Cold weather often brings sinus congestion and infections, but a simple self-massage technique demonstrated on TikTok may help drain the sinuses and ease pressure. The method, shared by a Texas-based massage therapist, requires no equipment and takes only a few minutes.
Why sinuses suffer in winter
Lower temperatures can strip moisture from the air, irritating the sinuses and causing congestion, pain, and discomfort. While painkillers and over-the-counter nasal sprays often help, some people find little relief. The massage technique offers an alternative that can be performed at home.
Massage therapist Lauren Turner posted a video on TikTok explaining the steps. "Do you know how to drain your sinuses? Let me teach you, because we don't want to be getting sinus infections and ear infections," she said. "This is also something that you can do on your kids."
Step-by-step technique
Turner advised starting by placing the thumbs in the hollow above the tear ducts on each side of the nose, applying light pressure and holding for a count of five. "This is not a lot of pressure guys, our sinuses are very gentle," she said. She then instructed moving the thumbs across the eyebrow and into the temple, again with light pressure, before releasing.
The second step uses the ring fingers, which she said do not hold as much pressure as other fingers. They should be placed on the crest of the nose. Turner then showed positioning fingertips in the hollow at the edge of the nostrils, sweeping along the cheekbones towards the ears, and then down to the jawline.
Next, she instructed placing the palm of each hand on either side of the head beside the ears, above the jawbone, applying gentle pressure for a count of five. The fourth step involves pinching the ear between thumb and forefinger and pulling "out and down" for a count of five.
Final steps and how it works
The fifth step requires pushing the lower jaw forward "like a bulldog". The sixth involves placing ring fingers behind the earlobes where the ears meet the jaw, drawing them downwards to the base of the neck. Turner then said to use the pads of the hands on the neck beneath the earlobes, pressing down for a count of five.
"Lastly, light pressure, because thumbs are strong, light pressure, you're going to come right here under the jaw, so you're going to follow from the chin back around the jaw and then down the throat," she said, finishing by positioning thumbs behind the ears and tracing downwards to the base of the neck. "And then you're just going to lightly brush your neck all over."
Turner explained the purpose: "What we're doing, guys, is, we're activating our lymphatic system. We're telling it, 'hey, we're not feeling so hot and we need everything to start moving'." She added that if breathing is not clearer after the routine, repeating it a few more times may help, as "the more you do it, the better it's gonna become".
