Surgical Alternative Top 10 treated conditions
As our clientele grows, we have noticed that more and more of our newer clients know less about the different conditions we can help with. Originally, we had two separate blogs showcasing the top ten conditions treated at Surgical Alternative. This made it difficult for some of our clients to find the information. We have decided to combine the two stories for a more cohesive place to find out more information about our top treated aliments.
Over the past few years, I have seen many different injuries treated in Surgical Alternative’s Institute of Alternative Therapy, but many of them have been returning ailments. We have taken a few minutes to create our top ten treated injuries from Surgical Alternative. If you have any further questions, please CONTACT US TODAY for your evaluation and treatment.
Without further adieu, we present our top ten treated injuries by surgical alternative for with alternative therapy, deep tissue massage, energetic therapy, and other methods.
10.) Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a disease that affects the central nervous system causing extreme pain and discomfort and many areas of the body independently and simultaneously. Symptoms may include but are not limited to debilitating fatigue, insomnia, and joint stiffness. Other symptoms include numbness/tingling and trouble swallowing. For more information on fibromyalgia, please continue here, or CONTACT Surgical Alternative today for your evaluation.
9.) Rotator Cuff Injuries
The rotator cuff in your shoulder is made up of tendons, ligaments and muscle that work in unison to create the range of motion for your arm and upper back. By injuring any of the pieces of the rotator cuff, you are not only causing inflammation and irritation, but you may also be doing further damage by not attending to your injury. For more information of rotator cuff injuries and what surgical alternative can do to help, please continue here, or CONTACT US TODAY for your evaluation.
8.) Plantar Fasciitis
This is the most common cause of heel pain. It is caused when your plantar fascia ligament becomes irritated, weakens, swells or strains. Since it is the tissue that supports your arch, some people call it “fallen arches”. Plantar Fasciitis causes moderate to severe foot pain and should be attended to as soon as possible. If you would like to learn more about your condition, please continue here or CONTACT US today for your evaluation.
7.) Hiatal Hernias / Hiatus Hernia
A hernia is simply described as part of your internal body moving somewhere it does not belong. Your Hiatus is an opening in your diaphragm and acts as a muscular wall between your chest cavity and your abdomen. When your abdomen and stomach bulge up through the opening in your hiatus, this is called a hiatal hernia, or hiatus hernia. There are two types of hiatal hernias : paraesophageal and sliding. Though extremely uncomfortable, surgical alternative can treat these hernias and make your life more comfortable and manageable. If you have a hiatal hernia and would like to learn more, please click here, or CONTACT us today for your evaluation and treatment.
6.) Tight Muscles / Stiffened Joints
We all get older and we all get LESS mobile each day. Even with an active lifestyle and proper stretching, we cannot always be that “21 year old” that we all remember was invincible. We have many clients that have been unable to do some of the things that they love due to aging muscles and joints. Many include hunters, golfers, fisherman/fisherwomen, and other active oriented people. With our treatment most of them are able to return to what they love. Whether its casting a rod, climbing into a tree stand, or any other activity, we can help you return to the things in life that you have worked so hard to enjoy. If you would like to learn more about joint stiffness or muscle tightness, please click here, or CONTACT us for your evaluation.
5.) TMJ Dysfunction
Known as Temporamandibular Joint Dysfunction, this painful ailment usually has symptoms such as tenderness, or pain in the joint that connects your jaw to your skull. This is the joint that allows you to chew, talk and yawn amongst other things. TMJ disorders can be caused by many different things such as grinding your teeth, an accident involving your jaw, or even arthritis. If you have any pain in your jaw area and would like to find out more, you can CLICK HERE, or you can CONTACT US today for your evaluation!
4.) Sciatica Pain
Your sciatica nerve is a large nerve extending down your lower back, and down to the backs of your legs. When damage or wear occurs, discomfort and chronic pain are common symptoms to the damage of this nerve. Some symptoms of sciatica damage may include burning or tingling down your leg, weakness or numbness, constant pain, or even shooting pains that incapacitate you and not allow you to get up from a sitting position. While usually only affecting one side of the body, sciatica some patients show symptoms on both sides of their bodies. If you have sciatica pain and would like to relieve yourself from the discomfort, please CONTACT US today for your evaluation, or you can READ MORE ABOUT sciatica pain here.
