Healthy Holiday Recipes
Since the holidays are right around the corner, we are always on the lookout for healthy alternatives for some of the heavier and more indulgent foods that we may eat. Please feel free to look through some of our favorite recipes that we found and collected for your viewing.
Have a great holiday season everyone!
GLUTEN FREE CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
ROAST BEEF & HORSERADISH SPIRALS
BITE SIZED CRAB CAKES WITH WASABI MAYO
HERB AND NUT COVERED GOAT CHEESE LOGS
SLIDERS WITH SHALLOT DIJON RELISH
GRILLED STONE FRUIT ANTIPASTO PLATE
Yoga for the Holidays!
During the busy times of the year, we tend to disregard our bodies and what our bodies are telling us. One of the best preventative things you can do while busy this holiday season is Yoga. We have aligned with one of Tampa Bays Premier Yoga Studios- Sun Yoga!
Some of the primary benefits of yoga include:
- Increased range of motion
- Increased flexibility
- Increased blood flow
- Overall relaxing feeling
- Low impact – great for rehab and elderly!
Yoga has many more benefits that range from better heart health to better overall psychological awareness and attitude.
We recommend yoga to any and all of our clients on various skill levels. By engaging in yoga sessions, we can all feel the benefits and prevent further or future damage!
If you have any questions or would like to speak about yoga, please feel free to CONTACT us today for more information, or you can CONTACT SUN YOGA here!
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder : Symptoms and Signs
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can occur when a person witnesses or experiences a traumatic event. It can affect even the strongest of people. According to the National Mental Health Association, 30% of people who have been directly involved in wars experience PTSD. Approximately 8% of people in the United States will experience post-traumatic stress disorder in their lifetimes. More than 5 million people experience PTSD each year.CALLING ALL VETERANS! Surgical Alternative is now performing PTSD therapy for FREE!
The team at Surgical Alternative hold our nations service members near and dear to our hearts, but have not yet to date figured out a way to make a difference. We recently agreed to begin a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder study on Post War Veterans in Tampa Florida. If you are an active or past service member and would like some relief with your PTSD, please CONTACT US today to discuss what we can do to help ease your pain. Thank you again to ALL of our service members!
Peyton Manning : Was Another Neck Surgery the Right Decision?
If you are at all a sports fan which many of us are, you have undoubtedly heard about the “Peyton Manning” effect and all of the fanfare that surrounds it. In the past weeks, he has been cleared to return to regular play, been involved in one of the most prolific free agency releases of all time, and pushed out an up and coming star in Tim Tebow to New York into a seemingly backup position. All of these events stem from the neck surgery that kept Manning out all of last season while his beloved colts were battered by opponents all over the league. I am here to talk about that surgery, its effects, and its risks.
The reward for the surgery is quite simple: use of your neck for the remaining years of your life while maintaining a relative range of motion. My first question lies here. I am sure that Peyton Manning could afford only the best treatment, so why were so many surgeries needed? (3 separate surgeries) The answer lies in the root of the problem, a pinched nerve. Years of wear and tear taking hits from 285 pound monsters had taken its toll. By undergoing two unsuccessful surgeries, not only was he living in pain, but also causing further damage by not allowing for full recovery.
The risks are not as simple as the reward. Peyton Manning underwent what is called a single level anterior fusion, which involves removing an entire disk in your spine, and replacing it with a bone graft. The surgery is performed through an incision in the front of the neck, while a surgeon carefully works around every muscle to get to the disk. There also runs a great risk by going under with anesthesia and creating a dependency on the pain medications after the surgery itself.
We would like to offer our surgical alternative to this surgery. By using our proprietary brand of therapy, we can ease your pinched nerves removing the need for surgery, down time, pain, and risks that come along with them.
If you have any questions regarding pinched nerves, or any other pain that you would like to overcome, please CONTACT US today or go to www.surgicalalternative.com for more information.
Scar Tissue from Breast Augmentation can cause Capsular Contracture (update)
A month or so ago, I’d recently started working with a woman that was having encapsulation issues after a breast augmentation and lift surgery and want to update everyone on where we are now. We are continuing to work on the one remaining encapsulated breast in order to prevent her having a 4th surgery on that breast. With her doctors encouragement we did therapy on her 2 times a week for approximately 3-4 weeks. I say 3-4 weeks because the therapy has now stopped. We were successfully getting the breast to slowly drop. The thickness of the anchor cut scar tissue was thinning nicely with each successive appointment. Progress was slow but the patient would call me after appointments to let me know she was now wearing blouses that she’d not been able to wear since the surgery because of the breast being noticeably off balance with the encapsulation. Upon our last visit which was at the end of the week, the patient had noticed a painful nodule had popped up on the breast we were working on and pointed it out to me. Since it was not in the area that I needed to work in we continued to thin out the scar tissue under the breast. We were happy with the results of the breast thus far and now she would have her follow up appointment with the surgeon at the beginning of the week. Monday morning I received a call from the woman. She told me that over the weekend that the nodule was very tender so she’d gone in to see her surgeon. He gave her antibiotics for the breast but said since she has been such rare and difficult case; he wanted to take no chances and scheduled her for another surgery on her breast. As you can imagine this is not the way I was hoping the story would end. The patient was firm in letting me know that even with the outcome; she would not change a thing. She needed to have that peace of mind that she had done everything she could naturally, first! Surgical Alternative is not against surgery. Everything has its place. When natural routes have been responsibly explored and exhausted to that individual’s satisfaction and with a doctor’s guidance then there may come that time when it is necessary. We just want you to know there are many ailments we can help reverse and cure with our therapy techniques. These blogs are all about getting the word out that massage can help with the rehabilitation of lesser know ailments like jaw pain, cluster headaches, chest pain, abdominal pain, sacroiliac joint pain, sprained ankle, tendonitis and many more things.
Massage as Medicine
If any of you have read my blogs or know, you know that I prescribe to the thought of massage as alternative medicine. A lot of the time when you mention massage people assume relaxation but the truth is most perform more types of therapeutic massage. Many of the passionate one in our industry including myself have been trying to get better recognition for the many benefits that we provide our clients. The Wall Street Journal just released an article that is finally starting to shine light on the many benefits of massage. Massage therapy boosts immune functions, reduces stress and anxiety, improves asthma symptoms in children and as with our type of therapy increases grip strength in carpal tunnel patients while also being able to cure most non-surgically.
Most in our field got involved because they want to help others and believe that there are better methods of treatments than drugs, shots and surgery. My clients are walking testimonials for the benefits of massage. The bigger issues that we face is that most insurance companies only cover a portion of the cost or don’t cover it at all. It’s not a bad as you may think since massage isn’t like a doctors visit, most cost between $60-$100 an hour.
As the article reads, Don’t Call It Pampering: Massage Wants to be Medicine. I am appreciative of all our efforts that are made that bring to light, how we can help! Like other medical professionals, we have to take continuing education to maintain our licenses ensuring that we are constantly learning new methods to benefit our clients. I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject.
Shin Splints Treatment
The past couple of weeks I’ve seen an increase in people seeking treatment for their shins splints. This time of year is when the weather is great for spring sports. It’s also a time when the weekend warriors doing marathons, half marathons, and 5k’s are in full force.
Shin splints are one of those things that I ideally try to take care of in the off season when the athlete is rested and the irritation to the area is not so painful. I rarely get to see athletes at that phase. More of the norm is to see the person as they are being hindered from completing their workouts or see them at the point when every step hurts, even when just walking. Treating shin splints and becoming pain free is a multi step approach along with time to heal. It involves everything from stretching, icing, and bandaging, all the way to wearing proper shoes, evaluating the surface you are exercising on, and rest. Many of the people we see are actively in their season and have urgency in needing to resolve the matter. They do not have the luxury of waiting the 4 to 6 month period it can take to heal from doing the above mentioned treatment approach. Let me also mention that some of the people we have helped with shin splints have not been athletes at all. Some have been those whom put long hours on their feet on hard surfaces. We usually get a person who can only give us a 1- 2 day window of not working out in their sport.
Our approach to healing is a more direct one. As part of our sessions, through body reading we visually assess how the body may be collapsing or compensating and contributing to the emphasis of stress to the shins. Sometimes what we find is that the hips are out of balance or the arch has collapsed. If this has been going on for a while we find that they are also suffering of other sports injuries or pain underneath the feet like plantar fasciitis. We work to release the tightened muscles that are restricting the pelvis and hips from being balanced. This helps the body come out of its collapse and helps the body go more into balance and allows for better body mechanics. The calves and front of the lower leg musculature is a significant contributor in shin splints when tight. This is can be due to a lack of stretching, hydration, but more often repetitive use. We also release scar tissue that can be felt along the front shin area and address all the muscles of the lower leg and foot. It is through our direct approach that our clients are able to recover in HALF the time of what other therapies currently offer!!!!! If you are suffering with shin splints, plantar fasciitis, or other sports injuries and don’t have the time to wait to get better, give our approach a try.
Golfers- How we can improve your Golf Swing?
Peggy Boyd, founder of Surgical Alternative Tampa discusses the use of our cranial structural and advanced deep tissue massage techniques to improve your golf swing and range of motion.
Through the use of our cranial structural and advanced deep tissue massage techniques we provide effective non-surgical treatments for carpal tunnel, hiatal hernias, bulging discs, sciatica (sciatic pain), plantar fasciitis and much more. Surgical Alternative is now located in Lutz near New Tampa. We proudly service Tampa, St. Petersburg, Land O Lakes, New Port Richey, Wesley Chapel, Trinity and all surrounding areas. If you are in pain or just need a decompression session, please call today, or schedule your appointment online!
