Andy is currently on leave from Aches Away Toronto. We expect his return in the Fall of 2021

The transformative approach of holistic health building directly influenced Andy Dubé. When he reached a point where a diagnosis finally liberated him from pain, he knew he found his calling as a registered massage therapist, personal trainer, sleep coach and workshop facilitator. By focusing on neck and low back pain relief through the lens of thoughtful bodywork, improved breathing patterns, reverse engineered sitting, deep sleep hygiene hacking, and neurological muscle resets he finds sustainable cures for his patients.

BLESSING IN A CURSE

When Andy Dubé struggled to sleep only 2 hours a night, he knew he needed a doctor’s approach for a diagnosis and a serious life change to mend his interrupted sleep cycle. Because Andy has struggled through, “a number of injuries and health complications that have affected breathing, sleep and pain levels,” he views his first-hand experience living with moderate sleep apnea as a central reason he found meaning in his practice. Andy shares that, “It was a process of overcoming and once I came out the other side. I decided to help spread knowledge through the hands of massage therapy to help address the current sleep disordered, lack of rest and recovery epidemic that we are in the midst of.”

HE FEELS YOUR PAIN

Does this sound like you? His typical client sits too much, has too many frequent headaches, suffers from neck pain, low back pain, and exhibits jaw tension.

His massage approach changes depending on the client and their needs, but he takes a systematic view to start the healing process. In reference to meeting a patient who desperately wants to escape their pain he starts with the patient’s breathe. He says, “I will always start the first session with an emphasis on the breathing mechanism. Breathing in the hierarchy of the body is a pretty big deal. It gives us both life and stability. It also has the ability to quickly ramp down stress levels, decrease inflammation and burn fat, if owned.”

After addressing breathing, he moves on with a patient “to get authentic core and hip stability on board by relaxing certain areas that are working too much for areas that are not working enough. More often than not this is where our dysfunction and tension begins. If we start here on day one the road to recovery is speedier and smoother. I am also big on resolving old ankle sprains as they are a serious injury that affect us deeply for a long time.”

HIS HEALING TOUCH

Although no two stories are alike, common patterns of illness are woven throughout those journeys and Andy very often comes across people who share a story that resembles his own. Andy admits that they come with a, “very similar presentation to mine–where I was at one time. It is these people that I have been able to impact the most. Things I recommend now would have changed my own sleep, stress and pain levels pretty quickly.”

When one of his female clients was suffering from years of insomnia, daily back pain or tension and frequent headaches he knew her pain was treatable. Over the course of 4 sessions his massage therapy brought her headaches down to about one every couple weeks. He also restored her sleeping pattern from around 6 broken sleep hours to 7 restful hours. She now comes in about once a month for maintenance and self-care recommendations–a true testament to his healing touch and the strength of the relationships he builds with his patients.

HIS BACKGROUND

Upon graduating from Niagara Colleges Fitness and Health Promotion Program in 2004, he has been a corrective exercise specialist for over 14 years. His fitness career started when he began training professional and semi-professional athletes and now he works mainly with people looking to lose weight and overcome injuries or sleep disorders. He has maintained his certification as a Registered Massage Therapist for the last 4 years and acknowledges that his passion for learning is a major challenge since, “right now, in my career, there are too many courses that I want to take and not enough time or money to do them! That and getting old is a thing!”  

Through steadily investing in continuing education and committed research, he strives to stay on the leading edge of both fields because he enthusiastically says, “It’s a great combination!”

THERAPY IN THE NATURAL WORLD

Leading an active life means spending time in nature followed by therapeutic ice baths, meditation and ideally a combination of all three! On the topic of his other life passions, Andy shares, “I LOVE nature and the environment and playing a role in making sure there is nature and the environment for all my relations.” He currently lives with his partner Monica and their dog Ruben out in Dundas, Ontario. Andy says, “The commute sucks and if Aches Away was not such an awesome award-winning clinic I would not be doing it!”  

TRAINING & EDUCATION:

• Sutherland Chan School of Massage Therapy, Toronto, ON (Diploma Spring 2014)
• Niagara College of Applied Arts and Technology, Fitness and Health Promotion Diploma
  (2005)

CERTIFICATIONS:

• Registered Massage Therapist (R.M.T)
• Neurokinetic Therapy Level 1,2,3 (N.K.T)
• Functional Movement Screen Level 1,2 (F.M.S)
• Certified Sleep Science Coach Certification (CSSC)
• Gray Institute Certificate in Applied Functional Science (C.A.F.S)
• Gray Institute 3D Movement Analysis and Performance System (3D M.A.P.S)
• C.S.E.P Certified Personal Trainer (C.P.T)
• C.S.E.P Certified Fitness Consultant (C.F.C)
• World Tae Kwon Do Federation 1 st Degree Black Belt
• Red Cross – First Aid, C.P.R

CONTINUING EDUCATION:

• Neurokinetic Therapy – Level 1 (2013), Level 2 (2014), Level 3 (2016)
• Functional Movement Screen – Level 1 (2009), Level 2 (2011)
• Wellness Leadership Revolution – 12-month hybrid online and in person wellness leadership
  coaching program (2017-2018)
• Canadian College of Osteopathy Muscle energy technique for the Hip – 1-day (2016)
• Canadian College of Osteopathy Muscle energy technique for the Neck – 1-day (2016)
• Thomas Myers Opening the Breath – (2016)
• Thomas Myers Gait Assessment and the Anatomy Trains – (2016)
• Chi Nei Tsang Abdominal Massage Level 1 5-Day intensive – (2015)
• James Waslaski Orthopedic Massage Therapy Intensive – 5-day (2015)
• Soft Tissue Dynamic Release – 2-day level 1 workshop (2014)
• Charlie Weingroff – Lateralization’s and Regressions 3-day workshop (2014)
• Charlie Weingroff – Rehab = Training, Training = Rehab 3-day intensive, (2012)
• Eric Cressey & Mike Reinold – Rehab of the Injured Shoulder 2-day workshop, (2011)
• Eric Cressey & Mike Reinold – Functional Core Stability 2-day workshop (2012)
• Eric Cressey & Mike Reinold – Functional Lower Body Stability 2-day workshop, (2013)
• Eric Cressey & Mike Reinold – Functional Upper Body Stability 2-day workshop (2015)
• Craig Leibenson – Rehab of the Injured Athlete 2-day workshop, (2011)
• Craig Leibenson – Stability from the Ground Up 2-day workshop, (2012)
• Stuart Mcgill – Building the Ultimate Back 2-Day Workshop, (2011)
• Indianapolis Performance Enhancement Seminar – 2-day workshop, (2008)
• Sports Specific Training Burlington Internship – 200 hours (2005)

CURRENT PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

• Registered Massage Therapists Association of Ontario
• International Society of Clinical Rehabilitation Specialists
• Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology
• Sportsrehabexpert.com membership

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