Therapy at Room 301

I still continue to see JoAnn Alafriz for my acupuncture treatments. She really has an impressive knowledge base as another reviewer put it. I haven’t found anyone else of her calibre in my neighbourhood. Once the treatment begins for me it’s easy to tune out the traffic noises of downtown Toronto. Hope she never moves from the city! At the end of every treatment I always wish I could lie on the massage table & take a long nap. That’s how relaxed I feel.

I just saw JoAnn Alafriz for acupuncture. Her knowledge base is impressive, she takes time to understand your health history, diet and lifestyle. She practices both TCM and Japanese acupuncture styles, finding the ‘right’ one for your body.
The treatment room is clean, zen-​like except for the traffice sounds from College Street. However, if she wasn’t on College and Yonge, I’d not be seeing her as it is her location which drew me to her! I’ll easily put up with a couple of angry horns blaring for her fantastic and thorough treatments.

Amazing!!!
My Mom bought me THREE treatments here through one of those daily/​group deal sites. GREAT Christmas present! Thanks, Mom!
It was for three, one-​hour sessions, and I had my choice bewtween three types of treatment. I chose «Tui-​Na», which I have never experienced before. She bought it for $ 25/​hour rather than the regular $ 85/​hour. NICE!
I had just come off of six weeks of chiropractic treatment for a back injury. I wasn’t sold on the merits of chiropractic care that’s ongoing. I agree it is sometimes necessary to make a correction/​adjustment, but then I’m not sold.
So I turned to alternative methods. I love massage therapy, and it has been very helpful in the past, so I activated my Mom’s gift.
SO Tui-​Na. I was not sold in the first 10 minutes of treatment. It seemed too rough, too vague, and ineffective. But I gave it a chance/​
Whaddya know… I was wrong. This is a very interesting type of massage/​body treatment.
Here’s what the «Therapy at Room 301» website says about Tui-​na:
«Another branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tui-​na is a hands-​on therapy involving more dynamic, moving pressure than is used in shiatsu. This style of pressure is very useful in helping to release tension that has built up in the body. In tui-​na, which literally means ‘push and grasp’, the practitioner may brush, knead, roll or press the body to get blood and energy moving in the meridians and muscles.
Both of the above forms of bodywork can be used in conjunction with acupuncture to help treat a wide range of complaints, including muscular aches and pains, headaches, migraines, digestive issues and menstrual complaints.»
I think it’s my favourite now, in fact. That means my deep-​tissue lymphatic drainage massage takes second place.
I like the way they use momentum and gravity to help the body heal. Seems natural, and common-​sense.
My practitioner was so knowledgeable — she even gave dietary recommendations to complement the physical treatment.
They do offer a sliding scale for those who are limited to daily-​deal-​priced treatment options, which I definitely appreciate as someone who works in nonprofit arts!
GREAT location at Yonge & College/​Carlton — I have a car, but chose to take the subway instead because of the proximity to a subway stop, and because of the lack of parking options. There IS street parking, but it’s expensive and RIGHT in front of a police station/​police museum.