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Embrace the Yin, the Stillness, the Quiet

November 22, 2016 By Michelle 2 Comments

Know that you possess the strong
Masculine principle [yang], yet abide
By the meek feminine principle [yin]
Thus, becoming ‘the flowing stream of the world
Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu (translation by Master Ni, Hua Ching)

Winter is the most Yin time of year. It epitomizes stillness, coldness, darkness and depth.

I see many patients who work hard and play hard. It’s a feat to see how much we can accomplish in one day, and we place high value on productivity in our culture. A go-go-go mindset leaves little time for rest, which takes a toll eventually.

I propose we pause more. Sleep more. Meditate more. Single-tasking – the art of doing only one thing at a time.

In Chinese medicine, our deep energy reserves – inherited from our parents – are a finite Qi source stored in the kidneys. Day to day we should not be burning through this energy; we should fill up our daily tank through the Qi we get from food, drink, breath and sleep. Deep depletion happens when we undergo prolonged periods of stress, overwork, too much sex and overindulgence in rich foods and alcohol. Medical doctors call it adrenal fatigue. Acupuncturists call it Kidney Qi deficiency.

You can kind of get away with it until about age 40. At that point, the whisper of your body asking you to conserve energy (it talks to you through lower back pain, deep fatigue, early signs of aging, urinary symptoms, and fertility problems) become a louder roar as your body demands to be heard. Listen!

Winter is the season where kidney energy peaks, making it a good time to rebuild these deep reserves with acupuncture, herbs, and kidney nourishing foods.

So as we head into winter, align your body with the season of hibernation by focusing your energy inward. Embrace activities that are more Yin in nature. Yin is potential energy, like a seed in the frozen ground that sprouts in the spring when Yang (kinetic energy, fire) rises once again. Journal, cook more, rest and receive healing treatments. Focus on your close circle of friends and family, introverting slightly.

Some of my fast-paced patients tell me it is difficult to lie on the acupuncture table, totally still, for 30 minutes. But it gets easier. And people who find Yin activities to be challenging are probably those who are most Yin deficient. Restlessness, insomnia, anxiety and worry are signs that you need more stillness.

Life is like a marathon. If you sprint the first 40 years, you will not have much energy for the next 40 years.

Here are some other Yin activities for winter:
Play. Do hobbies and explore your passions just for the joy of it.

Relax in ways that nourish your mind, body and spirit, which may mean disengaging from electronics.

Meditate. If you don’t know how, we recommend checking out these apps: Headspace or Stop, Breathe & Think.

Ask yourself what you want from life. Work on aligning your inner vision (Yin) with your external life (Yang).

Practice yoga, Tai Chi or Qigong

Sip tea and broth.

Listen to music.

Avoid stimulants, such as coffee, nicotine, sugar and drugs.

Sleep longer. 8 hours, even if you think you can get by on less.

What other activities bring more Yin into your life? Please share your thoughts and questions!

Channel Your Inner Michael Phelps, With Cupping

August 22, 2016 By Michelle Leave a Comment

Have you seen the craze going on during the 2016 Summer Olympics? It’s cupping!

Michael Phelps gets cupping to improve his performance and speed recovery.

Almost every Olympic swimmer you see on TV has the cupping marks on their bodies and many other Olympic athletes do as well.

You don’t have to be an Olympian to enjoy the benefits of cupping. This therapy, rooted in Chinese medicine but practiced in cultures all over the world, helps to eliminate toxins, relieve congestion, improve circulation and relieve muscle tension. And when you’re pushing your body’s limits with intense workouts, cupping can speed your recovery time.

Glass cups are suctioned to the skin using heat to create a vacuum. The cups can be left stationary or slid along pre-oiled skin, depending on the ailment. While cups can be applied to just about any area of the body, the most common areas are the back, neck, shoulders and thighs. Cupping is generally painless and can be as effective as massage for muscle problems.

Cupping pulls blood to a region to stimulate healing. It is effective at stretching tight fascia and muscles and breaking up adhesions between the tissues. As new blood is forced into the tissues around the cups, the body will begin to develop new blood vessels called neovascularization. These new vessels can feed the tissues with nutrients and oxygen, leading to lasting pain relief.

While the tissues get saturated with fresh blood, the vacuum pulls stagnant blood out of the area. Where there is dead, static blood, lymph, cellular debris, pathogenic factors and toxins present in the body, cupping can leave marks (see Michael Phelps above) which indicates that the stagnation has been moved from the deeper tissue layers to the surface. These marks tend to fade in 2-5 days. The more cupping you receive the less the bruising happens.

Our massage therapists and acupuncturists can perform cupping during your session when appropriate. We also offer cupping as a stand alone therapy for $50. Be sure to mention if you’d like cupping therapy at the time of booking.

Call us at 773-276-2801 or click here to make your appointment for cupping.

Check out this Chicago Tribune article about cupping in which we were quoted.

Chinese Medicine & Menstrual Cycles

June 29, 2016 By Samara Reigh Leave a Comment

Many women experience uncomfortable menstrual cycles, often causing them to miss work and spend painful days in bed. Some women take medication to help, others have gone on birth control to regulate hormones, and even more have just learned to live with it, accepting that monthly pain is part of their life. We can help!
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) views the female reproductive system as a network of energy systems that includes the organs, hormones, and blood. This energy network responds to environment, exercise, diet, sleep, and emotions—any stress on the system, from chemicals in drinking water to insomnia to grief, can affect the body. These stresses can manifest as painful or difficult periods. The quality of a woman’s menstrual cycle tells us about her overall health.

TCM gently puts the body back into balance. It can take a few cycles to re-regulate hormones, but acupuncture and herbs are extremely effective for almost all menstrual issues, including:

– PMS symptoms
– Irregular, early, or late periods
– Painful or clotty menstruation
– Low back pain before or during menstruation
– Cyclical digestive disturbances
– Fibroids
– Ovarian cysts
– Fertility

One of the many questions we ask during the intake (even if you just come in for back pain or acid reflux) is what day of your menstrual cycle you’re on. Why is this important to us? TCM treats people according to how they present on a given day. We are all constantly in flux. One day we might be well-hydrated, happy, well-slept, and the next we may have just eaten a greasy meal and been up all night with a screaming baby. These are two very different presentations and they require different treatments. There are always certain constitutional tendencies or chronic issues that will recur from one appointment to the next, but in our intake we always try to look at you with fresh eyes. This is especially true with regard to a woman’s hormones. Because of acupuncture’s powerful effect on the endocrine system, we need to know where you are in your cycle so that we have a sense of how to work with your body’s natural rhythms.
Western medicine sees the menstrual cycle in two phases: the follicular phase, which is dominated by estrogen (days 1-14), and the luteal phase (days 15-28), which is dominated by progesterone at the end.

Photo courtesy of http://www.cityacu.net

TCM sees the menstrual cycle in four parts: Blood, Yin, Yang, and Qi.

BLOOD PHASE/ Menstruation (days 1-5): We work on nourishing blood and avoid Qi-circulating acupuncture points. Likewise, overly-moving activities and foods should be minimized (vigorous exercise, spicy foods, alcohol). This is a good time for rest and turning inward. Let us know if your periods are clotty or painful! Herbs are especially helpful for this.

YIN PHASE (days 6-13): Yin phase. During this time, there are increased amounts of estrogen, causing the lining of the uterus to thicken and the follicles to develop. We encourage you to eat protein and mineral-rich foods (meat, eggs, cooked leafy greens) to replenish blood and Yin.
Day 14: Ovulation. An ovum is released. The body prepares to shift from Yin to Yang and the basal body temperature rises. Some women experience discomfort, cramping, or spotting at this point in their cycle. This is something to tell us in your appointment.

YANG PHASE (days 15-21): The body turns its focus from building and nourishing the uterine walls and follicles to preparing for implantation; if fertilization does not take place, the uterus prepares to shed the lining. This is an active and energetic time.

QI PHASE (days 22-28): Toward the end of this phase, levels of estrogen drop drastically. Serotonin levels drop with the estrogen, so there can be depressed mood and PMS symptoms. Feelings of frustration, easy tears, mood swings, as well as physical symptoms like breast tenderness and bloating are all symptoms of what TCM calls “Qi Stagnation.” Your body is ready to move all the blood it has gathered in the uterus and your hormones are about to shift drastically again as you head into the menstrual phase. We use acupuncture points that circulate and smooth your Qi so that you don’t experience as many difficult emotional and physical symptoms.