3.) Bulging/Herniated Disks
Also called a ruptured or slipped disk, this refers to when the soft tissue between your vertebrae called disks encounters a problem. When you have a herniated disk, it can irritate nearby nerve passages resulting in pain, numbness, and even weakness in an arm or a leg. Some people do not experience symptoms of a herniated disk, making it a very hard injury to diagnose. If you are experiencing back pain and believe you may have a herniated disk, please CONTACT US today for your evaluation or READ MORE HERE about your condition.
2.) Migraine Headaches
Though the exact cause of migraine headaches cannot be established, no one can deny the severity of these “showstoppers”. Migraines tend to be quickly onset with severe pain and debilitating symptoms including numbness, tingling, temporary blindness, and other sensory warnings. In some cases, medication is prescribed with hopes of treatment, but in many of those situations the medication does little or no good at all. If you suffer from migraine headaches, please CONTACT US today for an evaluation, or you can READ MORE ABOUT these headaches here.
The number one condition that we treat at surgical alternative institute is an elusive yet simple condition causing a spectrum of further symptoms that affect your entire body. Some people get this condition by being in high speed accidents, while others can get this condition by just sleeping. Some patients live with chronic pain and others come and go.
THE NUMBER ONE TREATED CONDITION OF SURGICAL ALTERNATIVE IS………
1.) Neck Pain
Neck pain can be caused by a host of issues ranging from trauma (car accidents, etc.) to just poor posture. There are some degenerative diseases that will cause the neck pain, but it can also be just a simple muscle strain. In some cases, the pain can work its way down to the shoulders and even the middle and lower back over time. With proper treatment, most neck pain can be resolved in little time with little or no effort by the patient. If you suffer from neck pain and would like relief, please CONTACT US today for your evaluation orREAD MORE HERE about your condition.
What’s New With Us? Craniosomatics cranial work!
Since October 2012 Pam and Peggy have been busy bee’s furthering their knowledge and expertise of the cranium. We have had the privilege of working with Dallas Hancock D.C, Ph.d and his wife Flo Barber LMT, Ph.d learning a technique called Craniosomatics. Dr Hancock has been teaching his work world wide since 1988. Craniosomatics cranial work effectively addresses cranial imbalances, jamming, and cranial pressure which can lead to painful neuromuscular patterns, structural collapses, dizziness and many other conditions. We’ve noticed marked improvements in our clients in a shorter time!!! This is exciting for clients and for us!
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!
Summertime Swimming – Be Careful of Injury
As the summertime continues to heat up the temperatures nationwide, many of us are retreating to our pools for our fun in the sun. Many of us swim as we have our entire lives and believe that we are immune to injury while in the pool. THIS IS NOT TRUE! Even though swimming is among the most popular low-impact exercises available, there are a few injuries that can and do occur while swimming. We will be discussing two of the most common in this blog.
Swimmer’s Shoulder
Swimmer’s Shoulder Causes and Symptoms
Swimmer’s Shoulder is caused primarily by overuse or lack of stretching. Swimmer’s Shoulder includes more than one actual injury. The first is in your rotator cuff and its impingement. Impingement is the pressure that the rotator cuff that separates it from the other parts of the shoulder such as your scapula or shoulder blade while the arm is lifted. This creates incredible discomfort and shoulder instability. The second injury is located in the bicep, specifically in the tendon where it becomes inflamed and uncomfortable while also creating discomfort below the arm and inside of the shoulder. Symptoms are burning and pain in the shoulder region wrapping around the arm and seemingly inside the shoulder.
Swimmer’s Shoulder Treatment
At Surgical Alternative, we offer many types of therapy for nerve entrapment, tendon damage, and inflamed tendons. By using our Structural Energetic Therapy along with our deep tissue massage, we can calm the inflamed tendons and nerves allowing you to relax while your body heals itself from this incredibly painful combination of bicep tendinitis and rotator cuff injury. If you believe that you suffer from Swimmer’s Shoulder, please contact us today for your evaluation!
