Therapist Kelly Gill works on a patient Tuesday afternoon at Musculoskeletal Specialists at 3500 Trinity Dr. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
Musculoskeletal Specialists Owner Steven DiMarino. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
Musculoskeletal Specialists at 3500 Trinity Dr. is offering something new when it comes to therapeutic massage.
Owner Steven DiMarino explained that spas offer massages for relaxation, whereas Musculoskeletal Specialists offers manual therapy, which is more like a massage to treat pain. Not only is the clinic treating pain, but it provides exercises to maintain the treatment, he said.
Musculoskeletal Specialists will offer classes to introduce a new crop of practitioners to its business.
The practice, which has been in operation for five years, is planning to hold classes in either January or February. The classes will be held for 12 months followed by another year-long paid mentorship. To be accepted into the education program, DiMarino said he will interview prospective students have them shadow his therapists.
If accepted, students will enter the training program, called The Institute of Advanced Bodywork and Movement (IABM), which is a certified massage school in the state. The school focuses on modalities of cutting-edge manual therapy and exercise. Completing the program allows students to take the national massage board to receive a license as a massage therapist.
Once the program is completed, the newly licensed massage therapists are offered a paid year of work and mentoring to continue their education.
The goal behind offering the program is to hire new therapists, DiMarino said, adding that the hope is to bring in people who are serious about this field. It’s one of the reasons prospective students are interviewed and shadow therapists before entering the IABM.
“We want to make sure they know what they are getting into,” DiMarino said. “…we want to make sure they are serious. I’m hoping they will take this on as a career.”
If hired, the new employees will be treating a wide range of issues including joint pain, herniated discs, back and neck pain, hip pain, shoulder pain and migraines and headaches.
“We can treat mostly any pain in the body, any muscles, nerve or joint,” DiMarino said.
Musculoskeletal Specialists utilizes traditional osteopathic principals, which focus on muscles, joints and bones as well as European physiotherapist principals, modern myofascial principals and applied understanding of fluid dynamics of the muscular and fascial systems. Exercises also are used to teach the body to maintain its new, healthy position.
If a problem is beyond Musculoskeletal Specialists’ scope, the practice does partner with doctors in town and will refer patients.
However, “the results are very, very good,” DiMarino said. “If something isn’t working to resolve the patient’s pain, we will change the game plan and try something different. The most important thing we do is find the source of the problem.”
It is a little like detective work to find the cause of the pain, he said.
As an osteopathic surgeon, Dr. Chris Hammond at Los Alamos Medical Center said he appreciates the work that Musculoskeletal Specialists do.
“Their practice is the first practice I ever encountered that provides the highest level of manual manipulative medicine,” Dr. Hammond said.
He added that on a personal note, he has been a patient of Musculoskeletal Specialists for three years.
“I see them for back pain and musculoskeletal pain and they have helped me tremendously,” Dr. Hammond said. “They are extremely thorough in trying to find the exact problem in your musculoskeletal system that can lead to multiple different systems. I recommend them to everybody I know with musculoskeletal problems.”
Musculoskeletal Specialists has a staff of 17 and DiMarino said they work as a team. Patients will see one or two therapists and a Doctor of Oriental Medicine every time they come in. DiMarino said the teamwork between the therapists and acupuncturist creates a synergy.
“… when we work as a team with the acupuncturist there is a synergy that occurs with the treatment where one plus one isn’t two, it’s one plus one equals 10,” he said. “We have incorporated the ancient medicine with the most modern bodywork and exercise to create this synergy.”
It is very rewarding work, he added.
“It’s a real special thing to be able to use your hands and remove pain from people’s bodies … it’s a real special career field. I think it is going to take off,” DiMarino said.
The practice also has a lot of heart, he said, and the therapists never get bored. For DiMarino personally, he said it is very fulfilling to see people get results.
“Seeing someone limp in and walk out is pretty rewarding,” he said.
Musculoskeletal Specialists is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. Insurance is accepted. Fees vary depending on what needs to be done. A 90-minute session is $135 for self-pay; if acupuncture is included, the price is $170. A session with just one therapist for an hour is $85 and sessions with interns, who will be accompanied by DiMarino, is $45 for 75 minutes.
Additionally, the cost to attend IABM is $12,500. Students need to pay $3,000 upfront and can pay $250 a month. The deadline to register for IABM is Dec. 15.
For more information about IABM or to schedule an appointment, call 505.412.4061 or visit www.mskspc.com.