Our bodies are a part of nature. A woman’s menstrual cycle is a potent reminder of this fact; it has four seasons and moves with the moon. Just as we shift our behavior, clothing, and foods from winter to summer, through being mindful of our own seasons we learn about our internal nature. Please feel free to ask us any questions about your cycle when you come in!

What is Preventative Medicine?

June 7, 2016 By Samara Reigh Leave a Comment

We all have a sense of what it means to practice preventative medicine in our own lives: eat healthy foods, exercise, get enough sleep, and minimize stress. But what does it mean in a medical practice?
Modern medicine deals in observable biological manifestations of disease—a tumor, the presence of bacteria, elevated blood glucose levels, and so on. The problem with this method is that, by the time your condition is serious enough for your doctor to diagnose you, you’re already sick. Now more invasive interventions have to take place, like surgery or pharmaceutical drugs.
But there is a step in between, and this is where Traditional Chinese Medicine can play a role.

Acupuncture Chinese Medicine sees a patient not only biologically, but also psychologically and energetically. What does this mean? By acknowledging the role of mind and energy in human health, it encompasses a broader understanding of the patient. Any complaint, discomfort, or worry is listened to, because it leads us to a nuanced diagnosis and an individualized treatment plan.
Chinese Medicine uses pattern diagnosis, which allows us to see disharmonies in the body before they become diseases. This is why we ask about your digestion, sleep, stress levels, pain in the body, menstrual cycle, sexual health; your skin, eyes, ears, nose; you from head to toe—we need the whole picture! From all this information we see certain patterns emerging. Modern medicine uses disease diagnosis, which means that it will only acknowledge your complaints when they are already diseases… when you’re already sick.
If we address back pain while it is still coming and going (on the level of energy), we can alleviate it before it becomes chronic (entrenched into the physical level.) If we treat menstrual cramps while they are mild (“blood stagnation” in Chinese Medicine), we can avoid the medical diagnosis of fibroids or endometriosis. Before you’re diagnosed with diabetes and put on medication, Chinese Medicine can identify that you are “Spleen Qi Deficient with Damp Accumulation” and through acupuncture and herbal formulas, help to regulate your blood sugar levels. It is far easier to correct imbalances than it is to reverse diseases.
Traditional Chinese doctors were punished for allowing their patients to get sick. If you weren’t preventing disease, you weren’t practicing medicine properly. Our modern medical system, with its focus on disease, does not have a framework or language of diagnosis for preventative medicine. In fact, if no one got sick, it would go out of business.

Have you ever been told by a medical doctor that your complaint is “psychosomatic”? You are sent home either with no answers or a prescription for an antidepressant.
But what does psychosomatic really mean? Psyche means “mind” and soma means “body.” Preventative medicine does not dismiss psychosomatics. Of course the mind and body are interconnected! Stress affects sleep and digestion, chronic pain can cause painful emotions and painful emotions can cause pain, hormonal fluctuations can make us angry or sad… the list is endless.
The mind-body connection is our natural intelligence—for example, when you just know something is wrong or you suspect that certain symptoms are linked. The split between body and mind in Western thinking, and medicine in particular, is to the detriment of us all. Our bodies and our minds are not separate entities. They are intertwined and inseparable. What we think and feel affects our health.

The body speaks to us in symptoms. It’s our job to listen. And it’s our job, here at Division Chiropractic and Acupuncture, to listen to you, to formulate individualized treatment plans to address imbalances long before they become disease.

The Smoothie and Salad Diet: Is it Right for Your Body Type?

June 5, 2016 By Michelle 1 Comment

Raw foods seem like a good idea, especially for weight loss. After all, won’t cooking food destroy its nutrients and natural enzymes? Well, in terms of Western nutrition, yes. But the paradigm of Chinese dietary therapy has a whole other element: the thermal quality of food. Certain foods are viewed as warming and nourishing while others are seen as cooling and eliminating.

