LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
CAMP Profile |
by Fay Jacobs |
Got Muscle Pain? Pam Kozey Gives Presidential Treatment
If you have an aching back (or neck or shoulder or leg) you may be able to get the kind of treatment President John F. Kennedy got for his famous aching back. That's because Pamela F. Kozey, a disciple of the noted White House physician Janet Travell is moving to town to set up the Muscle Pain Relief Center of Rehoboth. Pam, a Rehoboth visitor since the mid-1980s, and a participant in CAMP Rehoboth and other community activities, has decided she's had all she can take of Northern Virginia (and Beltway traffic) and is moving her practice to the beach. Specifically, she's bringing what she believes to be the very first Myofascial Trigger Point Therapy practicea technique developed and pioneered by Dr. Travellto Delaware. Myofascial Trigger Point Therapy (MTPT) is a holistic approach to muscle and connective tissue problems. The work-up includes a complete evaluation to pinpoint the source of a patient's pain. And Pam Kozey notes that surprisingly, the source of the pain (the trigger point!) is not always the site of the pain. Your headache may start in your back. Who knew? According to Pam, once the trigger point is identified, the treatment consists of compression of the muscle tissue causing the muscle to release its tension. The therapist then passively stretches the muscle and instructs the patient how to prevent the same thing from happening again. Keeping pain away is the name of the game, as Pam takes a look at things that are often overlookedthings like how you sleep, what you had for breakfast ("non-judgmentally, Pam laughs) and other factors like endocrine levels and ergonomic issues (how you sit at work!) which can cause pain to recur. So how did a former Rape Crisis Center manager and political campaign worker get into the medical field and meet one of the country's leading pain management experts? "It was really just a lucky accident. I was living in Pittsburgh and working for the Crisis Center, when I saw an ad for a demonstration of Swedish massage at the community center. On a lark I went to see what it was all about and loved it. I just knew it was something I wanted to do." "Can I make a living doing this?" Pam asked the instructors, the answer was "Yes!" and she was on her way. "I moved to Washington to go to massage therapy school in 1985. When I graduated I met a therapist who asked me to take over her practice for a month while she traveled. Through her, I met a woman who was studying and going to conferences with Dr. Travell and they invited me to come along. It was an honor." When Dr. Travell, was in her 60s, she was the White House physician to both JFK and Lyndon Johnson. After leaving public service, she continued to lecture at medical conferences. By the time Pam met her, she was in her 90s and "still sharp as a tack," says Pam. "She could stand up in front of a room full of physicians that were tops in their fields and trade barbs and answer questions for hours. They loved to challenge her and she'd give it right back to them." Besides going to the conferences from 1992-1996 and "being Dr. Travell's guinea pig," Pam received both formal and informal instruction from her mentor. "One time I was to present a lecture at a symposium and I found out that Dr. Travell was going to sit in. Great, I was giving a lecture on a topic where the doctor had literally written the book on the subject. I was terrified," Pam says. As it turned out, she received rave reviews and only a few minor, but very specific notes. Over the years, Pam worked in doctors' offices, and had her own practice where she visited clients in their homes. "Those days were 'have table, will travel.' But the older you get, the heavier that table gets," says Pam, with a smile. For the past decade, Pam has had her own very successful Myofascial Trigger Point practice in Northern Virginia and has continued to perform the techniques that she learned at Dr. Travell's side. "I really enjoy being able to help people feel better and keep them from having their pain recur," Pam says. "Keeping the pain away is where MTPT really works." Pam notes that the kinds of conditions that respond well to MTPT are headaches, backache, joint pain, repetitive motion syndrome, TMJ, Carpal Tunnel syndrome, Fibromyalgia, frozen shoulder, tennis and golfer's elbows, runner's knees and all manner of muscle problems. Now, with almost 20 years experience presenting to healthcare practitioners, patient organizations, and professional conventions, including the American Academy of Pain Management and the National Association of Myofascial Trigger Point Therapists, Pam is ready to bring her brand of pain relief to clients here at the beach. She notes that patients must be cleared by their physician or have a diagnosis of myofascial pain prior to treatment, and that she works closely with her patients' own doctors for a coordinated approach to pain management. At press time, Pam was still arranging for the mover and locating a site for her office. But she is already answering patient questions at 302-245-4234. In the meantime, she and her partner Marie Martinucci are settling into their new house off Old Landing Road, and getting used to life at the beach. While Pam will be busy setting up her practice, she will also be taking the time to rehearse with The Power Surges for the Third Annual CAMP Rehoboth Follies. You may remember Pam from her role in skits from the past two years. She's the one that opens the Power Surges' act each year with "Dear Girls..." So when you are doubled over with a pain in your side from laughing at the Follies, or otherwise seeking real muscle pain relief, the Muscle Pain Relief Center of Rehoboth is a place to check out. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 14, No. 5 May 21, 2004 |