Massage Therapy for Hanover, NJ

Tension that climbs

Some people carry a hard week across their shoulders. Others feel it higher up: a scalp that seems tight, temples that ache by late afternoon, a jaw that is clenched before they notice it. Stress is one of the causes the practice lists for jaw tension, along with grinding and habitual clenching, and the head and neck can be the focus of a massage as much as the back is. At Montville MedSpa & Pain Center, Maryann Constantino, LMT, our licensed massage therapist, can give a session that focus.

Putting the hour together

• A Swedish massage as the base, 60 or 90 minutes of long strokes and gentle pressure, for the days when stress rather than one sore spot is the trouble.
• Craniosacral scalp massage, added on. Work on the head, the neck and the spine, which the practice offers to release tension, ease headaches and clear the mind.
• Trigger point therapy, a 30-minute add-on, when a single knot, often across the top of a shoulder, keeps tugging the neck tight.
• Hot stones, added on, to warm stiff muscle before firmer hands go to work.
• Deep tissue instead, also 60 or 90 minutes, if a stiff neck and upper back have started to limit how far you can turn.

Add-ons are charged on top of the massage, and you can stack several in one session. Maryann asks where it hurts before she begins and adjusts pressure as the hour goes on.

When the jaw is the real problem

Massage may ease muscle tension for some people, but a jaw that clicks, pops, locks or aches near the ear may be a temporomandibular joint disorder, usually shortened to TMJ, which the practice’s pain side treats without surgery. Dr. Donna D’Alessio, MD, board certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, leads that care. For jaw muscles that are overworking, Botox can be used to relax them and take strain off the joint, and her plans may also include stress reduction, a bite evaluation and muscle relaxation techniques; see TMJ treatment. Headaches on fifteen or more days a month have an assessment of their own under Botox for chronic migraines, and pain or tingling running down an arm points to the neck pain page rather than the massage table.

From Whippany

The quickest way runs west along Route 10, north on Parsippany Road and onto I-287 heading north. At Exit 47 a left turn puts you on Main Road for the last mile and a half to number 624 in Towaco, roughly ten miles and 15 minutes without traffic.

Hanover clients ask

I had forehead Botox this week. Can I still have a scalp massage? Tell Maryann where you were treated. The practice advises against massaging a neurotoxin-treated area for 24 hours after the injections.

What should she know before we start? Recent injuries or surgery, any medical condition, and in particular a blood thinner, a previous blood clot, a pregnancy or osteoporosis, since firm pressure is not right for everyone.

Is there an evening appointment? Tuesdays, when the last sessions run until 7 pm.

Choosing between the two main massages? Read Swedish or deep tissue: which should you book?, or see the massage therapy page and our Hanover page.

Book NowCall (973) 794-3958Text (973) 834-7074