Uncooked foods tend to be energetically cold. An over-consumption of raw vegetables, juiced vegetables, raw fruits and fruit juices can bring on edema, loose stools, bloating, constant post-nasal drip and a general feeling of coldness.

Turn up your digestive fire by eating warm, cooked foods.

In traditional Chinese medicine, digestion is like a cooking process. Imagine a soup pot cooking on the stove. Our digestive fire – the burner – resides in our lower abdomen. Our stomach is like a big pot or cauldron into which the food goes. If we turn up the fire, food cooks, or metabolizes, faster. This is the effect of warm foods. Turning the burner down with too many cold, raw foods can slow digestion and make us retain water and hold body fat.

Most veggies and fruits are generally cool in nature, while most animal products are warm (with the exception of dairy). A few examples…

Yang foods (hot): Cayenne pepper, dried ginger, soybean oil, hard alcohol, cinnamon, black pepper, chili powder, horseradish, lamb, trout and whole green or red peppers.

Yang foods (warming): Cherries, coconut, lemons, raspberries, cauliflower, mustard greens, onion, coffee, wine, garlic, fresh ginger, chestnuts, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, chicken, shrimp, mussels, lobster, turkey, yogurt, butter.

Yin foods (cooling): Apples, bananas, pears, strawberries, broccoli, cabbage, eggplant, spinach, Swiss chard, celery, soybeans, buckwheat, sesame oil.

Yin foods (cold): Papaya, watermelon, grapefruit, tomatoes, asparagus, cucumbers, summer squash, romaine lettuce, seaweed, barley, tofu, dairy.

This concept blew my mind when I showed up for my Chinese nutrition class in acupuncture school 10 years ago. At that time I was proud to be the lowest weight I had ever been. I achieved this by eating almost all raw foods. The only problem was that I was pale, always felt chilled, my hands were cold (not a good thing for an acupuncturist), and I had major digestive problems. The root cause was too many cold, raw foods.

In Chinese medicine, nothing is one-size-fits-all. So it’s not just a matter of eating nourishing healthy food but of eating nourishing healthy food that is right for your body type. A mostly raw food diet may be good for a hot, excess person, but not so much for a cold, deficient person. Take my body type quiz to see which one you are.

How can you balance eating raw foods with protecting your digestive fire? Here are a few tips to warm up your diet:

Add cooked veggies on top of your salads. My faves are roasted beets, carrots and Brussels or sautéed peppers, onions and mushrooms.
Avoid ice water, which damages the digestive fire. Stick to room temp water or teas.
Swap out raw lettuce salads for sautéed greens like kale, collards and spinach with garlic or onions.
Enjoy raw lettuce salads in moderation, and pair them with a cup of hot tea to stoke your digestive fire.
Eat light broth soups instead of cold smoothies.
If you just can’t give up your regular smoothies, “warm” them up by adding a dash of cinnamon or some ginger root. And avoid making them the first thing you eat for the day.
Limit your intake of melons and tropical fruits in the winter, as they can cause coldness.
Stew or bake fruits to give them a warmer energy, especially stone fruits, apples, pears and berries.

Citation:

Pitchford, Paul. Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Tradition and Modern Nutrition. 3rd ed. Berkeley, California: North Atlantic Books, 2002. 23-24. Print.

Runner’s Knee & How Not to Walk Like a Duck

May 10, 2016 By Michelle Young Leave a Comment

Finally spring had arrived, inspiring my inner runner who hibernates all winter. I strapped on my Sauconies and headed right out for a 3-mile round trip jaunt to the lake. “Talk yourself into it. Don’t talk yourself out of it,” a local sign would play in my head. After 6 weeks of committed running, my right knee ached to the point where I thought it might give out. “These old knees’” my thirty-something self thought. But maybe it wasn’t my knees…. Did I mention that I DID NOT STRETCH AT ALL! Well, I could get away with it 10 years ago but not anymore.

Sometimes when we have pain, the problem can actually be a trigger point above or below the pain site. Or at the spine or pelvis. Running for weeks without stretching had tightened up my glutes and hips to the point where they were pulling my feet out so I walked like a duck (external rotation). This stressed my medial knee ligaments giving me knee pain. So I dusted, off my foam roller, rolled out my yoga mat and made some appointments with our healer ladies at Division Chiropractic & Acupuncture.

