Chiropractic and Sinus Problems
While most patients might not think of their sinuses when considering how their chiropractor can help them, regular chiropractic care has significant benefits! Chiropractors are able to
help reduce sinus blockage and pressure through a number of methods. The first step to reducing any symptom is keeping your nervous system healthy and functioning at full capacity – the
mucous membranes of the sinus are controlled by the nervous system, as are all of the systems involved in keeping your sinuses draining normally. Spinal manipulation helps keep your
nerves maintain this "top capacity" by preventing pinched nerves as they emerge from the spinal column. Chiropractic adjustments have also been shown to help relieve muscular stress
caused by pressure in the sinus, preventing sinus headaches.
Additionally, spinal manipulation has been shown to help stimulate the immune system, clearing sinus infections faster and reducing inflammation in the sinus linings. A chiropractor can’t cure an infection, but they can help your body by maintaining a healthy system to fight it off naturally. Studies have actually shown that regular chiropractic care will help patients recover from infections up to 3 times faster than patients under traditional care.
In addition to chiropractic care, our office can also recommend massage therapy techniques. These techniques will help drain the sinuses while you are in the office, clearing the blockages and relieving the pressure. These treatments will reinforce your body’s ability to fight the infection, by clearing the areas the infection is trying to survive in. A sinus massage is a gentle massage of the face and neck to promote drainage and reduce pain and inflammation. The lymph system does not have its own pumps as the circulatory system does, so it relies on muscles contractions. The lymph system can get backed up causing pain and pressure. The sinus massage breaks up mucous and promotes movement of the fluid resulting in drainage which will relieve pressure and pain.
By removing the habitat (clogged sinus cavities) in which the infection is living, it makes it more difficult for the infection to continue to spread. The frontal, ethmoid, maxillary, and sphenoid sinus pressure points are addressed.
Allergies
Chiropractic care can’t treat allergies, but what we can do is adjust the spine around the nerves controlling the lungs, resulting in better nervous control of the lungs. Additionally, these adjustments will help correct your posture, allowing for more room in your chest cavity for your lungs to expand. This strengthens the lungs, giving them the room to breathe and function normally. Over time your body will grow stronger and will be better able to handle your allergies. The idea isn’t to cure you, but to minimize the need for pharmaceutical intervention; limiting the negative side-effects those pharmaceuticals can have on your body.
