Friday, December 14, 2007

Drain those sinuses!

For years I have taught people to manually massage the sinuses with their thumbs. A mother came in today and told me an awesome story about her 5 year old doing this at a basketball game.

So, these two mothers and some of their children are sitting in the stands and the one friend complains to the other about her cold and is blowing her nose and all. The cute little 5 year old 'trained' patient of mine, spontaneously reaches over and starts massaging her friends' sinuses to help her.

The mother of the 'massagee' asked the 'massager's' mother "What is your daughter doing to mine?" She then had to explain the sinus drainage technique and the why behind it! Great story or what? Are kids awesome or what?

Here are the basics of the sinus drain technique:

1.Using moderate pressure, use thumbs starting in the middle of the forehead (frontal sinuses) and push laterally or sideways towards the ears, repeat 2-3 times (especially if you feel a lot of 'gunk' or mucus underneath).

2.Start with thumbs on either side of the middle of the nose (maxillary sinuses) and again push sideways towards the ears as in step #1.

3.Start with thumbs under jaw and in front of big neck muscle (SCM-sternocleidomastoid) and push down towards collar bone.

This will help sinuses and eustachian tubes to drain, whether you are 1, 5, or over 50...and even a 5 year old can master it and do it on a friend!


Other sinus-mucus tips:
1.Avoid dairy (adds mucus that you don't want)
2.Do the "C" (vitamin C that is...lots of it...depending on one's size: 500-1000-2000mg at a time
2-3 times a day).
3.Use saline solution and squirt it up the nostrils (not for the faint hearted, but very helpful)

Good luck!

82 comments:

Unknown said...

Hey - this really seems to work. I'm a 58 year old British man writing from London and I've had sinus headache problems for years. Prescribed fluticasone (flonase) last year - seemed to help for a time but now the headaches are back. I've got 58 bookmarks about headaches on my PC but Dr Bill, you might be the first person to really help. Thanks very much!

will said...

Can you explain the physiology behind this? How can massaging the outside of a bony cavity affect the mucous drainage inside the cavity? I'm interested, but more than skeptical.

Anonymous said...

There are small holes called foramen in the skull which lead to the sinuses. Fluid is pulled out by the pressure of moving the fluid already outside the skull like when something is siphoned. The fluid pushed around the skull exits through lymph. I'm kinda of guessing though. But, the foramen are a definite.

Tara said...

IMMEDIATE RESULTS! I am very prone to sinus infections. I've been stuffy and congested for a few days now. But today, I started googling random things because the pressue in my maxillaries was nearly unbearable; my entire face felt like I'd been wearing a huge silly grin for hours. With just a few swipes of Step 2, the fluid sitting there began to disperse, the pressure was relieved, I can breathe more easily and my face relaxed. I don't know if this is a temporary patch or if it will help me to get over this infection more quickly, but either way I am so GRATEFUL for the relief. Thank you so very much for this post!

Wills ADD/ADHD & Medications Blog said...

yea it does work ! my left nostril and sinus seems to be permanently plugged Ive tried everything. I did this and it was completely clear within 10 minutes.

Ali said...

Amazing. Instant results

Diana Davis said...

It would be nice to show a picture of just where to press and push. I'm not exactly clear on the directions.

KingCam said...

I agree with "Diana Davis said...

It would be nice to show a picture of just where to press and push. I'm not exactly clear on the directions.
March 22, 2012 7:59 AM "

No diagram or video or anything? I must not be doing it right because all I did was irritate my sunburn trying this. Sinuses are still just as blocked as before.

Dilila said...

Wow! Sinuses clear in 5 minutes! Thank you!

Jonty said...

Woah, I did step 3 and could hear a sort of popping from my nasal passage as it cleared. That's incredible - I hadn't been able to breathe all day. Hats off for this tip!

Jonty said...

Woah, I did step 3 and could hear a sort of popping from my nasal passage as it cleared. That's incredible - I hadn't been able to breathe all day. Hats off for this tip!

Jonty said...

Woah, I did step 3 and could hear a sort of popping from my nasal passage as it cleared. That's incredible - I hadn't been able to breathe all day. Hats off for this tip!

Azaria said...

This is great! It'd be even better with a picture of sorts, or a video, because when you're tired, it's difficult to try and find places on yourself... I have been having a sore throat from all kinds of drainage, and fighting illness with prevention. All my coworkers got flu shots, and now they have colds and stomach viruses and all sorts of ick, so I've had to keep my defenses up!

