Clients often wonder if massage can be helpful, or if a massage will just make them feel more stuffy.
First, please don’t come for a massage when you are actively sick. If you are feverish, sneezy, or coughing a lot, now is not the best time for a massage. Once your main symptoms have resolved and you are just dealing with residual sinus pressure and congestion, that’s the time for massage.
Positioning
Sometimes people get a little stuffy laying face down on the massage table. I’ve got a comfortable face cradle to avoid putting too much pressure on your face and minimize congestion, but we can also do the massage with you laying on your side to avoid that altogether.
If you come in stuffy or are concerned about congestion during the massage, we can start you facing down or on your side, just to massage your back.. Then we’ll quickly reposition you face up, and elevate your head higher on a pillow.
Face & Head Massage
In addition to making gravity our friend, I’ve got some great techniques for head and face massage that will help your sinuses clear so you don’t leave the office feeling stuffy or uncomfortable.
Essential Oils
I can add a few drops of the right essential oil to the massage lotion, or just scent a tissue to tuck into the face cradle.
Peppermint, Spearmint, and Eucalyptus all have powerful decongestant properties, just a few drops of any one will gently open the sinuses. Lemon is a natural antihistamine and the bright scent is energizing and cooling to overactive sinuse
Cough Drops
You can help yourself to the complimentary cough drops in the massage room, that usually also helps with clearing up sinus congestion.
Beyond the Massage
There are lots of simple massage and pressure point techniques that you can do yourself between treatments.
Start with your forehead, the frontal sinuses. Put the tips of your fingers on either side of the forehead, just above the eyebrows. Massage slowly in a circular outward motion, working your way outwards towards the temples. Use just enough pressure so the skin is moving around, not so much that you!re feeling pain. Do this a few times to cover the whole forehead.
You can find the little notch in your eyebrow, between the bridge of your nose and the inner side of your upper eyelid. Apply some gentle pressure upwards to relieve pressure there.
Next, move to the cheeks, the maxillary sinuses. Place your fingertips on the area between the cheekbones and the upper jaw, on either side of the nose. Massage this area in a circular motion, maybe gently press up into that cheekbone if it feels good.
I’ve got lots of tricks to reduce and relieve sinus congestion during and after your massage. Please call me at (210) 705-0644 or email me at vikki@skillfultouchmassage.com to schedule your appointment.
Keep moving.