Unnecessary Surgery- Surgical Alternative
Unnecessary surgery has had considerable debate and some outlandish accusation in recent years. I often get asked why I’m still so passionate about what I do after 15 years. One of the biggest reasons is to give people a surgical alternative. According to the Harvard school of Public Health, the unwarranted or unnecessary surgeries could be as high as 30% in the United States. The most common reason for unnecessary surgery is the uncertainty of the physician about the effectiveness of an operation. We are blessed to live in a time where we have access to so much information and can research the information given to find alternative methods to heal themselves. A lot of my new clients have the same concerns that you, my husband and friends have. If this is so effective at relieving pain, why I haven’t heard of it and secondly how effective is it. One of the main reasons you may not have heard about it, is simply money and marketing. Until the internet, alternative therapies were mainly just word of mouth and most traveled within the same circles. But now we have access to other types of alternative therapies that many are use to. Look at the amount of vitamins and supplements we now take.
I have always been fascinated with the body and its ability to heal itself and though unnecessary surgery we limit that ability. As we become more educated about our bodies and how to better take care of them, I hope alternative therapy becomes a viable option and not just an afterthought or a last chance. Our techniques, like those in the medical fields, continue to evolve to find new way to heal the body using a non-surgical approach.
Through the use of our cranial structural and advanced deep tissue massage techniques we provide effective non-surgical treatments for carpal tunnel, hiatal hernias, bulging discs, sciatica (sciatic pain), plantar fasciitis and much more. Surgical Alternative is now located in Lutz near New Tampa. We proudly service Tampa, St. Petersburg, Land O Lakes, New Port Richey, Wesley Chapel, Trinity and all surrounding areas. If you are in pain or just need a decompression session, please call today, or schedule your appointment online!
Herniated and Bulging Discs Treatments-Non-Surgical
Many are confused by exactly what are bulging discs and viable non-surgical treatment options. The more general term is called a herniated disc.
Herniated or bulged discs will be an extruded disc, where the disc will actually tear through the tough outer shell and will push into the spinal space. It can cause compression to the nerves in the spinal-cord causing you to feel significant pain, weakness, or numbness.
Many people ask me how I got this or where did this come from. The answer is that there are many factors that can contribute to herniated discs or bulging discs.
One of the big contributing factors is obesity; the heavier you are the more likely you are to putting stress on your spine. Increasing you chance of experiencing a bulging or herniated discs. Lifestyle can also be a big factor, if you have a lax lifestyle that doesn’t involve any type of exercise or other strenuous activities over the years your muscle will weaken making it easier to have bulging or herniated discs. Other causes can be a simple injury such as a blow to the back, a car accident or some other trauma to the body can easily cause a herniated disc as well. Another big factor is aging; as we begin to age our spinal structure begins to weaken causing the chances of you incurring bulging discs or herniated discs to increase significantly.
Depending on where the injury on your spine may have occurred your symptoms can will be different. A herniated or bulging disc in your neck can cause significant pain in your arms, chest, neck, and hands. If the injury occurs in your lower back you may feel pain in your legs and lower region. Because the spine controls some many areas of the body you can feel pain or discomfort in many areas of the body.
At Surgical Alternative, we have been providing effective treatment options for bulging discs and herniated discs for over 14 years now, using non-surgical methods. We are passionate about what we do and spreading the message so that we can reach and help some of those people that suffer from these and many other painful conditions. Surgical Alternative is now located in Lutz near New Tampa. We proudly service Tampa, St. Petersburg, Land O Lakes, New Port Richey, Wesley Chapel, Trinity and all surrounding areas. Please call today, or schedule your appointment online!
Where’s Your Head At? Part 2
In the last post I discussed how our lives tend to lead us to position our head in front of our body, which overtime can cause neck strains, herniated discs, nerve entrapment, and other related conditions. If we have been injured in an accident, this pathway to pain can accelerate rapidly.
With our approach here at Surgical Alternative with SET Bodywork, we know how to address the key areas causing pain, even if they are not the places where our clients are feeling their pain. It wasn’t until I learned this specialized therapeutic approach to structural bodywork in SET that I realized how much the front of the neck plays a key role in back and shoulder pain.
The muscles in the front of your neck and chest are often very tight when you are experiencing neck pain, but not every massage therapist knows to release them, or how to do this effectively. Now that I practice SET Bodywork, I have seen dramatic changes in my clients. Often after just one session.
As one client who was experiencing chronic pain in her neck noted, “I never had that much of a shift from just one session before.” That was last Spring. I haven’t seen her since because she still feels great. What are you waiting for?