Breaststroker’s Knee
Breaststroker’s Knee Causes and Symptoms
Breaststoker’s Knee is caused again by the overuse of tendons and ligaments in the motion of a breaststroker. By using the motion involved in the breaststroke, or even treading water for that matter put great stress on your knees and hips due to the tension of kicking in the water. Over time this can evolve into more serious pelvic injuries and even knee and hip replacements. Symptoms for Breaststroker’s knee and other lower body injuries are apparent in pain in those areas.
Breaststroker’s Knee Treatement
Surgical Alternative can also use our deep tissue massage to relieve some of the inflamed areas and over time, we can allow your body to heal naturally. With the use of our Structural Energetic Therapy we can also work with you to improve function and mobility of chronically injured joints! If you believe that you would benefit from pain relief, please CONTACT US today for your evaluation!
Top Ten Treated Conditions by Surgical Alternative (Part 2 of 2)
In this section we will be discussing the top 5 conditions treated by Surgical Alternative. If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of these conditions, please CONTACT US for more information, or you can SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT through our website, surgicalalternative.com.
Here are the top 5:
5.) TMJ Dysfunction
Known as Temporamandibular Joint Dysfunction, this painful ailment usually has symptoms such as tenderness, or pain in the joint that connects your jaw to your skull. This is the joint that allows you to chew, talk and yawn amongst other things. TMJ disorders can be caused by many different things such as grinding your teeth, an accident involving your jaw, or even arthritis. If you have any pain in your jaw area and would like to find out more, you can CLICK HERE, or you can CONTACT US today for your evaluation!
4.) Sciatica Pain
Your sciatica nerve is a large nerve extending down your lower back, and down to the backs of your legs. When damage or wear occurs, discomfort and chronic pain are common symptoms to the damage of this nerve. Some symptoms of sciatica damage may include burning or tingling down your leg, weakness or numbness, constant pain, or even shooting pains that incapacitate you and not allow you to get up from a sitting position. While usually only affecting one side of the body, sciatica some patients show symptoms on both sides of their bodies. If you have sciatica pain and would like to relieve yourself from the discomfort, please CONTACT US today for your evaluation, or you can READ MORE ABOUT sciatica pain here.
3.) Bulging/Herniated Disks
Also called a ruptured or slipped disk, this refers to when the soft tissue between your vertebrae called disks encounters a problem. When you have a herniated disk, it can irritate nearby nerve passages resulting in pain, numbness, and even weakness in an arm or a leg. Some people do not experience symptoms of a herniated disk, making it a very hard injury to diagnose. If you are experiencing back pain and believe you may have a herniated disk, please CONTACT US today for your evaluation or READ MORE HERE about your condition.
2.) Migraine Headaches
Though the exact cause of migraine headaches cannot be established, no one can deny the severity of these “showstoppers”. Migraines tend to be quickly onset with severe pain and debilitating symptoms including numbness, tingling, temporary blindness, and other sensory warnings. In some cases, medication is prescribed with hopes of treatment, but in many of those situations the medication does little or no good at all. If you suffer from migraine headaches, please CONTACT US today for an evaluation, or you can READ MORE ABOUT these headaches here.
The number one condition that we treat at surgical alternative institute is an elusive yet simple condition causing a spectrum of further symptoms that affect your entire body. Some people get this condition by being in high speed accidents, while others can get this condition by just sleeping. Some patients live with chronic pain and others come and go.
THE NUMBER ONE TREATED CONDITION OF SURGICAL ALTERNATIVE IS………
1.) Neck Pain
Neck pain can be caused by a host of issues ranging from trauma (car accidents, etc.) to just poor posture. There are some degenerative diseases that will cause the neck pain, but it can also be just a simple muscle strain. In some cases, the pain can work its way down to the shoulders and even the middle and lower back over time. With proper treatment, most neck pain can be resolved in little time with little or no effort by the patient. If you suffer from neck pain and would like relief, please CONTACT US today for your evaluation orREAD MORE HERE about your condition.
