Relief for stuffy sinuses

For many people, this is the season for allergies and sinus infections. Not to mention ambiguous colds and flus. A common question I hear lately is: is this a cold or do I have allergies?

Both possibilities leave people with sneezes, headaches, fatigue, and congested sinus passages. Neither one is pleasant and this seems to be a particularly difficult spring and summer for people on both counts. Atypical weather patterns this past winter have created a bit of chaos in the plant world as well as in our bodies and many people are feeling the effects.

Did you know that you can actually encourage sinus drainage with bodywork and relieve sinus pressure and headaches? You have four distinct bones in your head that house sinus cavities and one of them (the maxillary sinus which we feel in our cheeks, under our eyes) doesn’t drain by gravity. Hence the excessive sniffling and nose blowing. But with precise craniosacral therapy holds, we can gently restore flow in these areas and help the sinuses open again. Additional techniques to relax the muscles at the base of the skull and throughout the neck help relieve congestion and allow for drainage, too. People are often surprised when their sinus cavities begin to open up while we’re still just working on their neck.

It’s such a gorgeous time of the year to have to endure such annoying symptoms. Reducing sinus pressure due to allergies or the common cold is actually relatively simple and something with which most people can find help through massage and craniosacral therapy.