Did you know that your immune system can be boosted by 200% from regular chiropractic care? Additionally, patients under chiropractic care fight off infection more effectively and have decreased time away from work as opposed to those that don't participate in regular adjustments. Your sinuses can cause issues year-round, whether it be seasonal/allergy-related, a sinus infection, or dry air in the winter. Each case of sinus pressure or infection is incredibly frustrating but can be treated with a chiropractic sinus adjustment. 

If you or someone you know struggles with frequent sinus infections or other similar struggles, ask these questions:

• If you have to live off of Sudafed or allergy medicines, have you tried any alternatives?
  
• How many sinus infections do you get a year? 
  
• Have you had to miss work or school because of your sinuses?
  
• Does it hurt to push on your cheekbones? 
  

If you realized your sinuses are a major disturbance in your daily life, it may be time to try something different! Since there are many different roots of sinus issues, we will cover several examples of patients who have come to Strack Chiropractic Wellness Center looking for nasal congestion and infection relief. 

For Those with Allergies… 

Who has ever had sinus congestion? If you live in Georgia, raise your hand! I'm getting a headache just thinking about all of the pollen! 

Sinus congestion is when mucous does not drain properly or if there is irritation/inflammation. Often, this feeling of "fullness" will lead to a headache that pulses around your eyes and to the back of your skull. This throbbing sensation can be treated with adjustments and the neck can be relieved with the Active Release Technique (ART). This adjustment gives the body a parasympathetic response which assists the body get out of the famous F's: Fight, Flight, or Freeze. 

For example, when spring rolls around, I can count on one of my patients, Dave, coming in! He is from Jersey and the thick Georgia pollen severely affects him every year. When the pollen count reaches a certain mark, Dave comes in and gets treated regularly until his body is better prepared for the season. 

For Those with Sinus Pressure… 

This time of year, many of my patients come in for sinus pressure treatment. The air is dry and because of this, many people wake up with a bloody nose. As the day progresses, it feels like you have breathing holes a fraction of the size that you're used to. To remedy this, we use a VibraCussor. This machine oscillates up to 3000 times per minute and can be very powerful. For a typical appointment, I use a small attachment to contact directly on top of the sinuses. 

Rich came into the office one day complaining of a stiff neck and sinus congestion. He used to live off of Afrin but was informed by a friend that he shouldn't regularly take that. He decided to try some allergy medicine as a replacement. The allergy medicine constricted his blood vessels, which is not a long-term solution – and neither is Sudafed. That's why I offer sinus treatments that will alleviate sinus congestion either immediately or within a couple of hours, eliminating the need for full-time meds. 

For Those with Sinus Infections… 

Sinus infections are caused by prolonged inflammation which causes your sinuses not to drain properly due to bacteria irritating the tissue surrounding the cheekbones. The best way to combat this is to flush the sinuses or take a medicine that fights the infection. However, chiropractic care is also a method of sinus infection treatment! 

If we all live in the same area, why are some people more susceptible to sinus infections? In most instances, it's because the nerve that drains your sinuses is over-stimulated. I adjust the bone that the nerve travels through at the top of the spine so the bones can stimulate it in the middle of your back. Additionally, I can treat the sinus itself by using the aforementioned VibraCussor. 

One 11-year-old patient came in with a bad sinus infection that she can count on every year. I treated her sinuses and adjusted her neck, giving her immediate relief. Since she still felt a little bit of congestion in her right sinus, I told her mom to go ahead and take her to urgent care to see if they wanted to give her antibiotics just in case. Urgent care was less than helpful, so the patient's mother brought her back to the office a couple of days later for a follow-up and she was 100% back to normal – mom didn't even get the prescription filled! 

Know Your Options 

Our bodies are incredible structures and it's fascinating how they function, fight infection, recover from injuries, and more. When you're experiencing sinus congestion, it should be heeded as a warning that you need to change your environment or stress level. Ultimately, chiropractic care in the context of sinus issues helps the patient's body get out of "fight or flight mode" and into a place where the body can "rest and digest." 

If you're a frequent flyer when it comes to sinus fullness, congestion, or infections, come see us at Strack Chiropractic Wellness Center!