AAAaaahhhh Spring

by Laura Gordon

AAahh, spring is here! For some that translates into AAAAAhhhhchoooo. It’s hay fever season – that means headaches, watery eyes, sinus congestion, a runny nose, and just plain old misery. There are some wonderful alternative treatments that you can incorporate into your life or a massage session.

Massage:
During a massage begin with light raindrop tapping on the forehead and bridge of nose include acupressure with the forefingers along the eyebrow and check bone under the eyes followed by light stokes glide from the base edge of the nose along the inferior aspect of the check bone, around the ears and down the sides of the neck this techniques breaks up congestion in the head and creates a passage way for the congestion to move out of the sinuses.
Help the client to sit up with his/her back to you and appropriately draped, include tapotement using the cupping method on the back to loosens the congestion in the chest followed by long, closed hand strokes down the back from neck and shoulders to mid-back which acts as a vacuum to move loosened mucus from throat and chest.

Diet:
For diet you will want to suggest to your client to eat more fruits and vegetable and good quality protein to help build their immune system. You definitely want to encourage them eliminate to use dairy products because of their mucus building properties. Additionally avoiding highly processed foods will be helpful to hay fever sufferers. Beneficial foods include: garlic, onions, ginger and honey.

Vitamins that may help reduce hay fever symptoms include the following:
Vitamin C
A good quality multi-vitamin
Flavanoids
L-Methionine
Magnesium Pantothenate
Quercetin with Bromelain
Omega 3 fatty acids

Herbs:
Butterbur
Stinging Nettle
Luffa complex
Gingko
Quercetin
Perilla frutescens

Essential Oils:
The following list of essential oils may help the hay fever sufferer. These oils can be used directly on the body, added to a base oil and massaged into the skin, diluted in steaming water to be inhaled, or dropped onto a cotton ball, handkerchief or wash cloth and placed near the nose.
Eucalyptus
Niaouli
Tee Tree oil
Roman chamomile
Lemon
Lavender
Geranium
Rosemary
Peppermint

Challenge:

Practice the  techniques described above on a client, friend or family member.  Tell us what what happened!

Resource:
http://www.naturaltherapypages.com.au/article/Natural_Ways_to_Relieve_Hayfever