Cranial Facial Release

The majority of people who come in for CFR (Cranial Facial Release) treatment are often last resort patients who have been through the gamut of conventional medical procedures without success, and are looking for a more conservative alternative approach to care that is cost effective and works!  Our patients come in for CFR for things like breathing disorders, sinusitis, snoring, sleep apnea, deviated septums, migraine headaches, vertigo, facial pain (Trigeminal Neuralgia), facial paralysis (Bell’s Palsy), TMJ disorder, Post-Concussion Syndrome, seizures, neurological disorders, and more.

Cranial Facial Release (CFR) is an advanced endo-nasal “Balloon Assisted” cranial technique that has been used quite successfully in the treatment of various neurological and structural disorders.     It is a specialized technique that was derived from an earlier form of endo-nasal cranial called Bilateral Nasal Specific (BNS).  Cranial Facial Release is much more specific and much less invasive than BNS.  

The objective of CFR technique is to unlock cranial fixations and induce mobility in the cranial system - primarily targeting the sphenoid bone, with the purpose of facilitating normal cranial respiratory motion and normal cranial function.   This technique is performed by inserting tiny balloons in the nose (specifically the naso pharynx) that are quickly inflated to mobilize the bones of the face and cranium.   It is a very fast procedure and feels similar to the sensation of jumping into a swimming pool and having water shoot up your nose – it isn’t exactly painful, but not the most comfortable sensation either – but it’s quick!  The whole process takes about 2 to 3 seconds. People with sinus issues usually have 7 days of treatments spread out over several weeks. Bell’s Palsy, Guillain-Barre patients will have more sessions depending on the severity of their symptoms.  

To understand how CFR works, it is important to realize that the skull is NOT one solid bone.  It is made up of 22 individual bones that actually move every time you breathe – or at least they are supposed to.  But cranial fixations are a common occurrence and often times the root cause of many chronic neurological conditions and recurrent pain syndromes that don’t respond to conventional procedures.  Frequent causes of cranial aberrations and sutural fixations are things like head trauma, birth trauma, uneven bite force (TMJ disorder), bruxism, etc., yet these conditions are seldom detected and rarely addressed.   

It is important to realize that cranial motion is not “gross osseous movement” – it is more of an expansion & relaxation type of movement, with each cranial bone having its own specific direction of motion.  This "cranial respiratory motion” works in direct conjunction with “sacral respiratory motion” and is the key mechanism by which Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF) is produced in the choroid plexus and circulated throughout the brain and spinal cord.  This is essential to normal brain function which is essential to normal body function.

This concept was supported by research performed in Russia in the late 1930’s by Dr. A.D. Speransky, M.D., Director of Research at the All Union Institute of Experimental Medicine and author of the book, A Basis for the Theory of Medicine.  Through his research, Dr. Speransky determined that “slight mechanical torque on the control centers of the brain, and especially the pituitary-hypothalmus complex caused destructive pathologies throughout the entire body”.  This was a 10-year study during which Dr. Speransky was able to identify over 80 specific disorders that he could directly attribute to this “mechanical torque” phenomena.  CFR cranial balloon adjusting in conjunction with post-inflation CFR manual cranial procedures are specifically directed at reducing mechanical dural torque on the brain and pituitary gland.  These studies lend support to the concept that the CFR procedure enhances both brain and pituitary function, optimizing the primary two control systems of the body.

My patients seek out CFR treatment for wellness or preventative care, and have found wellness to be an inherent “side effect” of this specialized treatment.  

It is important to note that CFR is not directed at the treatment of any one specific disease or disorder.

Its primary objective is to mobilize the cranial bones, unlock cranial fixations, open the breathing passageways, facilitate cerebral spinal fluid flow, increase vascular flow to and venous drainage from the cranium, and optimize brain function. This often times improves symptoms related to various neurological and structural disorders.  

Ready to be able to breathe freely again?  Call us at:  512-626-2332