During a chiropractic session with Dr. Alicia, she noticed my left leg was longer than the right – no surprise. Two pelvic adjustments later, it was back in line. Then I received electro-acupuncture to improve circulation, reduce inflammation, and restore proper mobility to the muscle fibers in my knee and hips. To complete the Trifecta Treatment (Chiropractic-Acupuncture-Massage), I received a massage with Sherry, who did intensely effective myofascial release and trigger point work on my glutes and hips. Between these three therapies, foam rolling and yoga stretches, I was back on the pavement in just one week. Oh, and now I ALWAYS remember to stretch!

Ignoring the muscle imbalances that can cause duck-walking can contribute to lower back pain, knee pain, ankle injuries and flatter feet. If you have pain from running we can help you! Call us at 773-276-2801 for a free phone consultation with one of our practitioners.

What are some of your favorite self-care techniques to keep your body in balance after running?

Eat Your Medicine: Foods for Spring

May 6, 2015 By Michelle Young Leave a Comment

Hippocrates said “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

Spring, connected to the Wood element, is the time when the liver and gallbladder energies peak, so our diets should focus on foods that balance these organs. The liver and gallbladder are in charge of regulating a smooth flow of energy throughout the body and mind. They’re prone to congestion (aka “stagnation”) when we ingest too many poor quality fats and denatured foods, chemicals, medications, and intoxicants. An out-of-balance liver leads to indecisiveness, anger, heavy drinking and emotional rigidity. Our body may rebel with symptoms like acid reflux, PMS, irregular menstrual cycles, migraines and vision problems.

Sour Foods for Liver Health

The liver directly benefits from sour foods, especially after a winter of eating dense, oily fare. Sour foods act as a solvent to break down fats and protein. In the spring, eat more citrus, kombucha, kimchi, yogurt, tomato, sauerkraut, green apple, kiwifruit, pickles and rhubarb, to name a few. Drink a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar daily diluted in water, or lemon water to support healthy liver function.

Culinary Herbs

Spring has an ascending, expansive quality (yang). Pungent cooking herbs – basil, fennel, marjoram, rosemary, caraway, dill and bay leaf – are ideal in the spring because they also raise energy.

Detoxification: Green your Diet

“Detox” really just means to alkalize and cool down the body, and lighten the load on the liver. In spring, make raw and sprouted foods a bigger part of your diet. Embrace shorter cooking times at high temperatures (grilling or light steaming vs. baking and stewing). Note: if you have loose stools/diarrhea or post-nasal drip, limit your intake of raw foods as they are too cooling for your digestive fire. Green vegetables, especially leafy greens, have a bitterness that drains excess heat from the liver. Reach for collard greens, kale, spinach, Swiss chard, dandelion, watercress, sprouts, cucumbers, broccoli, wheatgrass, lettuce, spirulina, celery and asparagus.

In Chinese dietary therapy, fasting or liquid diets as a way to detox are not recommended. Detoxification is instead achieved by “veganizing” the diet, and drinking more room temperature water, broths and decaffeinated teas.

To detox, also eliminate or reduce:

Foods high in saturated fat: lard, meat, cream, eggs, cheese. Choose all organic animal products.
Hydrogenated & poor-quality fats: margarine, shortening, refined oil
Chemicals in food & water
Prescription drugs (consult physician)
Intoxicants
Processed, refined foods
Avoid late eating, since the Liver & Gallbladder energetically regenerate between 11 pm and 3 am

3 Teas for Spring

Even though tea is thermally hot, it has an energetically cooling effect on the body. Chrysanthemum tea is a medicinal herb that cools the liver and brightens the eyes to help with vision problems. Milk thistle tea helps protect liver cells from incoming toxins and encourages the liver to cleanse itself of damaging substances, such as alcohol, medications, pesticides, environmental toxins, and even heavy metals such as mercury. Mint tea with honey is another cooling, and energizing alternative to an afternoon cup of coffee. It encourages qi upwards during this time of increasing yang energy. We like this one.

