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. They 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 septum, migraine headaches, vertigo, facial pain (trigeminal neuralgia), facial paralysis (Bell’s palsy), TMJ disorder, post-concussion syndrome, seizures, neurological disorders and more.
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 derived from an earlier form of endo-nasal cranial called bilateral nasal specific (BNS). CFR 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 two to three seconds. People with sinus issues usually have seven days of treatments spread out over several weeks. Bell’s palsy and Guillain-Barre patients will have more sessions depending on the severity of their symptoms.
heir symptoms. To understand how CFR works, it is important to realize 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 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 and 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.
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 improves symptoms related to various neurological and structural disorders.
This is a quick video demonstrating the CFR technique: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Ycten767KbY&t=129s Your Greatest Wealth is Your Health! Dr. Cindy Steward, ND
