Holiday Stress Releif Tips

Stress relief tips


Stress relief tips: you can learn to manage bad stress by making a committment and doing one or two of these tips.

Stress can act as a motivator or energizer. Too much of bad stress can cause medical and social problems. Because the body responds to stress physically, bad stress causes the “fight or flight” reaction. The body changes, prepares to either confront the challenge or flee from it. Stress releases adrenaline (the stress hormone), heart rate increases, breathing quickens and blood pressures rises. The liver increases output of sugar and blood flow is diverted to the brain and large muscles. Symptoms of stress include, feeling anxious, feeling scared, irritable or moody. Stress affects thoughts. Thoughts of low self-esteem, fear of failure, inability to concentrate, worrying about the future, preoccupation with thoughts/tasks and forgetfulness can be present. Stress affects behavior. It can cause stuttering and other speech difficulties, bouts of crying for no apparent reason, laughing in a high pitch or nervous tone of voice, increased accident prone behavior, overeating, under eating and increased use of drugs and alcohol.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 80% of health care is spent on stress related disorders. These ailments include hypertension, migraine, headaches, ulcers, anxiety, allergies, asthma, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Constant, chronic stress can also suppress the immune system thereby making the body more susceptible to disease, even the common cold and flu.




Major life events or changes are the greatest contributors of stress in most people. These events place the highest demands on resources for coping. On most life stress evaluation tools, the top ten stressors in life are

-Death of a spouse -Divorce -Marital Separation -Jail Term -Death of a Close Family Member -Personal Injury or Illness -Marriage -Loss of Job -Marital Reconciliation -Retirement

Below are tips for reducing stress and managing the stresses in every day life.

Breathe Deeply – Inhale deeply through your nose for the count of four. Pull the air all the way down, deep into the lungs. Hold the breath for a count of six. Exhale slowly through the mouth to the count of six. Do this for several minutes. Be careful not to hyperventilate. If dizzy or light-headedness occur, begin breathing naturally.

Express Feelings and Thoughts - Call a friend. Join a group. Join a community on the Internet. If you feel these avenues are not helping talk to your doctor, seek out a counselor. Use all resources after through work, church and community. If seeing a counselor is something you’re fearful of, consider getting a pet. Pets listen very well.

Make Time for Relaxation and Fun – Find an activity that makes you feel good. It may be dancing, listening to music, walking along the beach, prayer, hiking in the mountains, working in the garden, taking photographs, watching birds, going to the movies, golfing, swimming, visiting museums. Make a list of activities that give you joy. Break them down into time segments of 2-5 minutes, 5-20 minutes, 30 minutes to ½ day and ½ day or longer. List the activities that give you joy under these time segments. Do at least three of them everyday. Most people think they have to do big things, such as vacations of whole days away from work or home to relieve stress. Not so, small activities that give you joy are the best stress busters.

Exercise - Try something new, like swimming. Begin a walking program. Do some form of exercise that interests you. Make sure to consult your physician beforehand.

Laugh - Laughter is a great way to relieve stress. If you find something funny, have a good belly laugh. Watch funny movies. Read funny stories.

Learn Happy Talk - Humor your stress. Go to www.stressed.com for a class in happy talk.

Get Rid of Negative - Take a hard look at the circle or environment you’re standing in. People who are negative and prone to “moods” spread negativity to others. Learn to say no to negativity and remove yourself from it whenever possible.

Write – Write out your complaints or troubles. Writing is no substitute for professional help but it does allow you to vent your feelings and frustrations. By writing with pen in hand or at the keyboard, you may discover an insight or solution to whatever is frustrating or bothering you.

Get A Massage – Make an investment in yourself. Massage therapy can relax muscles, easy muscle spasm, increase blood flow to skin and muscles and relieve mental and emotional stress. A massage will be one of the best investments you’ve ever made.



Be Realistic in Expectations– Don’t expect everyone to be like you or behave to your code of “shoulds and oughts”. Don’t expect to be right all the time. Don’t expect harmony all the time. Real life has conflicts in it. Be willing to confront conflict, state your needs then work at coming to a mutual compromise.

Examine your expectations of yourself - When you can’t live up to them, they will cause stress, tension and pressure. Learn to say no when unrealistic demands are placed upon you. Communicate what you can do and what you can’t do clearly. Be honest with yourself on the expectations (goals) you place on yourself. Don’t let ego and social pressure force you into being/doing something your not.

Monitor Your Communication Skills – Aggressive and hostile communication with others antagonizes and alienates. Assertive training can help you learn to express your needs without offending others or feeling ignored.

You can only change yourself - Work to grasp the full meaning of this statement. Trying to change another person causes stress to both parties. It can ruin relationships, damage relationships and cause others to withdraw from you. If you make statements such as – if only he, if only she, if only they – then you need to look in the mirror and say, what can I change about myself to make the situation better.

Accept - If you can’t leave a situation that is causing you extreme stress then accept it as it is. Adjust your approach to it. Look for ways to see positive things. Do not dwell on the negative. Above all, if the situation is abusive, either physically or emotionally (this includes work situations also) seek professional help through counseling.

Stress will not suddenly disappear in modern day life. It will remain even increase. To reduce and manage stress takes a commitment to do so. Make a commitment to practice or do anyone of the following tips and chances are stress levels will begin to fall to a range where it is manageable and causes no long-term damage to health or relationships.

Steps to Wellness With Tampabay Massage Therapy & Wellness Center, Inc.

Steps to Wellness

There are a variety of steps on the path to wellness. Addressing Body, Mind & Spirit are essential to good health. We take care to correct or improve your foundation of health. By doing a postural analysis we are able to address areas of constriction, tight muscles, limited range of motion and impinges nerves. Through a variety of modalities and techniques we can correct or improve your areas of weakness. This is just the start. It’s important to take care of not just your body but your mind, your spirit. Take time to laugh. Have a positive outlook. Be grateful for the things that you DO have, not dwell on what you do not. By feeding your body with not just proper nutrition, but proper exercise, care and emotion, you feed your whole self. That is the path to true wellness. Let us help you get there and stay there!

“The way you think, the way you behave, the way you eat, can influence your life by 30 to 50 years.”
Deepak Chopra

Establish a Strong Foundation      

Postural analysis can give clues as to where your imbalances are, where you have shorted muscles and lack of range of motion. Your nervous system is your body's electrical system – it controls and manages all functions of your body. If a nerve is pinched off by vertebrae in your spine that are out of place, then it is not functioning at its optimal level. This can cause pain and or affect the rest of your body’s systems. With a variety of massage therapy techniques, stretching and muscle energy techniques, we will locate your structural problems and reduce or correct them.
http://www.tampabaymassagetherapy.com/default.html

Detoxification
Pollution from things we encounter everyday like power lines, fluorescent lights, and computers affect our health, energy and nervous system, our own energy field and nervous system making many of us feeling weak, have headaches or just feel ill. With the use of special therapeutic techniques and tools, we help your body to better protect itself from such pollution. Combining Detoxifying Body Wraps, Foot Baths and Lymphatic Massage yield amazing results that any one therapy alone cannot accomplish.

Great for reducing or eliminating toxins in the body, the detoxifying foot bath used at Tampabay Massage Therapy & Wellness Center supports healing for chronic illness and speeds recovery from acute illness. Some patients that have come to us with pain and inflammation have reported immediate relief. Others with arthritis, allergies, gout, lymphedema, headaches, and other symptoms have experienced relief and benefits with multiple treatments. Some have experienced fatigue during the foot bath as the body's detoxification process progresses, but passes quickly as the body expels the toxins and regenerates itself. Here's how it works. As the patient sits with their feet soaking in a warm foot bath for approximately 20 minutes, a copper coil placed into the water creates a bioenergetic exchange that painlessly draws the toxins from the body using ion exchange. After treatment is completed, patients will see a dramatic change in the color and consistency of the water in which their feet have been soaking -- a result of the detoxification process. Patients who are pregnant or nursing, have a pacemaker, transplanted organ, arrhythmia, or are taking heart-regulating medication may not be candidates for the detoxifying foot bath. We recommend to patients who are diabetic or have low blood sugar, to eat a meal prior to treatment. Through a regular detoxification program, patients can maintain a general feeling of wellbeing and overall health.

http://www.tampabaymassagetherapy.com/Services---Specials.html


Improve Your Immunity
 Your immune system is your body’s first defense against germs that can make you ill. Doesn’t it make sense to make to be sure you are doing everything that you can to ensure a strong immune system? Through a variety of techniques we can help you improve your immune system and keep you feeling great.

“Many people tend to think of breakthroughs in medicine such as a new drug or high-tech surgical procedure. They often have a hard time believing that the simple choices that we make in our lifestyle -- what we eat, how we respond to stress, whether or not we smoke cigarettes, how much exercise we get, and the quality of our relationships and social support -- can be as powerful as drugs and surgery. But they often are. And in many instances, they’re even more powerful.”
Dean Ornish, M.D.



Balanced Nutrition
Everyone is in a hurry these days and seldom do we take the time to eat the way we should. Fast food is cheap and easy but unfortunately lacking in the nutrients we need and worse high in fat. Our country is facing an epidemic in obesity. Our children are unhealthy and overweight. Good nutrition is vital to good health and mental well being. Take the time and invest in your health. Make sure you are getting the nutrients that you need. We will take the time to go over your health issues, assess your diet and suggest ways for you to improve your nutrition. Eating healthfully and drinking purified water not only sustains our bodies but also provides the foundation to maximize health and wellness. But even that isn't always enough which is why, at Tampabay Massage Therapy & Wellness Center; we offer an array of natural supplements of only the highest quality. Come in for a free consultation to discuss what your particular needs are. We will put together a plan to get you feeling great and keep you feeling great; Mind, Body and Spirit.
https://www.juiceplus.com/nsa/content/Home.soa?site=mn44384

5 Tips for Choosing a Great Massage Therapist

Massage therapy is increasingly being used to treat a wide variety of conditions ranging from stress, chronic pain, like fibromyalgia and migraines, to auto injury accidents with budging discs. More and more doctors are recommending massage therapy for treatment and often insurance will pay for these treatments. There are several things you should look for when choosing a massage therapist.


First and most importantly is, “What are their qualifications?” Some states do not require any certification or licensing process at all. The state of Florida has some of the most stringent licensing requirements in the country. After completing a course of study in massage therapy the candidate must sit for a national exam, the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) as well as apply to be licensed by the Department of Health for the State of Florida. Further inspection and licensing is then required for the establishment to open. (No establishment lisencing is required if the therapist only works from their home or does mobile massage) Beyond this basic requirement for the state of Florida the therapist may then have certifications specializing in different modalities, requiring more education and training. These are different treatments that each has their own unique healing qualities. If you have been injured in a car accident or have a referral from a doctor you may want to look for someone with an NMT certification. This is a neuromuscular massage therapy certification. This type of work allows the therapist to treat and heal a wide variety of injuries and chronic pain conditions. If you are pregnant be sure you have someone who is certified in prenatal massage. There are many others, so research what is out there!

Once you have found a properly licensed and trained therapist call them on the phone. Are they available? Do they have a professional manner when speaking with you, or a professional outgoing message or website? What about the establishment that they work from? Will you have to go to their home, a professional office, or will they come to you? Will they take the time to speak with you about your concerns? Do they offer a free in office consultation? These are all things that a good therapist will want to offer you to be sure that you are getting the best treatment.

So you found someone qualified and they were friendly and professional on the phone, the next step is to visit where they work. There is a wide variety of environments that therapists work, from a spare room in their own home to doctors office, spa or a professional office of their own. Where ever they practice be sure that it is clean, pleasant and that you are comfortable there.

Now, you have chosen a therapist, met them at their place of work and liked what you have seen and heard so far. You are doing great! Now for the most important aspect of your treatment. How was the massage? Did they make you feel comfortable and explain what the treatment was? Where you treated with respect and professionally throughout the massage? Where your health concerns addressed during the session? Did they take time to talk with you afterwards, ask how you felt and discuss future treatment with you?

Lastly, you want to be sure that your therapist keeps good records and keeps them confidential. This is a health practitioner, just like your doctor and they need to take you and your treatment seriously and professionally.

There are many many other things that you will consider when choosing a good therapist but these are good starting points. I hope this helps you in your search for the right health care provider for you and your needs.

Melanie M. Neumann
LMT, NMT, PMT, NCBTMB & Doula
http://www.tampabaymassagetherapy.com/

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

Do you have pain, numbness and tingling down your arm to your fingers? Poor circulation in your arm, particularly when lifting? You could have Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.

This a group of disorders involving the compression of the brachial plexus, a bundle of nerves that branches down from the neck, under the clavicle (collar bone) to the armpit and down to the arm. Pressure here can cause compression of the nerves and or blood vessels supplying the arm and can be positional; caused by movement of the clavicle or shoulder girdle, or static; caused by abnormalities or enlargement of various muscles surrounding the arteries, veins and brachial plexus. It is most frequently caused by anomalies in the scalene muscles or enlargement (hypertrophy) of these muscles often from a motor vehicle accident.

Treatment can often be achieved with noninvasive procedures such as postural changes, stretching, massage therapy and chiropractic care. The recovery process can be a long term process and a few days of poor posture can often reverse progress that is being made in the treatment. 10 -15% of patients will undergo surgical treatment when conservative therapy has not been successful. This could include the removal of enlarged muscles, removal of one of the scalene muscles or the first rib and if present removal of a cervical rib.

Seeking massage therapy on an ongoing regular basis can loosen the muscles and adhesions in the area, opening up the underlying fascia to allow freedom of movement for muscles, blood vessels and nerves. It is important to follow your therapist’s recommendations for exercise, stretching and hydration between treatments to get the most benefit and long lasting results. By taking an active role in your health care you can avoid costly medications, invasive treatments and possibly surgery.

Things you can do to help your condition:

• Stretching:

The goal of self stretching is to relieve compression in the thoracic cavity, reduce blood vessel and nerve impingement, and realign the bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons causing the problem.

o Moving shoulders forward (hunching) then back to neutral, followed by extending them back (arching) then back to neutral, followed by lifting shoulders then back to neutral.

o Tilting and extending neck opposite to the side of injury while keeping the injured arm down or wrapped around the back.

• Nerve Gliding:

o By performing nerve gliding exercises one can stretch and mobilize the nerve fibers.

o Extend your injured arm with fingers directly outwards to the side. Tilt your head to the other side, and/or turn your head to the other side. A gentle pulling feeling is generally felt throughout the injured side. Initially, only do this and repeat. Once this exercise has been mastered and no extreme pain is felt, begin stretching your fingers back. Repeat with different variations, tilting your hand up, backwards, or downwards.

• Posture:

TOS is rapidly aggravated by poor posture. Active breathing exercises and ergonomic desk setup can both help maintain active posture. Often the muscles in the back become weak due to prolonged (years) hunching.

• Ice/Heat

Ice can be used to decrease inflammation of sore or injured muscles. Heat can also aid in relieving sore muscles by improving circulation to them. While the whole arm generally feels painful, some relief can be seen when ice/heat is applied to the thoracic region (collar bone, armpit, or shoulder blades).

Please as always, consult with your healthcare provider if you have any questions about your health and before you start any exercise of self care activities. This article is not intended as a substitute for medical care in any way.

Deep Tissue or not?

When I begin a session with a client I will start at a lighter pressure for the first few strokes just to get a feel of the skin and muscles and to familiarize myself with where the problem areas are. I will then work my way into deeper pressure. The problem comes in when a client with perhaps a high tolerance for pain, muscles that have been hypertonic so long they have lost much sensation in that area, or when they have the idea that they need to feel pain for the therapy to work, wants me to work deeper than the tissues will allow. First, and most importantly, a therapeutic treatment may involve some discomfort for short periods of time but should never been painful, have sharp pain and or cause you to tense up from pain so that you are unable to relax the muscles. It is very important that the muscles be at rest in order to receive an effective treatment.


When you have received a deep tissue treatment adhesions have been broken up in taught muscles and toxins have been released. You will receive water at the end of your session along with instructions for self care at home that will vary depending on your needs. Often, I think that patients overlook the importance of drinking water. After deep tissue it is even more important to drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water each day for the next two days to help your lymph system flush out all the toxins. When this doesn't happen you will often feel some unpleasant side effects. Headache is the most common complaint as well as increased pain in the area of the deep work and sometimes overall achiness similar to flu symptoms. This is easily avoided by drinking plenty of water. You may also be instructed to use ice packs in the area of the deep tissue work as well as being instructed on some stretching and or exercises that you can do at home to help maintain the effectiveness of your treatment and help improve your condition for the long-term.

In conclusion, deep tissue therapy is an extremely effective treatment for many people suffering with chronic pain, limited range of motion and taught sore muscles but it is extremely important to trust your therapist as to how deeply they can work. Take their advice on drinking water, application of ice and any recommended stretching or exercises that you can do at home to receive the full benefits of your treatment. And of course, call your therapist with any concerns or issues that may come up in the days following your treatment. Your health, recovery and comfort are of the utmost importance to your massage therapist.


Wishing you health and happiness!

Melanie M. Neumann, LMT

http://www.tampabaymassagetherapy.com/

Hot Bamboo Fusion!! Get yours. :)