Kristin Dymond-Drake, our massage therapist, has been a nationally certified and licensed MT since 2001. Kristin graduated from Cortiva Institute in Somerset, NJ and has been a therapist at Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation for two years. She specializes in a wide variety of massages and is open to answer any questions you may have about massage therapy. Below is a Q&A about the types of massages and the different benefits they all provide.
Q: What are the different types of massages that you perform on patients?
A: I perform a wide variety of massages, which include prenatal, sports, swedish, deep tissue (myofascial), and trigger point therapy.
Q: Which of these tend to be the most popular and why?
A: I love doing deep tissue and trigger point therapy because their some of the most beneficial massages to help alleviate pain. Although they are the most beneficial, many people come in for swedish the most.
Q: How do these massages differ from one another?
A: Swedish massages are mainly for relaxation because they are performed using lighter pressure but also have some health benefits. If you were looking for more of a treatment plan to alleviate pain, I would recommend getting deep tissue or trigger point therapy. These two massages have some similarities–they both consist of using more pressure that can lead to less tension in muscles. However, trigger point massages are done when a person wants to be treated for a specific muscle when he or she is experiencing a particular set of pain patterns. Prenatal massages are done for pregnant women and sports massages use a lot of stretching methods.
Q: What type of massage would to recommend to a person who is experiencing chronic back pain?
A: It really depends on what is causing the pain. For example, if you are experiencing a tight muscle, deep tissue massage can create blood flow and loosen muscles which will help relieve chronic pain.
Q: How long are your massages at Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation? Would you suggest shorter, more frequent visits or longer, less frequent visits?
A: We provide a 30 min., 60 min., or 90 min. massage. First, I would suggest coming in for an evaluation of your pain and symptoms to determine your goals and what type of treatment plan is the best for your personal needs. However, I almost always prefer shorter, more frequent visits because it is a lot more beneficial.
Q: Can massages help to alleviate stress? How can it help us from getting injured?
A: Absolutely, massages can help to alleviate stress. Massages create more blood flow to muscles and helps them get to more of a natural state. When you are getting massaged, cortisol, a hormone produced by stress that affects everything in your body, decreases and it increases levels of healthy hormones called serotonin and oxytocin. When massage therapy coordinates with another discipline such as chiropractic, soft tissue manipulation is combined with the structural alignment of the body–training the muscles to be healthy again.
Massage Therapy at Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation
In our offices in Wall and Red Bank, our massage therapist can assist you and help you achieve your health and wellness goals. Please call us at 732-345-1377 for more information on the different types of massage therapy and other services we offer as a multi-disciplinary facility.
