- Get adjusted regularly including sinus adjustments
Chiropractic does not work like an anti-histamine. It does not provide direct, short-term relief from allergies. What are allergies, anyway? Allergies are a response by the immune system to an environmental insult called an allergen (substances that normally have no effect on people). This response may result in sneezing, coughing, congestion, hives, rashes, and in severe cases, seizure or anaphylactic shock. The immune system produces and releases histamines in an attempt to protect the body against the allergen.
The nervous system controls everything - and is some of the earliest tissue formed embriologically. When the spine is misaligned, it can impinge on the nervous system causing interference in nerve function. In PubMed, this article discusses self-reported improvements in function not treated by the adjustment (in Texas, a chiropractor's scope of practice is limited to the neuromusculoskeletal system so we cannot "treat" issues like circulatory conditions or respiratory conditions like allergies or communicable diseases like influenza) yet, many people have reported improvements in such areas. Such was the case for me. Since starting under regular chiropractic care in my 30s, I have not been sick very often and stopped having twice annual bouts with bronchitis, and I ditched my two allergy prescriptions so I have not used any Rx drugs for amost 20 years now (yes, I am in my 50s now). When the nervous system is under stress and not functioning properly, it cannot work at an optimal level.
Chiropractors work with the neuromusculoskeletal system by aligning the spine to relieve any stress on nervous tissue. This allows any systenm innervated by the nervous system including immune system (which is approximately 70% in our gut and is considered to be our "2nd brain") to work at a higher level, making it easier to fight off infections while recognizing allergens. There is still much to discover about the nervous system and the immune system. Perhaps the interference-free nerve function helps the immune system better recognize and adapt to allergens so that it will not overreact to them. Getting checked and adjusted regularly helps your nervous system function without interference of spinal misalignment. Optimal function can vary from person to person and is subject to limitations of matter. Remember that in Texas, a chiropractor cannot treat any conditions outside the neuromusculoskeletal system, yet check out this study on Long Term Remission and Alleviation of Symptoms in Allergy and Crohn’s Disease Patients Following Spinal Adjustment for Reduction of Vertebral Subluxations, published in the Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research, Volume 4. The neuromusculoskeletal system appears to affect more than just the nerves, muscles, and bones, doesn't it?
Sinus adjustments can help keep the the nervous system assist the body in keeping those sinuses cavities open to function as sinus cavities.
NOTE: If you are producing copious amounts of mucus, avoid dairy and sugar as they are both mucus producing foods.
Just ask at your next visit about sinus adjustments. Let me know how the sinus adjustments are working for you. Most of my practice members ask for it. Sometimes, I get asked at church "can you punch me in the face?" so I always carry one of my Activator adjusting tools with me. If you do not see me as your chiropractor and your chiropractor does not know how to do a sinus adjustment, feel free to have them contact me and I can share the protocol.
- Perform daily lymphatic self-massage
Here are two excellent videos demonstrating this activity (click on the name & save in your YouTube account for quick & easy access):
- Use a Neti pot
They seem & feel kind of gross, but my almost 80 years young mom (I may get spanked for sharing her age because she tells everyone that she is 29 - if Jack Benny can stay 39, she should be able to stay 29 & remember, I am in my 50s - LOL) suffered from chronic sinus infections before she began using one regularly. When she stopped, her sinuses got icked up again. I use one made from ceramic because I can use boiling water to sterilize it without concern about plastic compund leaching. I also use only distilled water with the salt. I do NOT use or recommend tap water. Buy one locally at Walmart or Walgreens or CVS or order an Ancient Secrets ceramic neti pot like mine - I use the salt packets from NeilMed because they are easy to find locally but there are other brands at a lower cost online.
- Consume raw local honey
Most of you know I love bees, but my honey, once I am able to harvest might not be considered local for you. Honey bees forage about 3-5 miles so you want to look for a beekeeper in a 3-5 miles radius from your home if possible. I've seen reports that a teaspoon daily helps with the seasonal allergies. Make sure you check out my recipe BLOG for fermented garlic honey.
- Supplements
- Quercetin, found in many foods like berries, or in supplement form - we are blessed to have several pick your own blueberry farms in East Texas. When they are in season, take advantage and freeze them for use in smoothies after the season ends.
- Nettle tea - we have lots of nettle here in East Texas so learn about it and how to forage then, make your own tea or you can always just buy it - I like the Alvita brand. It is also available locally at the Granary and other local health food stores.
- Use homeopathy
I am currently taking a homeopathy certification course through BOIRON for chiropractors. You can get a 5% discount off remedies from HomeoMart or a 10% discount off thousands of products from hundreds of manufacturers including homeopathic remedies in my Wellevate dispensary. My Wellevate dispensary is not typical affiliate link because I do not receive any financial benefit from your use of them.
With classical homeopathy, we match the symptoms to the remedy, so what works for allergy expression one day, may not be the best solution on a different day if the allergy symptoms vary for you as mine do. I do not have allergies to the green growing things (I am allergic to dogs, mold, and dust - you know we have dogs & they sleep with us), but I hear this stuff is fantastic for Texas specific allergens: TexasClear
Cristina Villacorta developed the next kit on my want list, but it is currently out of stock so I may have to build it myself using individual remedies. The 1st line Banerji protocol for allergies is 1 dose of calc carb 1M once a week in the morning (set a recurring reminder in your smart phone - consistency is key) to address allergies. If there is a lot of sneezing, add a dose of ars alb 6c once an hour as needed. Do this for 2-3 months and see how your allergies are. If there is no improvements, contact me and I can provide you with the 2nd line from the Banerji protocol or you can join the Banerji Protocol Group on Fakebook then use the search function.
- TAKING REMEDIES: Wait at least 10 minutes after a dose before eating. Wait at least 20 minutes after eating to take a dose.
- ANTIDOTES TO HOMEOPATHY: Avoid use of strong smells while using homeopathy. These include the mints, coffees, camphorated items like rosemary or any other product with a really strong smell.
- GET MORE FOR YOUR MONEY: I like to manke water remedies to make my rememdies last longer. To do this, I start with distilled water in a spray bottle (one spray is one dose) with an appropriate number of pellets - I only use 1-2 pellets mostly, but muscle test yourself to see how many pellets you need in your spray bottle.
Six Helpful tips for Springtime Texas Allergies 