Recipes

These recipes all contain at least three detoxifying or liver supporting ingredients. Happy cooking!

Tomato Soup with Dandelion

Beet Salad with Ginger Fennel Dressing

Asparagus Quiche

“Eat in moderation. Eat food prepared appropriately for the self and the season and enjoy a long and healthy life.” -Confucius

Sources:

“Healing With Whole Foods” by Paul Pitchford
“Chinese Nutrition Therapy” by Joerg Kastner
“Chinese Dietary Therapy” by Liu Jilin and George C. Peck

This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

What kind of liver detox do you do in the spring? Do you have any questions about this article? Please post your comments below!

Treat Post-Partum Depression Naturally

April 7, 2015 By Michelle Young Leave a Comment

Childbirth can bring on a range of powerful emotions, from joy and bliss, to sadness and fear. Many new mothers have short-term “baby blues,” with mood swings and crying spells that go away quickly. Post-partum depression (PPD), on the other hand, is a state of long-lasting depression following childbirth in a previously mentally healthy woman. This imbalance, which 10-15% of women experience, is most often the result of depletion in the body.

For many months, the growing fetus siphons off kidney qi from the mother needed for development of his brain, bones and nervous system. Then the mother loses 500 ml (or about a half of a quart) of blood on average in childbirth. And the generous commitment to breastfeeding only further exhausts the new mom’s vital resources. When her blood is deficient, a mother may become anxious and depressed.

Prevention is key! Human placenta is a Chinese herb that has been consumed medicinally for thousands of years. Women can save their placenta and have it encapsulated to ingest for therapeutic purposes. Benefits include:

Tonifies the liver and kidneys and augments the essence: for infertility, impotence, spermatorrhea, low back pain, lightheadedness, and tinnitus from insufficiency of kidney qi and debility of the essence and blood.
Augments the qi and nourishes the blood; for emaciation, pallor, and/or insufficient lactation due to exhaustion of qi and blood.

Placenta is considered rich in iron and protein, and also contains vitamins like B6 and minerals that may help fight depression symptoms. We encourage pregnant women to learn more about placenta encapsulation and find a specialist.

Women with blood deficiency, the most common Chinese diagnosis associated with post-partum depression, may experience fatigue, pale lips and complexion, anemia, insomnia, heart palpitations, poor memory and dizziness. For this deficiency-type of PPD, we use acupuncture to calm the mind, nourish blood and vitalize the kidney qi. Here are some of our favorite points:

ST-36: build qi & blood

SP-6: regulate hormones

KD-3: nourish kidney yin

HT-7: calm shen and build blood

CV-6: tonify essence and resolve depression. Angle slightly upward.

SP-4 + PC-6: open the Chong Mai and build Blood

CV-15: calm shen

DU-24: raise clear Yang and calm the mind

GB-13: to stabilize moods

One of our favorite Chinese herbal formulas in this case is Si Wu Tang. This study shows that women who took Si Wu Tang more than 10 times reported better mental health and overall vitality after childbirth. Another herbal go-to for PPD is Gui Pi Tang, which also helps with insomnia. Each herbal formula is selected based on your body; no two patients with PPD are given the same treatment.

Post-partum weight gain may lead women to undereat, and not get enough calories to sustain their energy and moods. Warm, nourishing foods and 60-80g per day of protein are recommended to rebuild the body and improve mood.

Because motherhood can be quite isolating if the spouse is working, especially if baby is born in the winter, new moms should seek out baby-and-me classes or playgroups so they can socialize with other adults.

Occasionally, PPD is of the excess-type. In this case, the mother may have mania, insomnia, severe irritability, anger and mood swings. In this case, a sedating herbal and acupuncture plan is more suitable. This treatment not only will calm the mother, but clear latent heat that tends to agitate her, and improve blood circulation.

This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

References:

Betts D. The Essential Guide to Acupuncture in Pregnancy & Childbirth. England: The Journal of Chinese Medicine, 2006. Print.

Lewis, R. The Infertility Cure. New York: Little, Brown & Company, 2004. Print.