We feel very fortunate and excited to do what we love to do, help others. We have been dealing with clients in severe pain for over 14 years now, that are suffering from herniated discs, bulging discs, hiatal hernias, peripheral nerve damage, nerve entrapments, pinched sciatic nerve issues, degenerative disk disease and many more symptoms that people think they either have to have surgery for or are told they just have to deal with the pain. We use a combination of deep tissues massages and cranial structural techniques to balance and align the body. The reason we started blogging was so that we could reach and help some of those people that suffer from these and many other painful conditions. Surgical Alternative is now located in Lutz near New Tampa. We proudly service Tampa, St. Petersburg, Land O Lakes, New Port Richey, Wesley Chapel, Trinity and all surrounding areas. Please call today, or schedule your appointment online!
Texting Thumb- More common than you think!
Almost everyone is using cellular phones and laptops on a continuous basis. Even though these devices help us to create efficiency and speed in our communications, they also come with their own hazards.
About a month ago, I started to notice a lingering pain in my thumb. I didn’t remember hurting it while working so I started to pay attention to how I was using it. After a couple of days it clicked. I was starting to develop “Texting Thumb” – a painful condition from overuse in repetitive movements while using technological devises like phones and computers.
Ten years ago, there was almost an epidemic of carpel tunnel pain. Every pain relief clinic specialized in treatments for carpel tunnel. This was because of the increasing use of computers at work with many people using a computer for most or all of their work day. Now, this fad has died off a bit and more specific conditions like thumb pain from texting or the use of a laptop mouse pain are starting to emerge.
The good part is, we know exactly how to treat it. Instead of massaging the area of pain and doing general work on the arm, I know that to fully release the contracted tissue causing the pain, I need to also release the shoulder and arm systematically. Our myofasical release work with SET Bodywork, allows the tissues to let go of the habitual patterns they have formed through use. There is a ripple effect down the arm as these tissues release and sometimes when we get down work specifically in the area of pain, the thumb for example, the releases prior have already initiated the release of the painful area before we even touch it.
Whether you suffer from neck pain, shoulder pain, frozen shoulder syndrome, tennis elbow, or other repetitive movement injuries, know that relief is possible. Being painfree means being more productive, because who cares about doing a good job when you are just waiting to go home. Bodywork may be the key to success. Or at least, what keeps us on good terms with our machines.
As an advanced deep tissue massage therapist in Tampa, I believe in helping people who live with chronic pain to learn how to also help themselves. Though our SET Bodywork ( a combination of advanced deep tissue massage and cranial structural techniques)is highly effective for many conditions such as herniated discs, bulging dics, scoliosis, plantar fascitis, heal spurs, myofascial relief and more, the therapist and the client are a team.
Surgical Alternative is now located in Lutz,FL near New Tampa. We proudly service Tampa, St. Petersburg, Land O Lakes, New Port Richey, Wesley Chapel, Trinity and all surrounding areas. Please call today, or schedule your appointment online!
Healing with Heat, Part 2
Heat is an amazing therapeutic tool that sometimes gets overlooked because of its own simplicity. Though heat may not relieve long term pain permanently, it can provide temporary relief and is really very easy to do.
Providing heat to an area of pain will help to lengthen and relax over tight muscles, improve circulation, and reduce muscle spasms. The increase in blood flow allows the cells to receive nutrients and exchange their waste materials, allowing tissues to repair where damaged. Plus, as I mentioned in the last post, it feels comforting. As someone who practices therapeutic bodywork, I know that just feeling safe, supported, and cared for is sometimes enough to let our body heal itself.
At home, heat therapy can be as simple as drawing a bath; use some epsom salt for additional release of toxins from your body. Or you can heat up a rice sock or one of our Mother Earth Pillows, sold here in the office.
When using heat, always remember to be MINDFUL OF TEMPERATURE. Never put a hot pack directly on your skin, and always test out the water before getting in. There is no use in burning while trying to feel better.
If you’d like to learn more about how to use both hot and cold therapy for pain relief, be sure to come to my talk at 11:30am at our Grand Opening here at Surgical Alternative on December 10th.
As an advanced deep tissue massage therapist in Tampa, I believe in helping people who live with chronic pain to learn how to also help themselves. Though our SET Bodywork ( a combination of advanced deep tissue massage and cranial structural techniques)is highly effective for many conditions such as herniated discs, bulging dics, scoliosis, plantar fascitis, heal spurs, myofascial relief and more, the therapist and the client are a team. I can’t be with my clients all the time, but I can help them learn what they can do for themselves in between sessions. That’s empowerment.
Surgical Alternative is now located in Lutz,FL near New Tampa. We proudly service Tampa, St. Petersburg, Land O Lakes, New Port Richey, Wesley Chapel, Trinity and all surrounding areas. Please call today, or schedule your appointment online!
