Do Corrections In the Upper Cervical Spine Provide Natural Sinusitis Relief?

Sinusitis is downright awful. Swollen shut sinuses, post nasal drip, chronic runny noses are all miserable.  Sinusitis problems affect every facet of one’s life. According to the CDC, there are a plethora of people who suffer from sinus conditions in the United States. In the United States, the number of adults diagnosed with sinusitis is 28.5 million, or 12.1 percent of the US population.1

Sinus sufferers deal with runny noses, swelling, and fatigue, but they can also have headaches, cognitive fog, and disruptions in sleep.  Sinus problems are a complete downer and interrupt the simplest activities that most people take for granted.  In the next paragraphs, we will talk about what causes sinus problems, and then give you some common sense things you can do in your life to help your body heal thru your sinus condition.

What causes Sinusitis?

You cannot fix anything unless you know what causes it. Here is one of the most common causes of sinus problems.  The upper cervical spine influences sinus function in a number of ways. First and foremost the sinus membrane is controlled by the Greater Petrosal  Nerve (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_petrosal_nerve)which branches off of the 7th cranial nerve(facial). When a person sustains a neck injury the top two vertebrae in the neck can misalign causing interference to the normal function of the nervous system, and thus disrupt normal sinus function.  The leading theory on how this occurs is called dural tension. The dura is a sheath that overlies the spinal cord that is attached to the atlas (c-1 vertebra) by a ligament called the dentate ligament. When there is an injury to the upper cervical spine the atlas vertebra misaligns from its normal position. This abnormal position then pulls on the dura mater covering the spinal cord distorting its normal shape and causes interference to the central nervous system.  The distortion can affect the 7th cranial nerve nuclei which sit in the brainstem at the level of the atlas skull junction.   Over time there is a chain reaction of adaptations that occur through the structure of the spine that can lead to other problems that don’t seem connected to the neck. Sinusitis treatment may be easier than you think.

How would you find out if your upper cervical spine is out of alignment? And what can you do if it is?  The first step to finding out if your upper cervical spine is misaligned or not is to call our office at 207-846-5100 and schedule a consultation.

Correcting Upper Cervical Spine Misalignments | What makes us different?

Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractic is a specialized form of care whose goal is to correct interference to the nervous system by correcting spinal misalignments in the upper cervical spine.  As we have discussed, a misaligned upper cervical spine can influence the central nervous system causing irritation to the brain-stem.  The goal of Blair Upper Cervical Care is to correct brain-stem interference.  While the interference is staying clear healing occurs

We run objective testing to locate the cause.  Precise x-rays are taken, if clinically indicated,  to determine the direction of joint misalignment and its angulation. Once this information is determined, the patient receives a precise gentle correction.  There is no twisting, popping or pulling.  After the correction is made the patient is monitored over time to ensure healing is taking place.  The goal is for the vertebra to stay in its normal position for as long as possible.  We have helped many patients recover from occipital neuralgia.  “Nature needs no help, just no interference!”  We hope this information was helpful to someone in need.

Reference:

1.https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/sinuses.htm