Healthcare Serena Williams Wears Facial Tape For Sinus Issues. Is This Effective? Nina Shapiro Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Dispelling health myths, fads, exaggerations and misconceptions. New! Follow this author to improve your content experience. Got it! Jul 3, 2022, 03:28pm EDT | Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Serena Williams (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images) Getty Images Serena Williams, arguably the greatest tennis player of all time, has battled her share of medical ailments. From complications around pregnancy and childbirth to migraine headaches, she also suffers from sinus issues. Sinus disease is extremely common, and can lead to facial pain, headaches, nasal congestion, cough, and fevers. The sinuses to which Williams refers are the paranasal sinuses, which are aerated structures lined by respiratory mucosa and bone surrounding the nose. Anatomy of paranasal sinuses. 3D illustration showing paranasal sinuses: frontal, maxillary, . . . [+] ethmoid, and sphenoid. getty Typically those who suffer from sinus issues also have nasal congestion, often due to allergies, anatomic issues such as a deviated septum, or infections. This congestion prevents the sinuses from being aerated. Blocked sinuses can fill with fluid, leading to feelings of facial pressure, headaches, and more severe infections. Treatment is geared towards addressing the cause, such as allergy treatments or repairing anatomic issues of the nasal tissues or sinuses. Many patients benefit from use of nasal sprays, decongestants, allergy medications, and/or antibiotics. In severe cases, or in those not responding to medical intervention, nasal and sinus surgery has been found to be effective in relieving sinus disease. But Williams, and likely many others, is wearing tape over her cheek , in the area of the maxillary sinus, in order to relieve sinus-related pressure. This type of tape, known as kinesiology tape, is more commonly used over muscles and joints. This taping technique was designed by Kase Kenzo , primarily for use in orthopedic injuries or injury prevention. The concept is that direct application of this tape to the skin will facilitate muscle and nerve stimulation, aiding in mobility after injury or during rehabilitation. Studies on the benefits of this taping technique for musculoskeletal issue have been mixed. Kinesiotaping, kinesiology. Female athlete with kinesiotape, muscle tape on shoulder getty MORE FOR YOU CDC: Salmonella Outbreak Has Left 279 Ill, 26 Hospitalized In 29 States Canadians End Up In ICU After Attending ‘Covid Party’ White House Mandates Pfizer Vaccines for Millions of Citizens . . . Before the FDA Clinical or Safety Reviews Have Been Made Public Taping can become quite elaborate, with varying degrees of pressures and sizing. Many athletes swear by it. In general, such taping is harmless and safe , and can be a helpful means incorporated into one’s exercise or rehabilitation routine, if supported by a physical therapist or athletic trainer. Keep in mind that plenty of studies have found no benefit from kinesiology (also known as “Kinesio”) taping, and many deem it to be just a fad. It may be no better than placebo (non-kinesio taping) in muscle and joint improvement. That said, the placebo effect is, indeed, a real phenomenon, and if one feels better with taping, then by all means tape away. Some feel that kinesio taping helps with inflammation, although there is no clear mechanism for this. As sinusitis is caused by inflammation of the tissues lining the nose and sinuses, this monumental jump from sino-nasal inflammation and trans-cutaneous (via the skin) anti-inflammatory effects via taping is quite a stretch. The maxillary, or cheek sinuses, become blocked via a tiny opening between the sinus itself and the nose. Reducing inflammation by way of cheek skin taping just won’t get to that blocked area. Maxillary sinus, with drainage passage into the nose. (Photo by: BSIP/Universal Images Group via . . . [+] Getty Images) Universal Images Group via Getty Images If taping muscles, joints, or your face make you feel better, then by all means go ahead. There is some promising data that for orthopedic issues it’s harmless but useless at worst, and a helpful adjuvant at best. But for the sinuses, the science of taping is just not sticking. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn . Check out my website or some of my other work here . Nina Shapiro Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions.