Chronic Sinus Trouble

Do you wake up with a stuffy head and mucus in your nose or throat? Feel as if you always have a cold or that your last cold never left you? Experience chronic postnasal drip? If you answered yes, you may be suffering from sinusitis–the most common condition in the 18 to 45 age group.

Your sinuses are eight spaces in the bones of your forehead, cheeks and temples. Although they help you to breathe, when they become in flamed or filled with mucus, it becomes more difficult.

Sinusitis is an inflammation of the sinuses and nasal passages. It can cause a headache or pressure in the eyes, nose and cheek area. A person with this condition may have a cough, a fever, bad breath, and nasal congestion with thick nasal secretions. Sinusitis is categorized as acute (short-term), or chronic (long-term).

Symptoms of Sinusitis

Sinusitis is very common; it often occurs when you have a cold, and clears up when the cold ends. If the drainage is blocked, pressure increases and can cause pain, discomfort, headache and swelling around your eyes and ears. You may also experience a dull ache in the cheekbones; pain in the teeth or jaw, increased nasal secretions; chills; fever; dizziness; loss of appetite; sensitivity to light; and an overall yucky feeling.

The Chiropractic Approach

Chiropractic adjustments can relive stress on the nervous system and body structure, allowing your body to work more efficiently. Chiropractic medicine holds a great deal of promise for people with sinusitis. Its treatments can target the bones and mucous membrane that surround the air-filled sinus cavities, as well as the joints and muscles throughout the body. Patients of chiropractic have reported improvements in breathing, postnasal drainage, ability to sleep, sense of smell and fewer headaches.

If you’re suffering from sinusitis or other respiratory problems schedule an appointment today for a full spinal checkup. We want to help your body function better, improve your resistance to disease and enhance your well-being.

Schedule an appointment

In health,
Dr. Ashlin Gasiorowski
Lakeshore East

Recently, Dr. Jimmy Lopez UWS owner and clinic director of our Roscoe Village clinic was featured in Voyage Chicago. Voyage is an online magazine whose mission is to build a platform that fosters collaboration and support for small businesses, independent artists and entrepreneurs, local institutions and those that make Chicago interesting.

Below is an excerpt of the interview and a link to the full story on VoyageChicago.com

Congrats Dr. Jim!

Meet Dr. Jimmy Lopez of Universal Wellness Source in Roscoe Village

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Jimmy Lopez.

Dr. Lopez, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.

Originally from California. My sister was born with a bad heart and has had 9 open heart surgeries. As much as our family was around hospitals and doctors, it was a natural environment and easy choice to want to be the people that helped my sister. The people were amazing, but I realized the system was broken. As much as I am thankful for emergency medicine and the opportunity it has given our family, it does nothing to prevent or teach people to become more proactive with their health. Being an athlete, I was always drawn to professions, classes and people that could help me perform at my best. In high school, I suffered an injury in which I sought chiropractic services. Once I heard the story of Chiropractic, the principles of which it was founded, there was no other profession which made more sense to me when caring for the human body. From that moment on, I was grounded in and surrounded myself with lifestyle management and chiropractic professionals.

Read the Full Story

Ankle pain and injury are not issues reserved solely for athletes. In the United States, more than 25,000 people deal with ankle sprains or pain every day. Studies show that somewhere around 40 percent of ankle sprains are not treated correctly or are misdiagnosed, which leads to disability or chronic ankle pain.

When the ankle does not function properly, it can affect the entire body. The muscles on either side of the leg or even under the foot can become sore or painful. This can lead to loss of mobility, an uneven gait, and hip and back pain.

Anatomy of the Ankle

Three bones connect to the joint that is the ankle. The lower ends of the tibia (shinbone) and the fibula (lower leg small bone) meet to form a socket that the talus (ankle bone) sits in.

The bottom of the talus rests on the calcaneus (heel bone). There is about an inch-thick lining of somewhat soft cartilage in the joint, which provides shock absorption for carrying body weight, but it is tough and durable so that, provided there is no injury, it will last for a lifetime.

The bones are held together by ligaments and the muscles are attached to the bones by tendons. When there is an injury, it can impact the bone, muscles, tendons and ligaments.

Treatment for Ankle Injury and Pain

The typical treatment for ankle pain, such as with a sprain, is R.I.C.E., which is rest, ice, compression and elevation. A somewhat newer treatment approach replaces the R with an M, meaning that instead of rest, movement is required instead.

However, it is important that the movement is done safely and carefully. Certain types of ankle injuries can be exacerbated by movement so it should be approached with care.

Other types of traditional treatment include varying methods of pain control from ibuprofen to opioids. Severe injuries, such as a torn ligament, may require surgery. When a patient experiences ankle pain, an x-ray is often used to see if there is an injury and to determine the extent of that injury. Sometimes, though an x-ray is not able to see the injury. In such cases, an MRI may be used.

Chiropractic for Ankle Pain

Chiropractic is very effective method of care for foot and ankle pain. The chiropractor will begin by assessing the patient’s source of pain and determine what is causing it. They may use x-rays, MRI, CT scan, and other types of diagnostic tools to help them select the best course or treatment.

When an ankle injury is new and the area is inflamed and tender. The patient is encouraged to rest, ice, compression and elevation. As the ankle heals, the inflammation subsides and it becomes more stable, chiropractic adjustments to the ankle and foot can be introduced.

Chiropractic for ankles can help reduce pain without prescription medication and the associated side effects. This alone is often a great draw for many patients. However, there are other benefits that chiropractic can provide for ankle pain.

Regular chiropractic adjustments can help strengthen the ankle and increase its stability while increasing mobility and flexibility. Often nerves and soft tissue can become damaged. Chiropractic adjustments done on a consistent basis facilitates blood flow, which speeds healing and reduces the chance of injury. It also uses a whole body approach so that the patient can get recommendation on diet and lifestyle changes, such as losing weight or exercising.

Chiropractic care is a very effective therapy for treating ankle pain and injury. It is non-invasive and a natural approach to healing that allows the body to heal itself.

I hope you found this article helpful and gained some new knowledge from it. Please, leave a comment or feel free to ask questions. Also, Let your Friends and Family know about the article by sharing it on Facebook.

In Health,
Dr KayLynne Gasiorowski