"Oh, my back still hurts," Jim groaned as he sat on the bed and bent over to pick up his shoe. "Why don't you try a massage?" His wife asked. "My friend Carol swears massage is the only thing that can help her back pain." Jim sighed as he tied his shoe. "The chiropractor says my back is fine, just the muscles are tight. My doctor gave me muscle relaxants, which I don't like to take, and our insurance only covered four physical therapy visits. Massage can't hurt my back any more than it already does, I guess." Jim is typical of most Americans trying massage for the first time. Many feel that it can't hurt to try. But what does massage do? What kind of massage should you try? The best massage is one that is custom taylored to your body and it’s ailments. Research on Massage Therapy A survey conducted by the American Massage Therapy Association found 93 percent of individuals surveyed view massage as being beneficial to overall health and wellness and 92 percent of individuals surveyed believe that massage can be effective in reducing pain; with 25 percent of respondents stating they have used massage therapy for pain relief. Most healthcare providers are recognizing massage therapy as a legitimate aid for lower back pain and an effective adjunct to lower back treatments. Fiftyfour percent of healthcare providers say they will encourage their patients to pursue massage therapy in addition to medical treatment. A study on massage and back pain conducted at the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami found that: "Massage lessened lower back pain, depression and anxiety, and improved sleep. The massage therapy group also showed improved range of motion and their serotonin and dopamine levels were higher." Armando’s Day Spa 2101 Estero Blvd. Fort Myers Beach check with your doctor before starting a new massage routine Dear Doctor: When it's our turn to bring team snacks to the kids' weekend soccer games, the most challenging part is accommodating so many allergies, especially to peanuts. Is it true that there's now a way to keep children from getting a peanut allergy in the first place? Dear Reader: Food allergies among kids are a fact of life. In fact, the number of children who are allergic to one or more foods has increased by close to 50 percent in recent years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, food allergies affect 6 percent of American children. An allergy occurs when the immune system flags a certain food as harmful, which sets off a physical reaction to that food. The most common triggers are milk, eggs, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish, tree nuts and, as you point out, peanuts. Children with siblings who have a food allergy, or who have eczema or asthma, are at higher risk of developing a food allergy. For a child with an allergy, even a trace of the problem food can cause reactions that range from mild to severe. These include hives, rash, stomach and digestive upset, headache, nasal congestion, itchy eyes and breathing problems. In some cases, reactions can be so extreme as to be life-threatening. The reasons for the recent surge in food allergies aren't entirely clear. But several new studies into peanut allergies in children have both overturned accepted wisdom and offered parents new hope. In the past, parents had been told to avoid feeding peanuts, or anything containing peanuts, to children at risk of developing an allergy until they reached the age of 3. But some researchers questioned that approach. Instead, they began to investigate whether early exposure to peanuts could actually prevent an allergy from developing. In a landmark study, infants at high risk of developing a peanut allergy were divided into two groups. One group was given a snack that contained peanuts starting between the ages of 4 and 11 months, and until they turned 5. The children in the other group avoided peanuts. At the end of the study, the children who ate peanuts were more than 80 percent less likely to have a peanut allergy than those whose diet was peanut-free. The upshot is that the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has issued new guidelines. The institute now proposes that children who are at risk of a peanut allergy can eat products that contain peanuts beginning when they are between 4 and 6 months of age. But -- and this is crucial -- only after they have been first tested to make sure they don't already have a peanut allergy. Our position, as always, is that you should first discuss this issue with your pediatrician or primary care physician. With your doctor as both partner and guide, you have the best chance at a good and safe outcome. Massage Therapy for Lower Back Pain ASK THE DOCTORS Talk to Pediatrician Before Introducing Children to Peanuts Eve Glazier, M.D., MBA, and Elizabeth Ko, M.D. Sun Bay Paper Available Do you like this News Paper? Interested in having your own Franchise in your hometown or in taking over this one? Call Bobby at: 239-267-4000 Low Tide High Tide Fri, Feb 25 Tide Set One 07:25 PM 2.53 ft 03:31 AM -0.62 ft Tide Set Two ----- --- ----- --- Sat, Feb 26 Tide Set One 08:56 PM 2.56 ft 04:45 AM -0.79 ft Tide Set Two ----- --- ----- --- Sun, Feb 27 Tide Set One 01:53 PM 1.48 ft 05:43 AM -0.92 ft Tide Set Two 10:17 PM 2.62 ft 03:45 PM 1.44 ft Mon, Feb 28 Tide Set One 01:50 PM 1.44 ft 06:30 AM -0.92 ft Tide Set Two 11:22 PM 2.66 ft 05:09 PM 1.21 ft Tue, Mar 1 Tide Set One 01:56 PM 1.48 ft 07:09 AM -0.79 ft Tide Set Two ----- --- 06:09 PM 0.95 ft Wed, Mar 2 Tide Set One 12:17 AM 2.59 ft 07:41 AM -0.59 ft Tide Set Two 02:05 PM 1.57 ft 07:01 PM 0.69 ft Thu, Mar 3 Tide Set One 01:07 AM 2.46 ft 08:07 AM -0.33 ft Tide Set Two 02:15 PM 1.71 ft 07:50 PM 0.43 ft Tide Chart Armando’s License # 20205 239-463-1200
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