I was suffering from chronic lower back pain for months. One session with Kristen really set me on the road to feeling better, I noticed immediate improvement. I was able to train my sport with much more effort with much less pain than I was experiencing before. Her facility is very clean and easily accessible, I had no issues finding the space or parking my vehicle. read more

I have known Kristen through our rock climbing gym for a year now. She is the real deal! Her body work on an overused, tired, body (mine), was amazing. She walks you through exactly what issue she has pinpointed, the muscles involved, and translates the anatomy of what she is correcting or working on into morsels that you can understand. As the other reviews indicate, folks who see Kristen are ACTIVE and seeking relief from injuries that require expert knowledge of functional movement and anatomy. I plan on incorporating her into my overall health care routine. Thank you, Kristen! read more

I had tweaked my back at work assisting a patient. Was feeling fairly hobbled. I was fortunate to find lifestyle plus. She squeezed me in right at closing. Got to the root of the problem. Helping unknot my back and hip where it was causing me considerable discomfort and altering my gait. She then gave me some exercises to perform to help prevent and further strengthen this problem area for me. Thanks again for getting me back on track. read more

As someone who constantly trains with lofty goals in mind (I'm currently preparing for the NorthEast regional on American Ninja Warrior), I need a place that really helps keep my muscles and tendons healthy. Enter Lifestyle PR and Kristen of the golden hand. I've been going back to LPR about once every three weeks and Kristen has helped me stay healthy and correct chronic issues, all while teaching me about my body and how to use it most effectively. I can't recommend this place enough. read more

Just a quick background: I am a 26 year old male with an athletic build by playing basketball and casual weight lifting. Growing up I have been plagued with knee pain (starting back in high school) and lower back pain. My brother and dad have similar issues so I just swept these injuries as something that I couldn't prevent and that it runs in my family. My knees, back and eventually ankles at one point were so bad that I wasn't able to walk up and down stairs the next day after playing basketball or wasn't able to bend down and pick up stuff from the floor. I've gone through multiple physical therapy entities that my insurance has provided, doctors, acupuncture, and have even rested till the injury/pain subsided but the pain would always return after playing. I initially went to Kristen Norvel to help relieve this pain. What I didn't expect was that I was able to play basketball again without feeling any pain after! All this was possible by working with Kristen Norvel and Andre Bratton. Their combination of massage therapy and physical therapy available at Lifestyle + is like nothing I have seen before. Working with Kristen Norvel, I felt the pain subside after 1 session. She was able to determine the cause of why I have knee, back, and ankle issues biomechanically (certain muscles being too tight and forcing my body to move a certain way where my joints are affected). Most, physical/message therapists have a knowledge of muscles and joints. How Kristen stands out from all the others is she has an extensive knowledge of how these muscles and joints work in concert with each other and she is able to apply that knowledge during the session. For example, I told her that my knee cap felt like the bones were grinding/rubbing up against each other and she listened to me, worked on the problem areas and I was able to leave the session without that grinding pain. Working with Andre Bratton helped reinforce the proper mechanics of how the muscles should move in-sync during exercise. Andre is a beast and will help anyone trying to get to that next level of athleticism (competitive or non-competitive) through the golden workout of kettle bell. After about 2 weeks of working with Andre, I went back into playing basketball and can instantly tell a difference in my performance (blocking more shots, grabbing more rebounds, etc). Andre is an athletic genius and knows the proper mechanics to help you excel in your performance, whether its everyday activities or competitive sports. I have also done a cycling course taught by Austin Norvel and it was an awesome class! Austin was amazing at keeping the tempo up and had a great attitude for the class. That, combined with his perfect playlist gave me a vigorous workout. I will definitely be taking his class again, highly recommend! Overall, Lifestyle + has taught me that we are not subject to pain just because "it runs in our family". Working with them I not only relieved my pain, but I was able to have a better understanding of how my body works to make sure that the pain doesn't come back and if there is pain then understand which muscles I need to stretch/foam roll. I highly recommend Lifestlye + for anyone who either has pain or just simply wants to become more athletic. read more

I took a bad boulder fall while rock climbing a few nights ago and wrecked my back. Woke up the next day feeling about as stiff as the rock wall I had been climbing and decided to give Lifestyle Sport Performance and Recovery a try. I had heard about it several times at Sportrock and everyone said how great Kristen and Andre were. I called Kristen at 8 am on Wednesday morning and she offered me an appointment at 3:30 the same day, which I was so grateful for seeing as it hurt to breathe at the time. I wasn't sure I could get out of work, and she very awesomely said she could see me at 9pm if I needed to be seen that day and couldn't get out of work. I got out of work in time to do the 3:30, but I'm still super appreciative that she would've stayed that late to help me out. Kristen was ready to start as soon as I got there and wasted no time in diagnosing the problem through some movement and pain questions. She got me on the table and worked her way through my back, shoulder, and neck muscles to loosen everything up, super knowledgeable the whole time about what muscles were causing the pain. At the end of our session, she gave me stretches to do to keep the muscles healing and gave me another appointment in a week to break up some of the scar tissue that is sure to arise as the healing continues. I woke up this morning feeling better than I did before I fell-- my muscles weren't clammed up like the day before and my energy seemed to be a lot better. If you're thinking about whether Massage Therapy and Kristen can help you, stop hesitating and call her! read more