Bensky, D. and Barolet, R. Chinese Herbal Medicine Formulas & Strategies. Seattle: Eastland Press, 1990. Print.

http://placentabenefits.info/

This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

What helped you recover after childbirth? Do you have any questions about this article? Please post your comments below!

Why Won’t My Cold Go Away?

March 27, 2015 By Michelle Young 1 Comment

You’re drinking tons of water, sleeping (almost!) 8 hours per night, and your cold just isn’t getting better. If your congestion has lasted for more than a week, you have thick yellow or green mucus, sinus pressure behind your eyes and cheeks, a fever or slight dizziness when shifting position, it just might be a sinus infection.

With a sinus infection, your nasal passages become inflamed and infected. Sinus infections are harder to treat than colds, and can linger on for weeks if ignored. Your doctor would likely prescribe you antibiotics. But never underestimate the power of your immune system! You can spare your intestinal flora the mass wipeout by trying these natural options.

See our herbalists. Michelle and Rebecca often recommend a Chinese herbal formula called Pueraria Clear Sinus by Evergreen. It’s a natural analgesic and antibiotic, but also constricts blood vessels in the nose and reduces mucus secretions. We often combine this with Kan’s Jade Windscreen Formula which boosts the immune system herbally. We carry these both in the clinic.

Get acupuncture. Needles inserted into specific points can help unblock the nose, clear phlegm and reduce inflammation. Many patients say they can feel their nose and sinuses open immediately during a treatment.

Use a neti pot to thin and flush mucus out of your nasal passages. Saline solution can help increase the speed and improve coordination of the cilia, tiny, hair-like structures that line the inside of your nasal and sinus cavities, so that they may more effectively remove the allergens and other irritants that cause sinus problems. We like the Baraka Neti Pot.

Baraka Neti Pot

Moisten your sinus cavities with steam inhalation. Drape a towel over your head as you breathe in the vapor from a bowl of hot water. Keep the vapor directed toward your face. Or take a hot shower, breathing in the warm, moist air. This will help ease pain and drain mucus. Add Eucalyptus, Lavender, Peppermint or Tea Tree oil for an extra boost.

Dose with oregano oil. Oregano oil contains anti-microbial properties to kill Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenza, the common culprits behind sinus infections. It also has an anti-inflammatory effect to relieve swelling and unblock stuck mucus. Regular dosing with oregano oil clears the sinuses and restores health to the whole nasal system. Oregano oil is NOT advisable for infants and children. Pregnant or nursing women should check with their doctors. Try Natural Factors Organic Oregano Oil.

Grapefruit seed extract is a natural antibiotic that eliminates infection as well as bacteria and fungus. It is most effective when used as a nasal spray; however, it is also possible to take capsules or drink the extract mixed with water or another liquid. Grapefruit seed extract does not have uncomfortable drying effects like some decongestants, and will not dehydrate the body. It simply works to relieve congestion and eliminate inflammation. We recommend Nutribiotic Vegan GSE Grapefruit Seed Extract Liquid Concentrate.

Natural Remedies for Sinus Infections

Stir up a healing elixir with a few pantry staples.

– a glass of warm water

– 1 teaspoon of raw honey

– 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar – ACV is a natural antibacterial, anti fungal and anti-inflammatory, and touts a high pH that alkalizes the body.

– 3 cloves of minced raw garlic – Allicin in garlic kills vegetative pests that attack the plant, and can also fight the microbes causing your sinus infection.

You’ve probably been doing this all along, but rest up and drink plenty of fluids! If you do end up needing antibiotics, remember to repopulate your intestinal flora with a course of probiotiotics such as Flora Udo’s Choice Adult’s Probiotic.

This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

What natural remedies do you use for sinus infections? Have you tried any of these? We’d love to know! Please share your comments below.

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773.276.2801

Embrace the Yin, the Stillness, the Quiet

Channel Your Inner Michael Phelps, With Cupping

Chinese Medicine & Menstrual Cycles

What is Preventative Medicine?

The Smoothie and Salad Diet: Is it Right for Your Body Type?

Runner’s Knee & How Not to Walk Like a Duck

Eat Your Medicine: Foods for Spring

Treat Post-Partum Depression Naturally

Why Won’t My Cold Go Away?

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