Acupuncture and Sinus Troubles   NEEDLES FOR YOUR NOSE Pollen, pet dander, dust and other airborne particles are a pain in the nose for people with chronic hat fever. Most sufferers rely on medication to ease their clogged, itchy noses, but a nondrug treatment shows new promise. In an Australian study, patients who received acupuncture twice a week for eight weeks reported that their symptoms improved by more than one-third and they used significantly less medication than snifflers who underwent fake treatment (needles inserted shallowly and a bit off the correct sites). What's more, the real-acupuncture group continued to get better over the 12 follow-up weeks. For those in the sham group, symptoms improved by only 11 percent, and by the end, that number dropped to 5.8 percent. *Good Housekeeping April 2008

Chiropractic and Sinus Troubles   Allergies are a hypersensitive (overactive) immune system responding to normal antigens in the environment. Allergy symptoms include itchy eyes, nose, or throat; sneezing; runny nose; tearing; nasal congestion; hives; or rashes. Our immune systems protect us from bacteria, viruses, and other foreign substances but sometimes the immune system is a little too eager. It can mistake pollens and other harmless substances for allergens (allergy triggers). As the body reacts to allergens, uncomfortable allergy symptoms occur. Different testing procedures are available to determine types of allergies and treatment programs. Because the nervous system seems to be the controlling factor for the immune system, and because chiropractic treatment frees up the nerves so that they are not irritated and hypersensitive to stimuli, chiropractic care may relieve allergy symptoms in some cases. Although chiropractic is not a treatment for allergies, it does, by permitting the nervous system to function with less stress, permit the immune system to function more effectively.   Medical Treatment Typical medical treatment for allergies and asthma includes antihistamines, decongestants and allergy shots and inhaled and oral medications to relax and decrease inflammation in the airways. While these medications have varying degrees of success for symptomatic relief, they do not prevent attacks and are required on a daily basis for as long as the conditions exist.   Chiropractic Treatment Upper Cervical specific Chiropractic adjustments work by correcting irritation to the nervous and immune systems, the original cause of asthma and allergies. *Misalignments in the vertebrae of the upper cervical spine (upper neck), cause irritation to the nerves traveling between the brain and spinal cord that are supplying the respiratory and the immune systems. By correcting the vertebrae in the upper neck, chronic asthma and allergies can be corrected and prevented without the need for drugs. *Causes of misalignments to the spinal vertebrae include traumas to the head, neck or spine, auto accidents, whiplash, sports injuries, bike and ski falls, and poor posture. Even the birth process can put stress on a newborn baby's neck, possibly causing upper cervical misalignments, which can result in health problems early on in a child's life.

Massage Therapy and Sinus Troubles    Allergy sufferers know their foes: grass, trees, pollen, dust mites, pet dander. These and other allergens produce the symptoms that drive you to distraction. As many as 50 million Americans suffer from allergies, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Although allergies cannot be cured, they can be managed. And educating yourself is the key. Learn what triggers your symptoms-you may have more than one type of allergy-and ask your doctor about the various treatment options available. Harvard Medical School's HEALTH beat offers a tip for sufferers of hay fever, the most common allergy in the United States: start using your allergy medicines a few weeks before your allergy season starts. Research has demonstrated that this is a more effective way to reduce hay fever symptoms. SOURCE: What to Do about Allergies - A Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School, 2007. Aryuvedic Indian Head Massage Indian Head massage has been practiced in India for over a thousand years. One treatment is guaranteed to lift you out of the stresses of daily life and provide you with a real cure for those aching, tense neck & shoulder muscles is the ancient art of Indian head massage. Sounds different? It is It also helps to relieve headaches and sinus problems migraine anxiety insomnia headaches Cheryl and Jenine have been trained in Indian Head Massage in Febuary 2008.