REGISTERED MASSAGE THERAPY
At Shield Athletics Burlington, Registered Massage Therapy starts with what your body needs to do next.
Sophie Hotchkiss, RMT, provides individualized hands-on treatment based on your body, your activity and your goals.
And because Sophie works alongside physiotherapy, chiropractic, sports medicine and performance training under one roof, your recovery doesn’t stop at the treatment room door.
MADE FOR MORE.
RELEASE TENSION.
RESTORE MOVEMENT.
KEEP TRAINING.
Hands-on treatment built around how you move.
YOUR TREATMENT
SHOULD REFLECT
YOUR LIFE.
A competitive athlete two days out from a game, a runner building mileage, a hockey player between practices, and someone whose shoulders have crept up around their ears by Thursday all need different things from the same hour.
MASSAGE THERAPY AT SHIELD
Sophie tailors each treatment to the individual, considering:
Where you are experiencing tension or discomfort
How you move and train
Your current activity level
Previous injuries
What you need your body to do next
The goal is to help you leave feeling better, moving better, and better prepared for what comes next.
ASSESS
Your appointment begins with a conversation about what you’re experiencing, how you move and what you want to accomplish.
Sophie looks at the muscular tension, soft-tissue restrictions and mobility limitations that may be contributing.
HOW WE APPROACH YOUR CARE
ASSESS. TREAT. PREPARE.
TREAT
Targeted hands-on treatment focuses on the areas that need attention most.
Your treatment adapts as your body, activity level and training demands change over time.
PREPARE
Treatment is designed to support what comes next.
Where helpful, your care can connect with rehabilitation, mobility and strength work happening elsewhere at Shield.
WHAT CAN MASSAGE THERAPY HELP WITH?
BUILT AROUND COMPLETE
DEVELOPMENT
TARGETED CARE FOR ACTIVE & EVERYDAY BODIES
✓ Neck and shoulder tension
✓ Back and hip tightness
✓ Training-related soreness
✓ Repetitive-strain discomfort
MUSCULAR TENSION
✓ Restricted soft-tissue mobility
✓ Tightness limiting range
✓ Reduced flexibility
✓ Movement compensations
MOBILITY & MOVEMENT
✓ Between-session recovery
✓ Post-training soreness
✓ Competition prep & recovery
✓ Managing training load
TRAINING & RECOVERY
✓ Soft-tissue injuries & strains
✓ Post-injury recovery
✓ Tension from altered movement
✓ Support alongside rehab
Massage therapy also works well as ongoing maintenance, not only as a response to a problem.
INJURY &
REHAB SUPPORT
BUILT FOR PEOPLE WHO MOVE
BUILT AROUND COMPLETE
DEVELOPMENT
FROM COMPETITIVE ATHLETES TO EVERYDAY MOVERS
For athletes who need their body ready for the next practice, workout, competition or training block.
ATHLETES
ACTIVE ADULTS
For people who train regularly, play recreational sport, or want to maintain mobility and stay active.
EVERYDAY LIFE
For people dealing with muscular tension, stiffness, physical stress, or the accumulated demands of work and daily life.
For individuals using massage therapy as part of a broader rehabilitation strategy.
INJURY RECOVERY
ONE
CLUB.
COMPLETE
DEVELOPMENT.
YOUR MASSAGE THERAPIST
IS PART OF A BIGGER TEAM.
At most clinics, massage therapy is a standalone service. At Shield, Sophie treats inside a full performance and rehabilitation team:
Registered Massage Therapy
THE SHIELD ADVANTAGE
Physiotherapy + Sports Rehab
Chiropractic + Sports Care
Sports Medicine
Strength + Performance Training
Not every client needs every service. But when something in your treatment suggests another set of eyes would help, Sophie can say so, and the person she’s referring you to is down the hall rather than on a waitlist somewhere else.
MEET SOPHIE HOTCHKISS
BUILT AROUND COMPLETE
DEVELOPMENT
REGISTERED MASSAGE THERAPIST
Sophie is a Registered Massage Therapist and a triathlon coach.
She works with athletes, active adults, and people managing the tension of everyday life. Treatments are hands-on and built around what you need that day, whether that’s recovery between games, working through an injury, or relief from something that keeps coming back.
She uses deep tissue techniques often, and can move to a lighter, more relaxation-focused treatment when that’s what your body needs.
The goal is straightforward: help you feel better and keep you moving.
YOUR NEXT STEP
DON’T KNOW WHICH TREATMENT YOU NEED?
You don’t have to.
If you’re unsure whether massage therapy, physiotherapy, chiropractic care, or another service is the right place to start, our team can point you in the right direction.
Looking specifically for Registered Massage Therapy?
Not sure where to start?
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A regulated healthcare profession involving the assessment and treatment of soft tissues and related structures of the body through hands-on techniques.
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No. Sophie treats athletes, active adults, people recovering from injury, and anyone looking to manage muscular tension or maintain mobility.
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Treatment is adapted to the demands of your sport and activity level. Rather than running a standard sports-massage protocol, Sophie works from what your body is dealing with right now: your symptoms, your training and what’s coming up.
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Yes, when clinically appropriate. Having those services in the same building makes them far easier to coordinate.
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A referral is generally not required to see a Registered Massage Therapist in Ontario. However, individual insurance plans may have their own requirements for reimbursement.
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No. Plenty of Sophie’s clients book when nothing hurts, for recovery between training blocks, to stay on top of tension that tends to return, or to stay ahead of an old injury.
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Sophie will discuss your concerns, activity level, relevant history and goals, then focus treatment on the areas and objectives identified during your assessment.
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5065 Benson Drive
Burlington, Ontario
905-319-9659We proudly serve Burlington, Oakville, Hamilton and surrounding communities.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
RECOVER WITH PURPOSE.
Massage Therapy at Shield Athletics
The right treatment should fit the life you’re actually living.