Why Use Surgical Alternative – Testimonials and Reviews (Part 1)
In the past months, we have not only grown as an institution, but also have touched many of the lives here in the tampa florida area by our methods of set bodywork, deep tissue massage, and other services. Once a patient is affected by our services, they in many cases become advocates for those services. In the next few weeks, we will be releasing testimonials from many of our existing clients so that new or upcoming patients can gain a grasp on what to expect when visiting our offices.
The first Testimonial is Adam Hayes in New Tampa, Florida. Adam writes:
Surgical Altnernative – Top 10 treated conditions (Part 1)
Over the past few years, I have seen many different injuries treated in Surgical Alternative’s Institute of Alternative Therapy, but many of them have been returning ailments. We have taken a few minutes to create our top ten treated injuries from Surgical Alternative. If you have any further questions, please CONTACT US TODAY for your evaluation and treatment.
Without further adieu, we present our top ten treated injuries by surgical alternative for with alternative therapy, deep tissue massage, energetic therapy, and other methods.
10.) Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a disease that affects the central nervous system causing extreme pain and discomfort and many areas of the body independently and simultaneously. Symptoms may include but are not limited to debilitating fatigue, insomnia, and joint stiffness. Other symptoms include numbness/tingling and trouble swallowing. For more information on fibromyalgia, please continue here, or CONTACT Surgical Alternative today for your evaluation.
9.) Rotator Cuff Injuries
The rotator cuff in your shoulder is made up of tendons, ligaments and muscle that work in unison to create the range of motion for your arm and upper back. By injuring any of the pieces of the rotator cuff, you are not only causing inflammation and irritation, but you may also be doing further damage by not attending to your injury. For more information of rotator cuff injuries and what surgical alternative can do to help, please continue here, or CONTACT US TODAY for your evaluation.
8.) Plantar Fasciitis
This is the most common cause of heel pain. It is caused when your plantar fascia ligament becomes irritated, weakens, swells or strains. Since it is the tissue that supports your arch, some people call it “fallen arches”. Plantar Fasciitis causes moderate to severe foot pain and should be attended to as soon as possible. If you would like to learn more about your condition, please continue here or CONTACT US today for your evaluation.
7.) Hiatal Hernias / Hiatus Hernia
A hernia is simply described as part of your internal body moving somewhere it does not belong. Your Hiatus is an opening in your diaphragm and acts as a muscular wall between your chest cavity and your abdomen. When your abdomen and stomach bulge up through the opening in your hiatus, this is called a hiatal hernia, or hiatus hernia. There are two types of hiatal hernias : paraesophageal and sliding. Though extremely uncomfortable, surgical alternative can treat these hernias and make your life more comfortable and manageable. If you have a hiatal hernia and would like to learn more, please click here, or CONTACT us today for your evaluation and treatment.
6.) Tight Muscles / Stiffened Joints
We all get older and we all get LESS mobile each day. Even with an active lifestyle and proper stretching, we cannot always be that “21 year old” that we all remember was invincible. We have many clients that have been unable to do some of the things that they love due to aging muscles and joints. Many include hunters, golfers, fisherman/fisherwomen, and other active oriented people. With our treatment most of them are able to return to what they love. Whether its casting a rod, climbing into a tree stand, or any other activity, we can help you return to the things in life that you have worked so hard to enjoy. If you would like to learn more about joint stiffness or muscle tightness, please click here, or CONTACT us for your evaluation.
Surgical Alternative specializes in alternative therapy for many conditions and ailments. If you would like to learn more about our services, or symptoms that we treat, please CONTACT US, or VISIT OUR WEBSITE to begin feeling better soon.
Whiplash – Symptoms and Facts
Heading into the summer holiday season, many of us will be traveling busy roads and highways, creating opportunity for more accidents. One of the most common injuries from auto accidents is whiplash. Though also possible in sporting and contact activities, the majority of these injuries are caused by automobile accidents.
Whiplash is caused by damage to the soft tissues in your neck like tendons, muscle and ligaments because of movement beyond your neck’s normal range of motion. When these tissues are strained, they become inflamed which not only causes moderate to severe pain but also a limitation to your necks range of motion. Doctor’s may also use terms such as cervical sprain, hyperextension injury, or cervical strain.
Symptoms of Whiplash include but are not limited to:
- Upper back/Thoracic Pain
- Head feeling too heavy to hold up.
