Allergy Relief, Craniosacral, and Lymphatic Work
Well, ‘tis the season! Allergy season, that is. The Chicago area is famous for its horrendous seasonal allergies. Many of us know the signs: the sneezing, the watering and/or itching eyes, the coughing, the wheezing, the postnasal drip, the fatigue – – and the classic, baffling combination of a runny nose that, somehow, is simultaneously stuffed up.
Clients often come to reSource Wellness in both Spring and Fall because of what seasonal allergies do to their sinuses. Biodynamic craniosacral therapy (BCST) is known to have good effects on seasonal allergies, but I have a special protocol for my allergy clients that includes both biodynamic craniosacral and lymphatic drainage work. (In addition to being a BCST, I also am a lymphatic specialist, having studied Lymphatic Biodynamics – a form of manual lymphatic drainage — at the School of Inner Health in Manitou Springs, CO).
I discovered the true power of this combination protocol while studying BCST with Ginger Crisenbery at 3rdCoast Craniosacral of Evanston, IL. One of my fellow students showed up on day one of a three-day study module with horrible sinus problems. (Her illness was not actually caused by allergies, but by an upper-respiratory infection. The effects on her sinuses were much the same, however, and viral sinus problems respond well to the same combination protocol I use for allergic sinus problems.) This poor woman was so blocked up that she sounded as if she had wads of gauze stuffed up nose. Despite loading herself up with over-the-counter decongestants, she had experienced no relief, and was sluggish, exhausted, and miserable.
I suggested she allow me to do some lymphatic work on her at lunch time, and she readily agreed. I began with lymphatic drainage of her neck and face, with special attention to the sinus areas, and then segued into craniosacral work, concentrating primarily on the bones and soft tissues connected with the sinuses, as well as those that encourage the free drainage of fluid from the cranium. She relaxed deeply, as is typical during these sessions, but reported no immediate improvement in her sinus symptoms after the session. To say the least, she was not looking forward to her 90-minute commute home to Wisconsin for the evening.
When my fellow student came to class the next day, however, it was a different story. As soon as she walked in, she looked at me and said, “I don’t know what you did to me, but about an hour into my drive home last night, everything let loose!” Days and days’ worth of blocked-in sinus congestion started draining all at once –- while she was driving north on the interstate! While the timing could’ve been better, she was more than happy with the results, and was relieved to be able to breathe out of her nose again.
So how does it work? How could therapies as gentle and non-invasive as biodynamic craniosacral and manual lymphatic drainage possibly help sinuses that are nearly a solid block of snot when powerful decongestants have failed?
Biodynamic craniosacral can be helpful for sinus problems largely because restrictions in the free motion of the facial bones, cranial bones, and connective tissues can interfere with the flow of all the cranial fluids, including mucus in the sinuses; BCST helps the body to release those restrictions. (See my previous post, “What Is Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, Anyway?” for more information. https://resourcewellnessllc.com/what-is-biodynamic-craniosacral-therapy-anyway/) Lymphatic drainage can be helpful because, when we’re having sinus problems, the mucous membranes lining the sinuses become swollen and inflamed, causing them to produce more mucus than usual, along with cellular debris such as dead white blood cells and other gunk. Lymphatic work helps the excess mucus and other fluids to move out of the sinuses, relieving pressure and encouraging healing (not to mention making us a lot more comfortable).
Since my student days, I have continued to refine my combination sinus protocol, much to the comfort of my clients. Sometimes they begin to experience relief from their sinus congestion in mid-session; sometimes, it takes longer than that for the work to unfold. Whichever way it works for them, they keep coming back when the allergens begin to fly.