I had to shut down my paddling season early due to chronic rib and shoulder pain that just kept getting worse even when I laid off the training. After trying the usual traditional PTs and getting some random massages here in DC I met and spoke with Kristen and was immediately impressed with her knowledge and her confidence that this was something she could help me with. That is music to the ears of a grounded paddler, and she was not blowing smoke; she's been working through the problem like a cross between a surgeon, a biologist, and a structural engineer, she has an uncanny understanding of how our bodies are put together and move. Can't thank her enough for giving me a chance to get back into training. Highly recommended for athletes with demoralizing injuries. read more

It is rare to find a massage therapist who is as physically active as I am and who knows the demands placed on the body with numerous activities; Kristen embodies that person. I heard of Kristen through word of mouth and she definitely lived up to her reputation. I received a 90 minute deep tissue massage where she knowledgeably worked on my body's injuries as well as evaluated additional problem areas. She is incredibly friendly and makes the entire experience enjoyable. I highly recommend her and am looking forward to more sessions with her! read more

I'm a flight attendant always on the go, and deal with lots of tightness and pain in my body, so I was thrilled to finally find Kristen, who really knows how to zero in on the source of the trouble with real solutions and positive results. It is her passion to get you to a much better, stronger and healthier body and pain-free life. She knows the body so well, you almost don't even need to tell her where the problem is. She is compassionate and caring, but pushes you when it's necessary. If you need deep tissue massage and core strengthening, Kristen is your person. read more

Because I have seen a wide range of therapists, I have good knowledge of what a good therapist is and is not. After only 1 visit, Kristen is amazing. She KNOWS the body, where injuries are stemming from, how to manually help fix and what rehab YOU need to be doing on your own to keep getting better. Most therapists are only good for the sedentary, few are great and only a select few can truly work with someone who pushes their body. Kirsten is IT!! She's part PT/MT/trainer! read more

I heard of Kristen through word of mouth - everyone called her a miracle worker, and she undoubtedly lives up to her reputation! I've been suffering through an ankle sprain for almost 6 months now (my foot landed in between mats from about a ~6ft fall). She immediately noticed the stiffness that developed from extended immobilization, and through her deep tissue massage and a few PT exercises, I walked out with my ankle feeling the best it has since the fall...just from one session! She is incredibly friendly and very knowledgeable (she humbly explained the issues around the injured muscles/tissues). Needless to say, I highly recommend her and am looking forward to my future sessions with her! read more

As a long-distance runner, nothing is worse than leg injuries. I went from running 50 mile weeks to barely being able to complete easy 2 mile runs. I had worked with multiple physical therapists and doctors to get my problems sorted out. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to be working. When I would make progress with my PT, it only lasted about a week before i was back in pain. An acquaintance had recommended Lifestyle Sports and since there was no end in sight for my knee pain, i decided to give it a try. I am VERY glad i did. I went in for a consultation and Kristen was incredibly kind and helpful in helping to identify what might have been causing my issue. She did a thorough "checkup" and provided me with a diagnosis and a treatment plan. She set me up with Andre, the trainer, and for the next 2 months I went to weekly 1 on 1 sessions with Andre. Andre knows what's up. He is not your typical trainer. Andre guided me through corrective workouts and balance training to help build muscle in the weaker areas of my legs that was causing pressure and pain on my knee. The workouts were very adaptive and personalized and within a few weeks, i could already feel the pain subsiding. I recently finished my 8 week session with Andre and i'm happy to say i'm back and running a full workload again. Andre and Kristen were able to get me back on the road and i couldn't be more thankful. If you're looking to build strength, recover from an injury, or prevent an injury, this is your spot. read more

Kristen does it again! She is a miracle worker. After a couple years of having little to no injury, my right and left ribs flared up big time in a terrible way. It had looked like she was booked out for a couple of weeks, so I texted her to see if there was any way she could fix me. She was able to see me that day right before closing and got right to the problem areas. Afterwards, she gave me some stretches that I could do at home. Thank you so much, Kristen!! read more

I had a wonderful experience working with Kristen to get me through training for my first half marathon. Kristen was able to identify my problem and work with me to get me through the last couple weeks of training and the half marathon. Not only did she do a great job with the orthopaedic massage but she also gave me exercises and stretches to do on my own. She is very knowledgeable and friendly and I would recommend her for athletes as well as those just starting out with a healthier lifestyle. read more

I just had a sports massage from Kristen. She is amazing!! I can't say how much I needed this, and Kristen can find every tight area in your body, and fix it. I can't wait for my next appointment. If you feel tight and sore, GO SEE KRISTEN!!! read more