- Swelling in the neck area.
- Tenderness around the neck region.
- Difficulty moving your neck.
- Headache
- Neck pain
- Shooting pains into your shoulders or back.
- Muscle spasms (In the neck area)
If ANY of these symptoms become unbearable, SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY! If you are involved in an accident, remember that even if you have some of these symptoms, there may be a risk that there could be orthopedic damage meaning that you have skeletal or bone damage, and need to see a surgeon immediately.
If you have been diagnosed with whiplash, Surgical Alternative can aide you in a speedy recovery while working with you to regain your range of motion through our SET bodywork sessions, as well as deep tissue massage and other methods adopted by our organization. If you have any questions regarding your whiplash, please CONTACT US today to discuss your options!
NFL Draft Breakdown by Surgical Alternative: Part 1 – Andrew Luck
On Thursday April 26th the NFL draft was held in Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The event was a culmination of every team in the NFL and every qualified and desired NCAA football player. By the end of the first night, the top 32 picks had been chosen and we were all ready for day 2. In the following days and weeks we will be breaking down a number of the top draft picks to analyze what potential injuries that each of them are going to be prone to suffering in the NFL. Our first installment is going to be Andrew Luck, now with the Indianapolis Colts, and formally with the Stanford Cardinals.
Andrew Luck stands 6’3” tall and weighs in somewhere around 210lbs. Ironically enough, most analysts compare him to Peyton Manning, who stands only 2 inches taller and 20 pounds heavier. This would immediately bring to surface the neck injuries that Peyton has been known for lately. For more information on the neck issues that Peyton has, please CLICK HERE.
The primary issues that I see with Andrew Luck lie in the coaching and the actual transition to the NFL. Most NFL teams take time to “re-teach” players how to throw, evident with Tim Tebow in Denver. This creates major issues, as most of these quarterbacks are used to throwing a certain way all of their lives and now they have to use the same muscles in a different manor, creating the opportunity for injury.
Repetitive motion injuries in my opinion are the greatest risk to any new NFL quarterback. In college, players have to go to class, and some have jobs as well as being an athlete. In the NFL, you are a football player, which are your classes, job and your sport. This creates a great strain on the bodies of these players as they constantly work, rather than having a break, regardless of physical shape entering the league.
Primarily, I fear that there may be tendon and muscle damage to the shoulder of Andrew Luck in the first few years of being in the league. When Indianapolis drafted Peyton Manning in 1998, they pretty much redesigned the offense around him, which I seriously doubt will happen in Luck’s case. This means that he will have to work harder to make the throws to the receivers that Manning has already groomed to his liking. This will cause Luck to make throws that he is not accustomed to making due to the sheer speed and precision in which the NFL game moves.
Our approach at Surgical Alternative would be to place Luck on a regimen of SET bodywork, deep tissue massage, and energetic release therapy as preventative maintenance to alleviate the stresses that he will endure throughout his career. This would involve focus on his throwing shoulder, his legs and his torso to make sure that all is working properly and that his tendons, muscles and bones all work as a finely tuned machine.
If you are an athlete and have questions or concerns about your durability or “pains”, please CONTACT
US today for your evaluation.
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.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.
Carpal Tunnel Surgery : Is it really necessary?
The over 27 bones in your hand and wrist that enable almost miraculous dexterity for one of the most
used parts of our body. Naturally over years of misuse and abuse, there is a risk that:
-Ligaments may loosen
-Meniscus may deteriorate causing bones to rub against one another
-Nerves may begin to become highly sensitive
These factors are causes of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) and are often felt for day, weeks, or even
chronically over years. When chronically diagnosed, many patients opt for surgery to either repair,
or release pressure on the nerves of the wrist. Though this particular surgery is quite common in the
circumstances, it runs the LOWEST SUCCESS RATE of any non-fatal injury. I would like to take a few
moments to discuss the RISKS and the surgical alternative to carpal tunnel surgery.
RISKS:
- The Surgery Itself – while under carpal tunnel release surgery, you will be administered twilight
- anesthesia. The drugs in this concoction cause amnesia while the patient is knocked out.