Joiseyg said...

I agree with Diana too - how about a YouTube video...?

Joiseyg said...

I agree with Diana too - how about a YouTube video...?

Bron said...

Yes, a video please especially for Step 3

Unknown said...

Amazing!! I have been permanently blocked since January. I know that eating raw garlic (with dry bread or something!!) Is good for it and avoiding dairy.........but this is instant!! Brilliant!!

Unknown said...

Amazing!! I have been permanently blocked since January. I know that eating raw garlic (with dry bread or something!!) Is good for it and avoiding dairy.........but this is instant!! Brilliant!!

BifocaledOne said...

This is crazy! I went online to find a way to relieve my discomfort and to stop waking my family with my constant nose-blowing. That was five minutes ago, and now I am breathing through both nostrils with my mouth closed! Thank you!!!

Pliskin said...

The instructions were not clear enough, I got my dick stuck in the ceiling fan.

michaela said...

I have had a sinus infection for a week. The pain and pressure is unbearable. I am on zpac, prednisone, mucinex, and flonase. Nothing has worked so far. I tried this technique and felt some relief with in ten minutes.

Rupert McWiseman said...

@ I_cant-tolerate-stupidity

Ah! Thank heavens for the "skeptic" and his staggering intellectual superiority.

You can tell he's intellectually superior because:

1) He is, by his own admission, intolerant. (A sure sign of higher mental function.)

2) He is a rampant misogynist. (All elevated minds think that women - especially "housewives" - are dumb, delusional and sexually frustrated.)

3) He uses offensive language. (All members of the intellectual Master Race do this.)

4) He ignores reported evidence (albeit anecdotal, but all science begins with anecdotes) in favour of knowing all the answers in advance. Only first-rate thinkers do this.

Well, there you go. We should all be deeply honoured that such a towering intellect has graced this comments thread with his presence - especially those menopausal sex-starved delusional housewives.

And as for trying this dangerous sinus technique - well, it's probably going to kill you. (We all know how horrendously dangerous face massage is.) Go and see a proper MD and have some of those lovely drugs. (Sinusitis being caused, of course, by a lack of patentable pharmaceuticals.)

nofear said...

it would have been better to have a video of these steps. this was useless to me as i dont know if im even doing it right.

life's lessons said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
life's lessons said...

:-)

Pat said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Pat said...

My goodness this DID work! Thanks.

Dysphoric Me said...

You are awesome!

sunngreen said...

Incredible. If you are skeptic at least try .

Unknown said...

my Dr. actually did this to me when I had sinusitis, and yes, it works and yes he's a real MD

Anonymous said...

Long used tons of C, Echinacea and warm water during the early stages of sore throats, colds, sinus congestion and such, but after that I've sound these, the thumb presses and saline solutions up the nose to be of no help.

Cindi said...

You can also lay flat on a textured type blanket or towel and press on sinuses to rub and pull. You don't have to use your hands at all. Work your forehead and cheeks.

Unknown said...

Clogged drainage pipes can cause major problems in your home. Some blockages can be taken care of with drain-cleaning products that you can buy from the local stores but the serious blockage and its drain cleaning can be done with the help of some professional.

Harro said...

For years I have taught people to manually massage the sinuses with their ... ineckmassager.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Also. You can't call yourself a doctor while going out medical advice unless you have an MD or DO...

Unknown said...

Please stop with the voodoo medice. There is no science that backs any of this up!

sas blogger said...

atleast those who claim to have been relieved should put up videos showing the exact points. that would be really helpful.

Unknown said...

TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) has been around 5,000 years. Google "Chinese Sinus Massage" and you'll get 418,000 links, many with diagrams and videos showing you exactly how to relieve congested sinuses.

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing this blog.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

OMG! I cannot believe it! Why didn’t I knew this before.Thank you sir. I really love you.

Chakischa said...

I just tried it. I really feel some relief! I'm praying that i feel even better in the morning. Thanks I've been looking for a solution for months.

Unknown said...

Very nice post, impressive. its quite different from other posts. Thanks for sharing.

TOSHIBA PVM-375AT

Amart said...

