Stress Management for Largo Residents through Massage Therapy

Residents of Largo (33771), Belleair, and Indian Rocks Beach no longer have to bear with stress-related health problems any longer. That's because the advocacy for using massage as a form Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) has become greater.

There are now a number of research papers demonstrating the beneficial effects of massage therapy in relation to the physiological and psycho-logical aspects of stress and the latest controlled study conducted at the Touch Research Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine, Florida, USA shows once again that massage therapy has an important role to play in the alleviation of stress and stress-induced illnesses. In the study, twenty-six adults were given a chair massage and twenty four adults were asked to relax in the massage chair for 15 minutes to be used as controls. The results f the study clearly showed frontal delta power increased for both groups, suggesting relaxation, de-creased frontal alpha and beta power (suggesting enhanced alertness); while the control group showed increased alpha and beta power, and depression scores were lower for both groups but job stress score were lower only for the massage group.

According to one Largo massage therapist, most of their loyal customers come to the clinic for regular deep tissue massage or Swedish massage at least twice a month. Massage techniques like a deep tissue massage focuses on toxin build-up in our body that are usually embedded in the deeper layer of our muscles. When the muscles are stressed, oxygen and nutrients can build up which causes an inflammatory effect and a back-log of toxins within the muscle tissue. Muscles can't function properly under these circumstances and begin to feel sore. The tension gets to a point where it affects our ability to cope, raising stress levels even higher. Deep tissue massage loosens muscles and help increase oxygen and blood circulation. Once normal function is restored, toxins can be flushed from the body which reduces inflammation and tension.

The same Largo therapist reiterated the need for lots of water intake after a deep tissue massage. This will hasten the process of flushing out the toxins from our body.

Tense muscles are also prone to injury which can cause a build-up of scar tissue. Scar tissues are the body's protection against further damage but it can restrict movement and immobilize smaller muscle groups. Scar tissues can also be increased by the toxins present in our environment and lead to irritation and inflammation in the body. The knock on effect to this is that the body produces more lactic acid in the muscles causing them to become sore and painful. Regular deep tissue massage can break down scar tissue and restore circulation enabling the muscles to move freely.

This concept also holds true with other massage techniques like sports massage. According to a Belleair massage therapist, athletes get a sports massage in order to increase muscle performance, prolong muscle endurance, and lessen chances of injury.

Modern massage methods often work well with other complementary therapies to provide an integrated bodywork treatment for alleviating stress. Alternative therapies such as aromatherapy, reiki and yoga can be combined with deep tissue massage or Swedish massage to provide a comprehensive relaxation program. A trained massage therapist can also teach self-help techniques to be used at home or at work when the onset of tension threatens to spiral out of control.

Massage therapy is a well-known and popular antidote for stress so consider booking an appointment with your favorite massage spa in Largo, Belleair, and Indian Rocks Beach if you are looking for stress relief.

Surgery is not the Only Alternative for Keloid Scar Removal

Every type of scar will require a special type of treatment. For the most part, all scar types can be treated effectively using surgery, however, if you're trying to treat a keloid scar then it's a bit more complicated because keloids tend to grow indefinitely and recur after surgical excision.

Fortunately, there are other forms of keloid removal that are less invasive than surgery but very effective. You can either use one of these procedure or a combination of them depending on the size and location of the keloid. Here are a few alternatives you can look into.

Usually the first option your doctor will give you are steroid injections. These injections help flatten scar tissue and make keloid scars less noticeable. However, the flattened keloid will still have a different feel than regular skin.

You can use steroid injections before, during, and after surgery as well. Injections are used in this manner during keloid scar removal , to hinder the development of new keloid scars. Your doctor will evaluate the situation and suggest the best course of action.

Compression therapy is another type of treatment for keloids and raised scars . This type of treatment is one of the oldest scar removal alternatives. The compression devices and garments used are usually custom fitted and have to be worn for 24 hours a day and sometimes up to a year or more.

Silicone sheets are also used to help flatten keloids and other hypertrophic scars. In fact, they can be used on all types of scars, not just keloids. The treatment includes wearing these sheets for a few hours a day for several weeks.

These sheets are readily available in your drugstore. Just as with any other type of bandage you will need to cut it and fit it to the affected area. This is a good alternative for keloid treatment.

Laser therapy can also be an effective keloid scar treatment procedure. Pulsed dye lasers are used to flatten keloids. Laser therapy can also help the redness that is common with most keloid scars.

Cryotherapy is especially effective in treating smaller keloids caused by piercings. This form of treatment uses liquid nitrogen to flatten the keloids. Even though it is very successful in treating keloids, cryotherapy can also darken the skin surrounding the keloid.

Remember that it is important to consult your doctor about all of your possibilities. If surgery is an option, it is quite possible that it will be combined with one or more of the previously mentioned alternatives. However, if you're not willing to undergo surgery be assured that there are other less invasive alternatives out there.