Treatments And Technologies We Use To Treat Sinus Pain
Sinus pain can really disrupt daily life, but at Severn Clinic, we’re dedicated to providing personalized solutions to help you find relief. From innovative therapies like percussion gun therapy and low-level laser therapy to simple yet effective sinus massage techniques, our goal is to empower you with the knowledge and tools to manage your sinus pain effectively. We believe that the real key to sinus pain treatment is not to ‘treat sinus pain’ but to optimise and support healthy drainage in the sinuses. Our patients consistently report to us that this approach can be life-changing. Here is a review of the treatments we use to help with sinus pain and a few of the more traditional approaches to sinus pain treatment.
A form of percussive massage has emerged as a promising tool in the management of sinus pain. This innovative approach involves using a handheld device to deliver rapid pulses of pressure to specific areas, such as the sinuses. This aids in loosening mucus and enhancing circulation, crucial for relieving sinus pressure and promoting drainage.
Additionally, percussion gun therapy stimulates blood flow to the affected sinus areas, aiding in reducing inflammation and promoting healing. Improved circulation facilitates the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the tissues, supporting the body’s natural healing process and accelerating recovery from sinus pain.
Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has emerged as a promising treatment option for sinus pain, offering relief from symptoms and promoting healing in the sinus cavities. Unlike other forms of laser therapy, LLLT operates through a photochemical mechanism, meaning that when light is absorbed, it causes a molecular change in the soft tissue. LLLT is characterized as “low-level” because it requires relatively low energy levels to achieve therapeutic effects. The initial impact of LLLT is primarily on the mitochondria within cells, leading to an increase in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, essential for cellular processes. This metabolic boost in damaged soft tissues facilitates safe and effective wound healing, promoting relief from sinus pain.
Combining LLLT with percussion gun therapy can enhance the effectiveness of both treatments for sinus pain management. LLLT reduces inflammation and promotes tissue healing, while percussion gun therapy provides targeted pressure to improve sinus drainage and alleviate congestion. Together, these therapies offer a comprehensive approach to relieving symptoms of sinus pain.
At our clinic, we offer dry needling as a natural approach to addressing sinus pain, harnessing the body’s innate healing capabilities. This technique involves precisely inserting thin needles into trigger points within facial and neck muscles. As the needles penetrate these points, they stimulate the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, promoting a sense of relaxation and well-being. Additionally, dry needling increases blood flow to the affected areas, aiding in the delivery of oxygen and nutrients crucial for tissue repair. Through this holistic approach, we aim to not only alleviate muscular tension but also indirectly ease sinus discomfort, providing you with comprehensive relief from sinus pain.
Sinus massage techniques can offer natural relief from sinus congestion and discomfort, providing a non-invasive way to promote drainage and ease pressure. Incorporating simple massage techniques into your daily routine can help alleviate symptoms of sinus pain and improve overall comfort. At Severn Clinic, we’re committed to helping you find natural relief from sinus congestion and discomfort. Our goal is to empower you with the knowledge and skills to manage sinus pain effectively at home. With our expertise, we can guide you through simple massage techniques that promote drainage and ease pressure, ultimately providing relief from sinus congestion and discomfort. Below, we’ve outlined five effective sinus massage techniques that we can help teach you, enabling you to incorporate them into your daily routine for improved sinus health.
Brow Bone Tap: Gently tapping your fingers along the brow bone to stimulate drainage and relieve pressure in the frontal sinuses.
Cheekbone Massage: Using circular motions with your fingertips along the cheekbones to encourage sinus drainage and ease congestion.
Under-Eye Press: Applying light pressure with your fingertips under the eyes, near the bridge of the nose, to promote lymphatic drainage and reduce puffiness.
Nasal Bridge Massage: Using your thumbs to massage along the bridge of the nose in an upward motion to alleviate congestion and improve circulation.
Jaw Release: Massaging the jaw area with gentle, circular motions to relieve tension and encourage relaxation, which can indirectly alleviate sinus pressure.
In addition to therapeutic interventions, several treatments can help ease symptoms of sinus pain, including:
Saline nasal spray: Rinses the inside of the nose, promoting sinus drainage and relieving congestion.
Nasal corticosteroids (e.g., fluticasone, budesonide): These nasal sprays help prevent and treat swelling in the nasal passages, reducing inflammation and improving airflow.
Decongestants (e.g., pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine): Available in liquids, tablets, and nasal sprays, decongestants can provide temporary relief from nasal congestion by narrowing blood vessels in the nasal passages.
Allergy medicines: For sinus pain caused or exacerbated by allergies, allergy medications such as antihistamines (e.g., loratadine, cetirizine) or leukotriene inhibitors (e.g., montelukast) can help alleviate allergy symptoms and reduce inflammation in the sinuses.
Pain relievers: Over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin can help alleviate pain and discomfort associated with sinus pain.
While antibiotics are not typically prescribed for viral sinus pain, they may be necessary if symptoms are severe, worsening, or long-lasting, and bacterial infection is suspected. To prevent recurrence and antibiotic resistance, it’s essential to complete the full course of antibiotics, even if symptoms improve. Please note that while we do not prescribe medications at our clinic, antibiotics are an option available through consultation with a healthcare provider.
For sinus pain caused or worsened by allergies, allergy shots, also known as immunotherapy, may be beneficial. These shots help desensitize the immune system to specific allergens, reducing allergic reactions and sinus pain symptoms over time. Immunotherapy drugs, such as allergen extracts (e.g., pollen, dust mites), are administered under medical supervision and may require a series of injections to achieve optimal results. While we do not provide medication prescriptions at our clinic, immunotherapy is an option available through consultation with a healthcare provider.
On the basis that some of us have narrower drainage channels in our skull than others, surgeons still use drills to open up sinus drainage in a surprising number of people. Surgery has its place in almost every area of healthcare and there may well be times that this is necessary. At Severn Clinics our experience treating sinus pain and sinusitis with non-surgical processes has left us quite skeptical about whether surgery is often needed to treat sinus pain. It is noteworthy that surgical specialists have backed off dramatically in the past 50 years and that many surgeries have been found to be too invasive or too risky to remain primary treatment options (like back surgery).