Decompress for the holidays
Can you feel your shoulders slowly drawing up soon to be in the region where earrings should be? Are you finding your jaw and neck muscles are getting more uncomfortable plus you’ve started grinding your teeth? Is your emotional stress increasing? Are you making mental lists when you should be sleeping? It’s that time of year again…the holidays!
Maximize your enjoyment of this holiday season and de-stress with body or cranial work. Bodywork releases tense muscles by using a plethora of techniques including deep tissue massage. It could be just the right thing to help you feel focused and refreshed. It can also take care of that nagging pain that just has not gone away. Cranial work is not only extremely relaxing; it will leave you feeling more grounded, and helps boost the immune system. Who couldn’t benefit from that heading into cold and flu season? This is your chance to make time for your physical and emotional health. A more complete list of conditions we effectively treat can be found HERE!
Take care of yourself this year and Schedule online or call to make your appointment. Now through December 31st , Surgical Alternative will be offering $15 off your first appointment and $25 off our package of 5 sessions! This will bring the package price to $ 450. That’s a savings of $100! Use all 5 for yourself or give away an appointment or two to someone in need!
December Specials
*$15 off first session
*Package of 5 = $450 /A savings of $100! (90min sessions)
Surgical Alternative- Grand Opening Celebration
Decompress in December at Surgical Alternative’s Grand Opening
Lutz, FL - Surgical Alternative, Institute of Alternative Therapy, will celebrate its grand opening on Saturday, December 10th from 10am-2pm. The community is invited to come in for an experience of the senses and learn about the many ways to decompress from stress.
Surgical Alternative is celebrating its new location in the Heritage Station business complex in Lutz, FL. Members of the community are invited to visit the new space, get to know us and learn about how they can de-stress and feel better. This free event will be catered by a local cafe and is open to the public; all ages are welcome.
Guests will receive an “Experience Scavenger Hunt” at the entrance and are invited to walk through our treatment rooms and experience each therapeutic technique on the list. Several short informational/experiential sessions are also scheduled throughout the event and will include vouchers for discounted offers for those who attend the sessions. Schedule for these sessions is printed below:
11:30 Hot/Cold Therapy for Pain Relief
12:15 Stress and Bodywork
1pm Outdoor Yoga: Upper Body Stress Release
Surgical Alternative is an independent business founded by Peggy Boyd, BA, LMT, specializing in therapeutic bodywork and committed to helping others rehabilitate from pain and regain their life. SA is also the home of Upward Spiral Therapy, founded by Nyssa Hanger, MA, LMT, specializing in aromatherapy, pregnancy services and self-educational workshops. Pam Mann, LMT and Jan Foster, LMT, RYT of Surgical Alternative will also be present.
Health & Wellness! Our community outreach
We are proud to announce that, Surgical Alternative will be taking part in the 2011 Health & Wellness Festival this Sunday November 13 from 9am to 4pm. We at Surgical Alternative would like to welcome you to come down and visit our booth. We would love the opportunity to meet with you and answer any questions about our specialized therapies and the conditions we can effectively treat! We will also be offering chair massage at our booth for a nominal charge. Please come down, join in on the fun, and support us expanding in the community! We hope to see you this weekend!
Here is a list of activities for the whole family:
- 5K Run/1k Walk (7AM)
- Fun Run (7:30 am)
- Visit with medical, health and wellness professionals
- Fitness and healthy cooking demonstrations
- Live entertainment
- Nutrition and health food advice
- Healthy fun for people of all ages
- Kid’s Zone
We feel very fortunate and excited to do what we love to do, help others. We have been dealing with clients in severe pain for over 14 years now, that are suffering from herniated discs, bulging discs, hiatal hernias, peripheral nerve damage, nerve entrapments, pinched sciatic nerve issues and many more symptoms that people think they either have to have surgery for or are told they just have to deal with the pain. The reason we started blogging was so that we could reach and help some of those people that suffer from these and many other painful conditions. For more information or read other testimonials or blogs Check US OUT!
To pay or not to co pay?
I recently had a phone call from a person whom had been referred to our office from his neighbor who comes here for maintenance therapy. She recently spent time explaining her journey of finding pain relief to him. He’d finally had enough pain that he was now thinking about what he considered to be the only next step, surgery. He‘d been told he would need surgery for his herniated discs and bulging discs in his lower back which were causing him a wicked sciatica pain. His neighbor had been down this similar path but thankfully someone steered her our way. I spent at least an hour on the phone listening to his health history and his treatment journey thus far. He asked lots of questions about our bodywork approach and what our therapy plan would entail for a person in his condition. Most clients feel a significant improvement after the first session, but being that he’d been in pain for over 10 years, I asked him to schedule 5 appointments spaced 7 to 14 days apart. I could hear his hesitation though the phone. He then said, maybe he should try physical therapy or his chiropractor again. His insurance would pay for that. He was only responsible for the co pay. In prior years these therapies which worked for him now seemed to give him less results. I could not understand how he was willing to go back to therapy that he says was no longer giving him relief. He would rather pay a co pay than give another approach a try, out of pocket. I felt like he was fitting to stay in the cycle he was stuck in because insurance would cover it.
