Massage Therapy for Little Falls, NJ

The knot with a mind of its own

Most people know the feeling: a tight, tender spot under a shoulder blade, across the top of a shoulder or beside the spine that is still there after stretching, a hot shower and a good night’s sleep. These knots, called trigger points, are tight bands within a muscle group. Montville MedSpa & Pain Center has two quite different ways of dealing with one, a hands-on route in the massage room and a medical one in the pain practice, and knowing which to try first saves time.

First, hands-on work

• Trigger point therapy, booked as a 30-minute add-on. Focused pressure on the knots in one muscle group, aimed at localized pain, restricted movement and long-standing muscle dysfunction. The practice suggests it especially for athletes and anyone with a repetitive strain.
• Swedish with that add-on. If the rest of you simply needs to unwind, the firm work can stay on the one spot while the remainder of a 60- or 90-minute Swedish massage stays gentle.
• Deep tissue, 60 or 90 minutes. When tightness has spread across several areas, slow work into deeper muscle and connective tissue covers more ground.
• Hot stones, an add-on, to warm the area first so it yields more easily.

Sessions are with Maryann Constantino, LMT, who asks where it hurts before she starts and changes pressure as she goes. Each add-on is an additional cost.

Next, if the knot keeps returning

When massage brings relief that does not last, or the pain spreads, limits what you do or comes with tension headaches, it is time for an examination. Dr. Donna D’Alessio, MD, board certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, locates trigger points by pressing on the tense areas, and trigger point injections are one of the tools she uses. A thin needle places a local anesthetic such as lidocaine, sometimes with a corticosteroid, directly into the knot. The area goes numb straight away, relief usually begins within 24 to 72 hours, and it typically lasts around 30 days. Injections are meant to work alongside the exercise and physical therapy that deal with the cause, and massage can stay part of the plan.

What to say before you start

Point to the spot, say how long it has been there and whether it sends pain anywhere else. Mention any recent injury or surgery, a blood-thinning medicine, an earlier blood clot, a pregnancy or osteoporosis, because each one affects how firm the pressure should be.

From Little Falls

From the middle of the township, Route 23 heading north and then Route 202 through Lincoln Park lead to 624 Main Road in Towaco, roughly 14 minutes without traffic, which keeps the drive home after a session pleasantly short.

Little Falls clients ask

Is trigger point work painful? It should feel firm and focused rather than sharp; tell Maryann and she will lighten the pressure.

I already see Dr. D’Alessio for pain. Can I add massage? Yes. Patients in her pain management care book massage in the same office.

Is there an evening appointment? On Tuesdays, until 7 pm, and Saturday sessions run from 9 am to 1 pm.

The full menu is on the massage therapy page, and Swedish or deep tissue: which should you book? explains the difference.

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