental services

Families with multiple children know how challenging scheduling those twice-yearly teeth cleanings and checkups can be. Instead of pulling the kids out of school and keeping wee -ones entertained in the waiting room, consider the convenience of having your entire family tuned up in one go.

Dental Hygiene Express is a mobile clinic servicing Fort McMurray, Calgary and surrounding communities. Following the lowest Alberta dental association fee guide and offering direct billing, this fully equipped clinic arrives at your doorstep with a kitted-out dental van.

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Step inside for scaling, polishing, fluoride and desensitization treatments administered by registered dental hygienists. Dental sealants to prevent cavities, denture cleaning and teeth whitening can also be administered, as can digital radiograph x-rays. Unbeknownst to many, registered Alberta dental hygienists can diagnose, recommend treatment and refer back to the patient’s family dentist if needed.

Those with mobility issues can have hygienists come into their homes. The best part? Services are offered seven days a week up to 10 p.m., so you’ll never miss a school day again.

Chiropractic adjustments

Those with injuries or mobility restrictions might find walking to appointments and sitting on reception chairs painful. By having a chiropractor (or physiotherapist) come to your house, they can analyze your home environment and better recommend sleep and ergonomic adjustments within the home.

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Chiropractors are primary health-care practitioners, so no referral is necessary. Typically they are sought out to decrease pain, discomfort and restricted ranges of motion from injuries, surgery, arthritis, TMJ and carpal tunnel syndrome.

The treatment, done on a portable chiropractic table, includes a physical exam, health history, discussion of the diagnosis and treatment plan. Besides the chiropractic adjustment, treatment can also include deep tissue massage, acupuncture, ergonomic assessments and exercise recommendations to support wellness goals.

Some, such as Dr. Brett Anderson with Mobile Chiro Calgary, bring along tools for instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilizations, exercise bands, massage guns and acupuncture needles, making the experience similar to what you’d receive in a clinic.

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Nursing care

You’re probably familiar with businesses such as Nurse Next Door, providing respite and elder care. What you may not know is that they also offer services for those who are temporarily laid up. Those needing assistance with post-operative care, difficult pregnancies or new baby support are other reasons you might bring a nurse into your home.

Individuals with cancer, ALS or multiple sclerosis, no matter their age, can benefit from additional assistance, plus it’s a welcome break for primary caregivers. Nursing services include personal care, meal preparation, babysitting, running errands, transportation (including school drop-offs and pickups), and support at healthcare appointments.

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Perhaps the biggest surprise with mobile services isn’t the convenience, but how comparable the cost is. In many cases, pricing is on par or lower than what you’d pay on-site. Once you start having wellness practitioners come to you, good luck ever sitting in a sterile waiting room again.

Tips to make the most of your at-home service

• Ensure pets and children are safely occupied in another room.
• Don’t drink alcohol or take cannabis beforehand as, legally, it may prevent your practitioner from administering the treatment.
• Set up a quiet space with enough room for a massage table and your practitioner to move around it.