- Risks with the anesthesia can be found here. (http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/tc/anesthesia-risks-and-complications)
- Cost of Surgery – The cost of the surgeries run anywhere from $5,000 USD all the way up to
- $10,000 USD
- Success Rate of Surgery – there is a full recovery rate hovering around 60%, making your odds
- fair at best for success.
- Damage during surgery – Not only is it common for people recovering to experience loss of
- grip, but it is also common for this loss of grip to be permanent! This damage is caused by the
- severing of the carpal ligament in the wrist to relieve the tension.
- Surgery is NOT A PERMANENT FIX!
By using our Alternative methods for Surgery, we can work with you to relieve the stress and pressure
from the carpal ligament without surgery. If you are considering carpal tunnel release surgery, please
CONTACT US today to discuss the surgical alternative. By allowing our therapists to naturally fix your
body, you will enjoy the following advantages:
- No anesthesia or surgery to worry about
- Cost effective – Our therapy is much more cost effective and full of impact
- Success Rate – Since we are doing this naturally, the success rate is 100% with time
- No Downtime – we will continue to work with you to relieve your stress, but there will be no
- downtime due to surgery.
If you have any interest in learning more about the natural surgical alternative to carpal tunnel
surgery, please CONTACT US today 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.
Tips to Relax at Work from Surgical Alternative
Everyone’s job can be stressful whether you work outside or in an office all day. Here is a couple tips to make your day a little easier and less stressful.
Get Up and Walk Around
Getting away from your tasks to get up and walking around can be beneficial. A little exercise can increase your blood flow and help stimulate the brain not mentioning just some time to clear you head.
Take Deep Breaths
When you feel stress or anxiety coming on take some deep breaths. Deep breath helps to oxygenate the blood while also allowing you to relax.
Listen to Music or Whatever Relaxes You
In our office like many others we have soft background music playing. Music can be very comforting and soothing for many. For some it maybe talk radio or evening playing games. Listening to news I heard a study talking about how playing Angry Bird at work has made people more productive. No sure about that but I understand the premise. It is relaxing.
Laugh
Laughter is something we did all the time as a child, having two of my own I understand. As we have gotten older our hectic lives get in the way of some good old belly laughing. Laughter has been proven to have many health benefits and above all it’s free.
Take time for yourself
This is one of the hardest lessons I have had to learn. As an entrepreneur and mother of two, I feel like I have to be superwomen. Unfortunately, as I have learned, there is no such thing. Getting away from your daily life and doing something that you enjoy can get you back to a sense of normalcy. Everyone needs time for themselves; we were all individuals before we were mom, dad, business owners, coaches etc. and still require time to recharge our batteries.
Small things can make a big difference and putting yourself first sometimes will help you become more relaxed and better able to deal with the stresses of daily life.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, give us a call or schedule an appointment, we have many services that can help you get back to feeling like you old self.
Emotional Energetic Release Therapy- It really helps
After people visit Surgical Alternative for the first time they discover we are definitely not like everyone else. We strive to handles all aspects of the body and mind that is why we now have a chiropractor and other types of alternative therapy at Surgical Alternative. One of our best kept secrets is the benefits of emotional release therapy.
Stress and trauma is stored throughout the body and emotional stress can have dramatic influences over the body. I have seen where emotional stress or fatigue can start to the body to tighten the muscle causing the body to curl like laying in the fetal position. Many have experienced tightness in the chest or shoulder caused by stress and if not released can build up and cause other symptoms that effect the body.
Ok So What Is IT?
The process begins with deep, rhythmic breathing to build a charge of energy in the client’s body. When the charge has built it will move stuck emotional energy out from behind the chronically tightened musculature to be expressed. The safe setting provided by our therapists’ comforts and supports the client’s release of emotional energy. Throughout the process the therapist has the client continue breathing until the charge dissipates, and any emotional energy that has been mobilized can release.
What Clients Say?
For many, the first time is the most dramatic mainly because of the apprehension of what is about to happen. The experience varies for everyone depending on what the body releases. Afterwards most feel very relaxed but drained. If you have never experienced an emotional release is can be tiring. Others have said that it changed the lives, in their attitude and the way they approach life, much more positively. You don’t have to worry; similar techniques are used when meditating. If you are stressed or emotional stuck, please give us a call or schedule an appointment today.
