How to Use Acupressure to Clear Stuffy Sinuses

We are no strangers to that sensation of suffocation when we get a stuffy nose right? It feels like you may never breathe normally again. Our sinuses can get blocked for many reasons such as allergies and colds or even climate changes. When this happens running to the doctor for some medicines may seem like the only option that you have is to go to a doctor. However, sometimes these issues can be solved with a little bit of acupressure, or simply touching a pressure point.

Inflammations and Irritations

When our sinus cavities get filled with fluid, blockages happen. These will affect our breathing, mental clarity ad hearing and all of this starts with the initial uncomfortably stuffed nose. When you are feeling congested the membranes inside your nose are likely inflamed and irritated. Your nasal passages start producing increasing amounts of mucous in response to whatever bacteria or virus has flooded your lymphatic system. This is your body’s natural method of flushing out irritants.

Therefore, when you need to clear out your sinuses, it is important to keep in mind that they are already inflamed and that it is important to make sure that they are lubricated and moist. You should therefore not try to blow out all the mucous and dry everything out. Your nose is runny and uncomfortable, but it also needs that extra moisture.

If you are going to take some decongestants or allergy medications, you will always look for pills that can help all the mucous go away for the most part right? These same pills will then dry out your sinuses too and create more discomfort and pain instead of relieving it. Therefore before you start pumping your system full of medications, you can try some acupressure for pain relief and also move the fluid out of your head.

Method 01: Use Your Tongue and Then Press Between Your Eyebrows

It has been shown that by placing pressure on various pressure points of our body, we can stimulate the flow of fluid that has gotten collected and get our noses to breathe clearly. One of the best locations where you can use acupressure for sinus issues is inside your mouth. Simply push your tongue until it is flat against the roof of your mouth and at the same time that you are doing this, push one finger against your forehead right between your eyebrows. Hold this pressure for about 20 seconds and you will begin to feel the relief of pressure. Once you release your tongue and take your finger away you will feel some movement towards the back of your throat when the pressure buildup begins to dissipate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP0mTdX-138

if that does not seem to be working for you, alternate between pressing your tongue against the roof o your mouth and then pressing between your eyebrows without doing both at the same time. In acupressure, this point between your eyebrows is referred to as the Yintang acupoint where the nasion is located. Dr Joseph M. Helms, author of Acupuncture Energetics: A Clinical Approach for Physicians says that this “causes the vomer bone (the bone that runs from your nasal passage to your mouth) to move or rock back and forth.” This loosens the congestion and causes drainage.

Method 02: Apply Pressure Across Both Eyebrows

If you feel that your stuffed sinuses are climbing up higher into your head and beginning to give you a headache, you may want to try out something different. There is a pressure point that you can use to relieve the pressure inside the nose and the upper sinuses at the same time.

In this video, massage therapist Amber Lynn Vitale explains how moving the pressure across your eyebrows can encourage the movement of the fluid that has got stuck there as well.

First, place your fingers at the beginning of each of your eyebrows close to the centre where they do not meet, then lean forward and rest your head against your fingers and place your elbows on a flat surface. After a few seconds when you start to feel the pressure shift, slide your fingers towards the middle of each eyebrow. Hold it there until you begin to feel a slight tightness in the pressure and then move your fingers again, this time towards the end of each eyebrow. You can now either hold it steady creating a stable acupressure point or you can run your fingers in tiny circles to stimulate the flow of fluid away from your forehead, giving you quick pain relief. Once the liquid is flowing, you will feel that the pressure in the centre of your head is also beginning to disperse.

Method 03: Give Yourself a Quick Mini-Massage

Usually, massages are great for our bodies and make us feel good, so why not try a mini-massage when you are feeling like a knot of sinus pressure is building up in your head? In this video, massage therapist Heather Wibbels shows you how you can pull the fluid from your head with a quick and easy mini-massage.

Use your fingertips to push firmly on the notch of your collarbone repetitively to get the fluid moving downwards. If the acupressure is working you will feel the need to clear your throat and your ears might suddenly open up when the pressure in them has been released.

However, some people may find this uncomfortable. If that is the case for you, cross your hands and make a V shape, and then use the same pumping motion on the sides of your neck so that the lymph fluid is released. In both of these movements, a lymphatic vacuum is created and it helps move the fluid that is collected in your sinuses to drain downwards and away from your head.

Keep Those Sinuses Moving

You can get a lot of quick pain relief from acupressure without having to always reach for your bottle of pills when you feel like you are getting a case of sinusitis. All you need to do is simply apply a little bit of pressure on the right points using your fingers and sometimes your tongue so that you can draw out the fluid that is causing you the discomfort and blockage and clear your head.

If you have allergies that are bothering you, try to rinse using a neti pot, which will push the pressure into your sinuses and keep them moist while also removing any allergens that may be causing the irritation like pollen or animal dander for example. You can try a rinse kit or even a ceramic or stainless steel neti pot, but make sure that you use bottled or boiled water when you are rinsing.

Want to Learn More About Acupressure?

Learning about acupressure can come in handy for your daily lives as much as it would work out as a career choice for you. There are many accredited acupressure courses on Study 365 that can teach you the basics and the in-depth components of this therapeutic method. Our acupressure online courses are industry recognised and come with certifications that are awarded by reputed and regulated awarding bodies as well.

If you want to know what courses we have for you, check our Acupressure Online Course Library for more information and pick the course that you feel will suit you the best.

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