Much of the work that I do is updating the public’s thinking about what structured massage therapy can address. I feel like most people are still running a DOS program when what “WE” do is actually equivalent to running Windows 7. We can successfully treat more conditions than the public knows a therapist to work on. The work we specialize in “Structural Energetic Therapy,” is a total body restructuring! It is not your mother’s massage therapy. Many can’t fathom that massage therapy could rehabilitate them. Structural imbalances are responsible for over 90% of our painful symptoms throughout the body, and can cause varying degrees of limitations and dysfunctions. We use specialized deep tissue massage protocols to release myofascial holding patterns, scar tissue and adhesions that maintain distortions causing pain and dysfunction! These techniques allow us to release the primary distortions/ imbalance, and sub-patterns, with the ultimate goal of restoring balance in the body long term.
We feel very fortunate and excited to do what we love to do, help others. We have been dealing with clients in severe pain for over 14 years now, that are suffering from herniated discs, bulging discs, hiatal hernias, peripheral nerve damage, degenerative disk disease, nerve entrapments, pinched sciatic nerve issues and many more symptoms that people think they either have to have surgery for or are told they just have to deal with the pain. The reason we started blogging was so that we could reach and help some of those people that suffer from these and many other painful conditions. For more information or read other testimonials or blogs Check US OUT!
Nerve Entrapment-What causes them?
Nerve entrapment is commonly referred to as a pinched nerve. A pinched nerve is caused when a nerve is somehow damaged or injured by compression or direct pressure not allowing the nerve to properly conduct a signal. There are many causes for a pinched nerve depending on where the nerve resides in the body. For instance, a pinched nerve in the neck or lower back can be caused by a herniated disc, bulging discs, arthritis, or sometimes heel or bone spurs. A pinched nerve in the lower back or gluteus can lead to a pinched sciatic nerve, which can cause sciatica. Nerve entrapment or pinched nerve can be caused by an injury, bruise, or other painful conditions.
The symptoms of a pinched nerve depend on what nerve is affected. Each nerve is responsible for sending information to or from specific parts of the body.
The most common symptoms of a pinched nerve are:
- pain, numbness,tingling (pins and needles), or weakness of the muscles along the path of the nerve.
- A pinched nerve in the neck can cause neck pain or stiffness, along with symptoms down the arm.
- A pinched nerve in the lower back causes back pain and stiffness with symptoms down the leg.
- A pinched nerve in the wrist from carpal tunnel syndrome typically affects the thumb, index, and middle fingers. It can also cause a weakness in the patient’s grip strength, and atrophy of the muscle of the palm near the thumb.
We feel very fortunate and excited to do what we love to do, help others. We have been dealing with clients in severe pain for over 14 years now, that are suffering from herniated discs, bulging discs, hiatal hernias, peripheral nerve damage, degenerative disk disease, nerve entrapments, pinched sciatic nerve issues and many more symptoms that people think they either have to have surgery for or are told they just have to deal with the pain. The reason we started blogging was so that we could reach and help some of those people that suffer from these and many other painful conditions. For more information or read other testimonials or blogs Check US OUT!
Surgical Alternative Opens A New Location
It is with great pride and pleasure that I am pleased to announce,” Surgical Alternative has a new office!!!.” We are still conveniently located on N. US HWY 41 in Lutz,FL. We now have 2 more therapists whose schedules you can also view online at our site. No more waiting your turn while a loved one is seen; you can now be seen simultaneously. With 3 therapists specializing in various types of therapy including SET BODY(integration of deep tissue massage and cranial structural therapy), Emotional Release, Mother Massage and much more. We have the staff to support your therapeutic needs and you’ll be on your way to feeling more like yourself in no time.
Our new therapist include a wealth of experience:
Pamela Mann’s ability to empathize and her calm energy allow her clients to receive the maximum results possible during each session. She is passionate about educating her clients and empowering them to take control of their own health and well-being. Pamela has a mindful, nurturing touch and a relaxed professional presence that allows her to work well with a variety of clients. “My passion is to provide a service that improves the quality of life for my clients. If they come to me in pain, the end-goal is to find a way to alleviate that pain and make them a happier and healthier person.”