After a week of terrible pain I found this and it worked! I wouldn't swear I did it perfectly and don't know how long it will last, but for the moment my nose is clear and some of the pain is gone. I hope my sinuses continue to drain as I continue this method. If not, I'm still happy to have a bit of relief even if for a few minutes.

Unknown said...

I can't believe this worked! I was just about to go the clinic because the sinus pain was becoming unbearable. I tried the above technique and I can feel and hear the pressure from my sinus being released and I now feel normal

Unknown said...

I tried step 2 as that is the sinus area that is painful and clogged - I then sat here reading through all the comments and by the time I got to the end my nose and throat were both draining. It worked - I don't care why it worked - I've been suffering for days. THANK YOU

JCT said...

http://jaoa.org/article.aspx?articleid=2093698

Unknown said...

The last 2 months have been a constant issue. Have been massaging the sinuses but haven't run a salt water solution. I ended up giving it a go and it worked. No video but if you make a cup of lukewarm water with a teaspoon of salt and dissolve.

If your left side is causing the issues:
1. Tilted your head to the left
2. With a teaspoon of salt water snort up your left nostril
3. Keep your head tilted to the side as this will let the liquid flow through the sinus passage. Repeat ( I repeated 5 times). The relief was within minutes and all the associated aches faded after 15 minutes.
4. Do this daily.

Unknown said...

Diary doesn't add mucus, it coats it, making it feel thicker. As a doctor I thought you'd know that.....

Singlemomnation said...

That is so sweet! Way to go, Dr. Bill!

Singlemomnation said...

Two days ago I vomited in my mouth on the way to the bathroom and some came out my nose. Some vomit got trapped in one of my eustacian tubes and I've been hearing it in my ear the last couple of days. Thank you, Dr. Bill, for sharing this. It made the vomit drain out. Now I can hear normally. God bless you! I told my husband about it too for his frequent allergy congestion and difficulty breathing, which causes anxiety.

Unknown said...

@unknown...Really? That's what you got out of this post? Either way Milk makes mucus worse so I thi k it's silly you'd waste your time pointing that out lol.
I find this post very helpful. I'm having a pretty bad clogged sinus episode. These techniques have really helped to relieve some pressure. Thanks for sharing!

Unknown said...

@unknown...Really? That's what you got out of this post? Either way Milk makes mucus worse so I thi k it's silly you'd waste your time pointing that out lol.
I find this post very helpful. I'm having a pretty bad clogged sinus episode. These techniques have really helped to relieve some pressure. Thanks for sharing!

Unknown said...

I'm glad I'm not the only one.

slosippa said...

Dairy products DO cause and aggravate mucus;As far as massaging the bony structure,there are sinus cavities under them and massaging them helps loosen the good and break up the sinuses.

slosippa said...

Dairy products DO cause and aggravate mucus;As far as massaging the bony structure,there are sinus cavities under them and massaging them helps loosen the good and break up the sinuses.

Tracie Smith said...

Unknown. I'm assuming that's what he meant. If it coats it. Then it is adding more to the mucus. Maybe you should learn reading comprehension before you make comments like that.

Tracie Smith said...

I'm sure there may be an instructional video on YouTube.

Tracie Smith said...

There is no medicine involved. It's just a massage. You don't make sense.

Unknown said...

Lmao!! Absolutely hilarious and it helped wake me up aND continue reading for my boyfriekd.. would I vote this commentas helpful.. yes.. yes I would!

Unknown said...

I am in love I swear!! U are fuckin awesome!!

Unknown said...

This method has saved our lives! It was a God send to find this method on here tonight. My fiance can actually breath.
Thankyou

Unknown said...

This method has saved our lives! It was a God send to find this method on here tonight. My fiance can actually breath.
Thankyou

Unknown said...

I just googled "Chinese sinus massage" and it returned THREE RESULTS! And one if them was this comments section. Anyway this definitely does work, before I couldn't even breathe in or out from my blocked up "hooter" and after a few mins doing step 2 my nose is totally unblocked!! I haven't been able breathe thru my nose for days. Thanks to the writer of this :)

Unknown said...

Same for me - I've used the first two methods for years, but step 3 is a revelation. I don't know what a sternomajig muscle is so I was just rubbing my neck downward, but heard the popping and 5mins later serious blockage - gone. Chur Dr Bill

Unknown said...

BEST. RESPONSE. EVER!!!! Lol

Unknown said...

Thats what im talking about Tracie Smith my thoughts exactly!