Deep Tissue Massage Benefits
Deep tissue massage is designed to relieve severe tension in the muscle and the connective tissue, focusing on the muscles located below the surface of the top muscles. Deep tissue massage is can be a great benefit for those individuals who experience consistent pain, athletes involved in heavy physical activity, and clients who have sustained physical injury. Deep tissue massage is often misused to explain a deep pressure massage which is a separate category of massage therapy, used to treat particular muscular-skeletal disorders.
The following are a couple benefits of deep tissue massage:
- Deep tissue massage Benefits – Can increase blood flow by losing the muscles are the vessels allowing improved circulation
- Deep tissue massage Benefits – Can provide stress relief by loosing of tight muscles
- Deep tissue massage Benefits – Can reduce Chronic Pain
- Deep tissue massage Benefits – Can also lower your blood pressure
The main thing to know about deep tissue massage is that if done improperly can result in damage to the muscles or can result in a more serious injury. That is why all of our therapist are highly trained in advanced deep tissue massage techniques to ensure proper use
Through the use of 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!
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!
Who Should Come See Surgical Alternative
Peggy Boyd, founder of Surgical Alternative Tampa discusses the use of our cranial structural and advanced deep tissue massage techniques to provide effective non-surgical treatments for carpal tunnel, hiatal hernias, bulging discs, sciatica (sciatic pain), plantar fasciitis and much more.
How Surgical Alternative Can Help You!!!
I started Surgical Alternative to provide the best most effective and personalized alternative therapy treatments for those in pain. Here are a couple way we can help you return to a pain free life.
- We can restore and improve your functionality
- We can restore and improve your pain free R.O.M
- We can restore and improve your independence
- We can help you get back to doing the things you love
- We can permanently get rid of aches and pains you thought you had to live with for the rest of your life
- We can help you function at a more efficient level
- We can get rid of scar tissue from old injuries
- We can give you hope when other therapies have only managed pain or had limited benefit
- We also Restore balance in imbalanced pelvics/hips
- We help correct longer leg length balances
- We rehabilitate soft tissue structurally from MVA
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!
Improper Running- How much pain can it cause?
In one of our previous blogs, we discussed collapse arches and how shoes can play a major part in causing the injury. Another big culprit is running. I’m not trying to say that running is bad; it has been a big part of my life and many others as well. Injuries from running can vary and can be caused by many different reasons. They can range anywhere from not having the proper footwear to improper stretching to not knowing how to run properly. When we run the force and impact exerted on the body is great. Improper running can cause the body to be out of balance leading to tight and pulled muscles or in some cases permanent damage. We have all seen people running down the street that look as if their body was in some type of convulsion, arms and legs flailing everywhere. As a therapist that has been working with athletes, muscles and structural balancing for over 15 years, I know the importance of proper techniques and how the body reacts when things are imbalanced. As our body ages, the trauma and injuries we incurred throughout the years tends to come back with a vengeance. I guess that’s why a lot of our clients are in the 35+ age group. In our bodywork sessions, we use cranial structural rebalancing which involved releasing the restrictions through pressure point in the cranium allowing the body to return to normal. We then use several advanced techniques including deep tissue massage to loosen the muscles around the restriction allowing the skeletal structure to remain in balance. Think of it like this, if you have two teams playing tug-o-war that are constantly pulling on each other, it is almost impossible to keep the rope in the same place. Well, that is also what your muscles are doing to your skeletal structural. No matter how many times you realign your skeletal structural if your muscles around the restrictions are pulling everything back out of alignments then the pain will continue. Running can be a fun and enjoyable way to exercise, just make sure you do it properly. In our upcoming blogs we will be discussing the treatments and successes we have had with professional and amateur athletes such as golf and tennis players.
At Surgical Alternative, we have been dealing with clients in severe pain for over 15 years now, that are suffering from herniated discs, bulging discs, hiatal hernias, peripheral nerve damage, nerve entrapments, pinched sciatic nerve issues, collapsed arches 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. 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!
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!
