I've never tried Echinacea myself and I'm glad to read a personal account from someone who has had it. ^__^
And oh yes, Reiki on the throat and nose is love. Mind you, there may be a bit of draining, but better to get congestion and stuff out of there (better than having a headache).
I generally Reiki those areas on a daily basis just because of all the stuff we breathe in (that and working in a library means book dust galore).