Unknown said...

After suffering with a cough and cold for over two weeks, I went on a flight and got terrible ear pain. Since returning I have had really bad sinus pain so thought I would try this, and I can feel it easing, It hasn't gone completely but will do it again later today and hope to be finally rid of this awful pain....thank you.

PAUL said...

ALL THANKS TO DR WILLIAMS FOR CURING ME FROM THIS DEADLY DISEASE SINUSITIS.
Appreciation is the key to doing more that is why I have took some
time out to thank some one who cured me of my 2 years SINUSITIS
problem. It became a major problem to me as it was affecting my
marital life and I was no longer comfortable so I decided to look for
a solution and I came across a post of Dr willaims and how he has been
helping people of the same problem and so many other I contacted him and tell him all I
have been facing in my life. He told me how to get his product and how
to take it after every thing I find out that all was now okay with me that my sinusitis was gone that is why I have come out
today to say thank you to him .you can contact his email address drwilliams098765@gmail.com for people with similar condition.

Unknown said...

You're massaging the lymphatic vessels which rely on gravity and the movement of your body to circulate fluid. As you massage the lymph nodes and vessels it relieves the pressure build up allowing fluids to drain from the sinuses.

Unknown said...

So what I found to be most helpful was step 2 and I went only on the side that was clogged after trying and failing for the spot. I went on the outside of the nostril where it flares out. I also was pushing in and out like a bulb syringe. I heard a few pops and my goodness it is magic! It was dripping before and very irritating to the point I couldn't sleep! Thank you thank you thank you. Off to bed now!

Ammar Sulaiman said...

Arms Drain Specialists specializes in drain cleaning and unblocking all types of drains from the kitchen sink, to main sewer snaking lines in both residential and commercial establishments throughout Lebanon. Over the years of experience, Arms Drain Specialists is recognized as one of the reputed company within the sewer and drain cleaning industry.

Anonymous said...

That second step really helped!!! I did a couple of times and it got a lot of the mucus out and relieved so much
thank you!!!

Keerthi said...

Enjoyed reading the post. Getting out from sinus depends on sinus specialist doctor I guess.

Ammar Sulaiman said...

Arms Drain Specialists specializes in drain cleaning and unblocking all types of drains from the kitchen sink, to main sewer snaking lines in both residential and commercial establishments throughout Lebanon. Over the years of experience, Arms Drain Specialists is recognized as one of the reputed company within the sewer and drain cleaning industry. Our team of plumbing specialists will work closely with you to offer the most cost-effective drainage solutions.

Mee said...

I have been doing a similar self taught version of this for years. I use my index fingers and my thumbs and use the pulling away technique but also a kind of pressing down and up in kind of circular motion. I also massage the eyebrow area as well as the upper nose itself.

Next I take jakemans throat and chest sweets (uk) which not only taste nice have menthol in them, which opens the sinus cavities.

In fact using just these techniques pop the sinuses and drain them.

Next you can take goldenseal root, iherb (us) and amazon (uk)

Another useful herb is marshmallow root which can be taken as a tea.
You should also take anti-viral type herbs on a regular basis to improve your immunity to minor infections such as colds which can progress into the sinus cavity if you are vulnerable in that area. When I say take anti-viral herbs on a regular basis, I don't mean like medicine I mean a simple thing like adding thyme, basil, oregano, garlic, onion, ginger, turmeric etc to your food on a regular basis. It is the act of having them regularly that builds up your immunity to colds etc. Personally I make a soup every week during the winter and have that for couple of days. I also add this to stir frys. I have been doing this for a couple of years and it works well, however if you stop even for a few weeks your immune system goes back to the way it was before.

After that you need an anti-inflammatory such as time release ibuprofen.

Feel better.

Unknown said...

I've been congested for days, and had to fly today. Flying makes me congested when I'm healthy, so it was not a good combination. I tried this and I've been breathing clearly for almost 30 minutes! Thank you!

goldengirl said...

I can honestly say it's helping me with an upper respiratory infection getting rid of all of that junk in my sinuses it's helping me drain it

Unknown said...

I know this is off base and I do believe that this works but what I am really wondering is would cracking joints over and over again cause cartilage wear and even arthritis it seems like chiropractic procedures would do more damage than good if done over and over at least that's what it seems like I am no expert just concerned for my and everyones health and I just thought maybe that is something every one should consider

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