Nyssa Hanger has been a licensed massage therapist since 2005 and has been specializing in Structural Energetic Therapy® since 2006. In 2009, she founded Upward Spiral Body Therapy and Education (www.upwarspiraltherapy.com), offering therapeutic bodywork and educational workshops designed to help others embody their potential. She has seen both in herself and her clients the holistic benefits of this rehabilitative therapy and desires to share this gift with many more
In my dream to bring you a well rounded approach to healing, Jacqueline Armand, a clinical social worker will also be joining our officelate fall. We look forward to having her join our team.
We look forward to giving you the care and attention that you have come to know, but adding that compassionate touch to make your experience here exceptional!
NEW HOURS OF OPERATION:
M-Thursday 8-6:30 Friday 8-4 Saturday 10-4
New services being offered such as Cranial decompression, Mother Massage® and lymph drainage. More information on our new services and more can be found at our site! Come meet the newest additions to our staff.
Office Address:
17886 N. US HWY 41
Lutz, FL 33549
We do make a difference! An inside perspective.
As with most specialized or advanced therapist I started out as a relaxation/sports massage therapist after a career in my major( Nutrition) didn’t work out. As a former track athlete I understood the importance and benefit of massage in treating muscular aches and pains and I have always been compelled to help others. A few years out of massage school I had a growing business and was doing well, but 911 changed all that. My business died and I had to reaccess my situation. Fortunately, I meet a man, my husband, that allowed me to pursue my passion of helping people who were in constant pain, feel better and return to normal lives. Through my search I was fortunate enough to be introduced to a new therapy that combined deep tissue massages and cranial therapy techniques, finding new ways of helping those in severe and chronic pain called Structural Energetic Therapy. A girlfriend was going thru the training and kept encouraging me to try a workshop and experience the work. After the first weekend of a 2 weekend workshop I immediately signed up for the 2year training. Doing this type of worked completely opened a whole new world of how I could really make a difference in others lives. I have had the luxury of learning and working for the last 9 years next to the creator of the main work I practice, who has helped me hone and perfect my skills. I love what I do, therefore I am constantly looking for ways to educate myself so that I can do the best possible job for my clients. I have even taken a cadaver class to gain a better understanding of the body and how the muscle, bones and organs connect. I know, strange but really cool and highly beneficial. OK,Who didn’t like the bodies’ exhibit! I take my experience and take the time to try to educate my clients during their session and show them that sometimes where the pain is showing up is not always the source of where the pain is coming from. I have been awed and privileged to get the array of clients that have been referred to me. Many of the clients I see have been in pain for a long time, have been told there was nothing that we can do for you, have been told their test came back fine, and or been told here are some medications to help manage your pain…good luck.
If anyone of you have followed my blog in the past, then you know I’m passionate about letting people know there are surgical alternatives. I’m also excited to see the recent positive press about the health benefits of massage(which I have tried to stress with my clients). With the internet, availability and speed of information is more widespread than ever and when Oprah and Dr. Oz are in the discussion at least we gain credibility. I feel fortunate to learn about techniques online that other have used for centuries but because of locate have been inaccessible. Technology has changed accessibility which will continue to evolve the world. I hope we get to a point where we can use massage and other alternative medicines to stay healthier and cure common alignments instead of medication.
I have been helping people cure many conditions associated with whiplash flexion/extension injuries, headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain, degenerative disc disease, hiatal hernias, herniated discs or bulging discs, carpal tunnel, degenerative disk disease, nerve entrapment, sciatica (providing sciatic pain relief), low back pain, hip pain, knee pain, or foot pain and tailbone pain – that is usually related to the musculoskeletal structure. By addressing and releasing the core distortion pattern through a combination of techniques including deep tissue massages and cranial release we are able to achieve pain relief, homeostasis, and return to normal function.
Why live with back pain? Alternative therapy benefits
Weekend warriors and people living an active lifestyle that has recently been disrupted by pain as well as those of you that have jobs / hobbies that have you doing repetitive actions for extended periods of time fall in this category too. Why are you putting up with these pains? Now it’s affecting activities you love and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better. Does this sound like you? Adding regular bodywork as part of your health and fitness/ training regimen is preventative for injuries. Which by the way helps you stay on your game? SET bodywork is so much more than a deep tissue massage; this therapy incorporates cranial work, body logic, and deep tissue massage to focus on the source of where your symptoms are coming from. Let me help you get back to feeling like yourself and resume normal life activities.
Having been in this industry for 13 years, I have always believed the benefits of massage especially the more specialized work like I do, have been undervalued. So it was great to see an article on NPR discussing the benefits and the great results. They compared the effectiveness of treatments for lower back pain using three different groups, full body relaxation massage, deep tissue massage and medication and physical therapy. The study found good improvement with those who used either relaxation or deep tissue massage therapy over conventional types of treatment. You can check out the full article at http://www.npr.org/2011/07/04/137609072/got-low-back-pain-massage-therapy-may-rub-it-out?sc=emaf.
