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 Minute Massage for Sinus Problems
Colds and sinus infections are gearing up for the season. The following acupressure routine will help with the congestion that comes around this time of year. Perform it a few times of day to relieve your symptoms.
- Draining the Ducts: Place your hands at the junction of the front of your neck and your collarbone. Your fingers will fall into a small hollow on either side of the front of your neck. Use your fingers to lightly press down toward your chest at a rate of about 1 push per second. Imagine that you are lightly pulling fluid just beneath the surface of the skin toward the heart. This lymphatic drainage move stimulates flow of lymphatic fluid and can pull the fluid down out of the head to relieve sinus pressure.
- Press on your Eyebrows: A good acupressure point to induce drainage of sinuses near the eyes is located at the inner corner of each eyebrow. Put your fingers on the corners of your eyebrows in the upper ridge of the eye socket. Press in toward the bridge of your nose, and let your head relax into your hands to increase the pressure. This point relieves colds, sinus congestion and frontal headaches.
- Press under the Cheekbones: Put your middle fingers under your cheekbones in line with the pupil of the eye. Feel for a small notch and press up into it. Place your index fingers next to your middle fingers at the side of the nose near the outside corner of each nostril. Press upwards with your fingers into your cheekbones. This will release the sinus areas beneath the eyes and next to the nose. These points relieve head congestion, stuffy nose, eye pressure, nasal congestion and sinus pain.
- Press at the base of the skull: Just below the base of the skull, there are hollow areas on both sides of the back of the neck. They feel as if they are sitting on a corner of the skull about 2-3 inches apart. Put your fingers in the hollows and press upwards into the base of the skull. This point relieves headaches, congestion and neck pain.
Remember, if your allergies get out of hand or you experience chronic congestion, be sure to see your primary care physician for treatment. Enjoy!
 Gift Ideas
Give a gift certificate for massage and relieve the stress and tension of a friend or loved one. Go to my website to order online.
Gift ideas:
- Wedding
- Birthday
- Anniversary
- New Baby
- Host Guest
- Christmas/Holiday Gift
 Rates & Hours
45 min - $55
60 min - $65
90 min - $90
Tuesday: 9 am to 5 pm
Wednesday: 1 pm to 9 pm
Thursday: 9 am to 5 pm
Friday: 1 pm to 9 pm
Saturday: 9 am to 5 pm
*by appointment only (Call 615.294-6672)
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| November 10, 2006 |
| Heather's Note |
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Welcome to November!
I've had a lot of clients calling in the last few weeks to cancel because of illness. Please get plenty of rest and keep washing those hands over and over again to keep from catching the latest bug. A few clients have mistaken their colds for allergies, so this month I'm writing about massage, the immune system, allergies and colds. Remember that if you have a cold or infection, you need to cancel your massage appointment. This is especially true if you have a fever, or are in the acute stages of a cold. Being face down on the table while you're congested is pure torture.
- heather wibbels (615.294-6672)
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Massage and (ACHOO!) Colds
When to cancel, when to come and the difference between allergies and colds |
It’s that time of year – wheezing, sneezing, sniffling, and coughing sounds emanate from sore throats. Colds and flu are making the rounds, and massage clients need to cancel their appointments if they are sick with a virus or infection. But getting a massage while allergies are in your system is helpful. How can you tell the difference? First, let’s look at the immune system and how it works
The main immune functions are controlled by the lymphatic system. In the human body, the lymphatic system (which includes the thymus, tonsils, spleen, adenoids and lymph nodes) removes toxins, germs, waste products and generates white blood cells, cleaning the system as it flows throughout the body. Lymphatic fluid is present within the entire capillary system of the body, and there are specific pathways the lymph fluid takes to move the lymph fluid toward two major ducts at the base of the neck. Normal movement of the lymph fluid is caused by muscle movement – breathing, walking, moving – all of these actions stimulate lymph fluid into lymph capillaries. However, when the body is injured or under stress, the lymph system goes into overdrive, and the lymph system may be overwhelmed, or have blockages. This causes increases susceptibility to illness. The immune system is also the system primarily responsible for allergies. In an allergic response, the body incorrectly identifies something present in the body as foreign or harmful and initiates the immune response to locate and remove the allergens from the system, causing congestion, runny noses, itchy eyes and other cold-like symptoms.
Massage and the Immune System
Because the majority of the lymph system is found just below the skin, massage activates and strengthens the immune system. The lymph fluid that flows through ducts and lymph nodes to clear the system gets a push toward the main gathering points with the stroking of the muscles and skin. In addition, the increased blood flow moves cellular waste products and toxins out of the muscles and into the bloodstream where they can be cleansed from the system. It also increases circulation to parts of the body that may be in need, in effect getting the lymph fluid into nooks and crannies of the body for a greater ability to clean out the system and speed up recovery time from injuries and illness.
A small study has demonstrated a positive effect of massage on the immune system. People with HIV who participated in massage studies by Gail Ironson (M.D.) showed an increased number of natural killer cells after receiving regular massage for a month. These cells help defend the body from viral and cancer cells and increase the body’s immune response to attack.
The Difference Between Colds And Allergies
So how do you tell a cold or infection from allergies? The following table was compiled from Medicine.Net and other sources and lists the main differences between colds/infections and allergies.
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Colds/Infection |
Allergies |
| Occurrence of symptoms: |
Symptoms often appear one at a time: first sneezing, then a runny nose, then congestion. |
Symptoms occur all at once. |
| Duration of symptoms: |
Generally last from seven to 10 days. |
Continue as long as a person is exposed to the allergy-causing agent (allergen). |
| Aches/Fatigue: |
Often occur with colds. |
More common with colds. |
| Mucus: |
Often a yellowish nasal discharge, due to an infection. Usually thicker than discharge from allergies |
Generally a clear, thin, watery discharge. |
| Sneezing: |
Less common than with allergies. |
More common than with colds, especially when sneezing occurs two or three times in a row. |
| Coughing: |
Sometimes includes coughing. |
Not generally associated with allergies. |
| Time of year: |
More common during winter. |
More common in spring through fall, when plants are pollinating. |
| Fever: |
May be accompanied by a fever. |
Not usually associated with a fever. |
Colds/Flu and Canceling Massage
Because massage increases the lymphatic flow throughout the body, it steps up the immune system. In the case of a cold or infection, it can actually worsen the symptoms you experience. In addition, because part of the massage is usually given with the client face down, it can be a miserable experience when clients experience congestion or sinus problems. Coughing makes lying down on a table (face down or face up) very difficult and uncomfortable. Remember that massage is contraindicated for clients experiencing fever or viral infection, and your massage therapist will appreciate that you cancelled rather than exposing her to the cold. If you’ve got a tickle in your throat and the start of a sore throat/sinus congestion that has the symptoms of a cold, call to cancel the night before your massage.
Remember that with a cold, you need to rest (not go to work) and make sure you get plenty of fluids. Take some time to let your body heal itself, and make sure to go to a physician if you have any question as to whether it’s a cold, infection or allergies.
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