Where can I park?
We have two dedicated parking spots in front of our building to the left of the main entrance. There are also 2-hour parking spots in the commuter lot located on the corner of River Edge Road and Center Ave.
What should I expect for my first visit to NJOSM?
On your first visit you’ll check-in at the front desk and fill out the intake forms if you did not complete them before arriving. You’ll then sit down with your therapist for a brief consultation to discuss your symptoms, concerns, or questions you may have so that together you and your therapist can devise a plan for your treatment. It’s important to be detailed about your injury and/or surgery history so that your therapist has the pertinent information necessary to provide you with effective treatment. Your therapist will then show you to your treatment room where you will have the privacy to undress to your comfort level. Your therapist will knock before re-entering the treatment room and your massage will begin. When your treatment is complete, you will be instructed you to get up slowly, get dressed, and return to the reception area for homework exercises and check-out.
What should I wear?
This depends on what type of service you are receiving, but regardless of your treatment type, you being comfortable at all times is our number one priority. If you are getting a full body massage, you are welcome to wear underwear or shorts. If you are getting an orthopedic massage, you will undress the treatment areas, or to your comfort level. Underwear is recommended for your comfort and for the comfort of your therapist. Regardless of what you choose to wear, you will be draped with a sheet at all times during the massage.
Does the treatment hurt?
While it is not uncommon to experience discomfort during the treatment of tight muscles, sensitive injury sites, and scar tissue, you should not feel acute pain. It’s important to communicate what you are feeling to your therapist.
It is very common for the muscles surrounding an injury to be in spasm in an attempt to prevent further injury. This is a phenomenon known as “secondary muscle guarding”. While this is a normal and healthy physiological response to injury, when it goes on for too long it can lead to chronic pain, restricted mobility, and eventually loss of strength and muscle atrophy. Your therapist will work through this tightness with a combination of soft-tissue manual therapy, active release, and stretching. In some cases there will be an additional use of instrument assisted mobilization (scraping) and cupping.
Dynamic or “moving” cups create a feeling of pulling or lifting of the muscles, while static cups cups produce a mild pinching sensation.
How often should I come?
If you are being treated for an orthopedic condition, several treatments may be needed to completely resolve the issue, similar to physical therapy sessions. We recommend those treatments be close together to avoid taking steps backward in the healing process.
If you are receiving deep tissue sports massages, we recommend coming back when you first begin to feel tightness, pain or range of motion limitations. This will be dependent on how you recover, your genetics, your stress level, and your training intensity. For the average person this could be once every 4-8 weeks, and for elite athletes this could be once a week. In other words, massage frequency will vary from person to person, but in any case we don’t recommend waiting until you are crippled by pain and tension before returning. Many of the benefits of sports massage are preventative, and the more frequently you come, the more your muscles adapt and the less reactive your nervous system becomes, making deep tissue work less intense and more relaxing and enjoyable.
When should I avoid getting a massage?
You should avoid getting a massage any time you are experiencing cold or flu-like symptoms, have tested positive for COVID-19, or have a communicable skin condition or open wounds. Massage should also be avoided during 1st trimester of pregnancy and during cancer treatment unless performed by the respective specialists. In general, if you have a preexisting medical condition you should consult with your doctor before booking a massage appointment.
What should I do after my massage?
Treat your massage the way you would treat a physical therapy session or a hard workout (the nervous system interprets deep tissue massage in the same way that it interprets the physiological effect of intense exercise). Relax, hydrate, eat nutrient-dense foods, and get a good night of sleep.
Note: It is not advised to take an excessively hot shower for a least 60 minutes after a deep tissue or cupping session due to the changes in blood pressure.
Is a sports massage only for athletes?
Absolutely not! Sports massage is for anyone who wants to move more functionally, recover, and be free of pain. Sports massage is essentially a deep tissue massage with a bit of extra stretch and range of motion work to ensure proper posture, alignment, and movement. In fact, many of our sports massage clients come in to combat the effects of poor posture from working office jobs.