Although massage has been around for hundreds of years we are still discovering the power the body and mind having in the healing process. I have seen and lived this process with many of my clients, that is why I feel very fortunate and excited to do what I love to do, help others that are suffering from herniated discs, bulging discs, hiatal hernias, peripheral nerve damage, nerve entrapments, degenerative disk disease, pinched sciatic nerve issues and many more symptoms that people think they either have to have surgery for or are told they just have to deal with the pain. At www.surgicalalternative.com we can help!
Scoliosis! A painful but treatable condition
I see clients suffer from all kinds of pain and my passion keeps me working and training on alternative techniques that I can integrate to help my clients. One of my clients had been suffering for a while and this is their story.
“I was diagnosed almost 3 years ago with Scoliosis. This gave me some relief knowing what was causing all my pain. My knees hurt, my neck would sometimes lock and my lower back was in constant pain. I had to roll out of bed as I could not sit straight up in the mornings. According to the orthopedic doctor, the outlook was not bright. They wanted to put me on pain medication, a body brace and possible surgery. None of this was me. I have always lived a healthy lifestyle and I had no intentions of changing, but what could I do? I started to do some research on the internet on alternatives to help with my Scoliosis, with no real success. One day, by chance, I was speaking to a co-worker concerning my plight and she said, “My daughter is now practicing massage. Let me ask her if she knows anything that could help you”. Her daughter recommended I call Peggy Boyd at Surgical Alternative. That was one of the best phones call I ever made. Peggy changed my life for the best. I have been going to Peggy Boyd for two and a half years now and thanks to her, I am back to doing all that I used to do, and more importantly, without Pain! If you have Scoliosis, this is where you need to be! No drugs, no body brace, no surgery. Peggy gave me my active life back and I am forever in her debt. “
I feel very fortunate and excited to do what I love to do, help others return to a normal pain free life. I have been dealing with clients in severe pain in Tampa Bay, for almost 14 years now, that are suffering from herniated discs, bulging discs, hiatal hernias, degenerative disk disease, peripheral nerve damage, nerve entrapments, pinched sciatic nerve issues and many more symptoms that people think they either have to have surgery for or are told they just have to deal with the pain. If you know someone who is living in pain we can help at www.surgicalalternative.com
Why People Come to Surgical Alternative
People come see me for many different reasons. A lot of times, I’m the last option because they’ve done all the traditional western medicine they know to do. When their condition first started they stretched, they iced and took it easy for a little while, but still things persisted. They saw their doctor, were evaluated, had x-rays, MRIs, or cat scans and were told nothing was evident. They were just given a prescription for pain meds and anti-inflammatory and sent on their way. Some were even offered steroid injections that temporarily fixed the situation but did not offer long term relief. Many were not satisfied with their fix and felt that they should not feel this way at their age or were told it was all in their head because their films came back clean but yet they were still in pain. Most people come here because they were told by a friend, family member, neighbor or stranger that they knew of someone that could help. I often call our office the “place of last resort”. People have often given up hope by the time they make it here. When they come for their appointment armed with their reports, films, and evaluations, they are so relieved to hear that their strange aches and pains that have been limiting their lives does not sound strange to me. As a matter of fact they are the same symptoms that are common place and seen routinely at this office. There is a combination of hesitancy, disbelief, and relief that I see them experience. After all, many of them have gone through exhausting efforts and treatment to try and feel better. It really hurts me to hear what they have been living/existing with and how they are suffering just to make it day to day. After explaining what I do and how it can help, I begin to see a glimmer hope and relief washes over them. It’s not uncommon for tears of relief to be shed or for them to have an emotional release because of what they have been living with and going though. I explain how the body can manifest pain, the underlying conditions for this pain and why I think I can help. I do what I do because of the compassion I have for what these people are suffering or existing with. Our work is able to help so many get out of pain and return to a normal life. I’m not talking about managing but truly rehabilitating their pain. Over the course of your life, the body goes through many traumas while playing sports, working, car accidents, or other daily activities. I think everyone can remember all the things we did to our bodies as children and growing up. As we get older some of these traumas manifest themselves through the body and can cause severe pain. A good example is my husband, who played football, basketball and soccer the majority of his life and as he got older his back and ankle muscles would cause intense pain. Thankfully I knew how to fix himJ I am one of the lucky ones, I love what I do and I enjoy restoring hope. I have been dealing with clients in severe pain for almost 14 years now, that are suffering from herniated discs, bulging discs, hiatal hernias, peripheral nerve damage, nerve entrapments, pinched sciatic nerve issues and many more symptoms that people think they either have to have surgery for or are told they just have to deal with the pain. The reason I started blogging was so that I could reach and help some of those people that suffer from these and many other painful conditions. At www.surgicalalternative.com we can help!
