Sinus Congestion

Being a massage therapist I give a lot of massages all kinds of people in my San Antonio, Texas practice. As my clients I love you for a wonderful therapeutic massage as often as I can. However, like many other people I sometimes have a problem with sinus congestion while on his stomach during the massage. There are several causes of sinus congestion such as seasonal allergies, and irritants such as smoke, pollution, dust and mold. Sinus congestion, it is difficult to breathe through the nose and fully appreciate the massage.

There are many things that therapists, like myself, do to help customers sinus congestion during massage therapy session. Adjustments to face the rest are useful as are acupressure points that help relieve sinus pressure. Other things that are useful include the use of essential oils like pine, eucalyptus, peppermint or open sinuses. Less commonly used aids are breathing masks filled with cold gel or nasal strips. The problem with all these measures is that they are a bit hit-or-miss, the best way to fight against sinus congestion during massage is to prevent it in the first place.

My preferred method to prevent sinus congestion is sinus irrigation. Sinus irrigation is actually a very old method of dealing with congestion, allergies and postnasal drip. Simply, the irrigation of the sinuses is exactly what it sounds like, using a saline solution to gently wash the mucous membranes, dust, pollen and other irritants. A popular method of sinus irrigation is to use a "neti pot". It is a small pot that looks like a small teapot or gravy boat. To use the neti pot you fill it with warm saline, which is made with chlorine-free water (distilled or purified drinking water) and a packet (s) of pure salt. It is important that you do not use table salt to make your saline solution because table salt contains iodine and anti-coagulant that is not good for you. Once you have made your solution and fill the pot, you'll need to pour into one nostril and let it run to the other. To perform the irrigation without swallowing the solution or the feeling that you are drowning following steps:

1. Bend at the waist over a sink;

2. Turn your head as if you're looking at the ceiling;

3. Keep your forehead and chin down toward the ceiling, place the spout of the neti pot gently into the upper nostril allowing the saline to flow into the nose and the lower nostril;

4. Allow the contents of the neti pot to wash your sinuses;

5. When the neti pot is empty keep your head down and forcefully exhale through the nose to release any excess saline solution, even without taking your nostrils closed;

6. Repeat as necessary.

The scene sinus irrigation an hour or two before your massage can effectively reduce or eliminate sinus congestion so you can enjoy your massage more. In addition to removing mucous and irritants that cause congestion in your sinuses, the salt in the salt solution is also effective to relieve the swelling of the sinus membranes.

Sinus irrigation is a simple and safe to reduce sinus congestion and postnasal drip, but there are conditions that could make-cons for you. Please check with your doctor before performing any sinus irrigation.