The use of a balloon in endonasal cranial adjusting came about in the 1940’s. Cranial adjusting itself, however, has been practiced for centuries. From India to ancient Egyptians to the Paracus culture in Peru (2000 BC to 200 AD) many cultures around the world have seen the value to cranial adjusting. Even Hippocrates (400BC) wrote of the skull bones misaligning at the joints or sutures.

In 1947, an individual by the name of Joseph Janse, DC. published the first known version of a balloon assisted cranial adjustment describing the pressurized Nasal Specific Technique. In 1951 and again in 1954,FinnelFLpublished work that described the operation and function of the nasal balloon. Today a finger cot is used non surgicaly.

The practice and awareness of Bilateral Nasal Specific was further developed by J. Richard Stober, DC. from the mid 1950’s until his passing in 1988. Dr. Stober was based in Portland, Oregon USA, he taught the affect and practice of Bilateral Nasal Specific at both the Western States Chiropractic College and the National College of Chiropractic Medicine.

One of Stober’s students Dean Howell, ND. has converted and taken the practice of Bilateral Nasal Specific to practice today using the same method as the base for his version of treatments. Howell calls his Neurocranial Restructuring or NCR.

One of the world’s leading researchers and teachers of cranial movement is John Upledger, DO. In the mid 1970’s Dr. Upleger and his research team at Michigan State University studied recently deceased individuals using radio waves, electron microscopes, and the new cinematographic x-rays to prove the theories that the bones of the cranium actually do move. If there is a lack of movement it is actually a pathological condition.

Dr. Upleger proved, through science, that the bones of the skull have physiological movement. 

Recently, original research on live monkeys and sections of human skull (containing sutures) demonstrated objectively that the cranium moves in a rhythmical manner. Additionally, the sutures in a healthy adult, when viewed under high powered microscopes, rather than being fused and filled with calcified tissue are patent or open and contain connective tissue, nerve tissue and blood vessels. If they are calcified and closed it is a result of injury and leads to decreased brain function and many conditions.

There are 22 bones in the skull (not including the jaw or the bones of the ear). They meet at the suture lines or joints. At birth the bones are not fully formed and are in fact quite far apart from one another. As a baby is squeezed through the birth canal, the bones slide over one another and re-expand afterwards to resume their normal positions. As the bones gradually grow to approximate one another they remain in constant motion. This movement keeps the sutures patent (open). The amount of movement is very tiny, 1/100th of an inch. Yet misalignments can be much greater than this. This is seen in faces with asymmetries such as one eye higher than another, a jaw jetting over to one side, an unusually narrow face, etc..

For further on this see our cranial research section.

A neurotransmitter is any of several chemical substances, as epinephrine, serotonin, GABA or acetylcholine that transmits nerve impulses across a junction or synapse to another nerve, muscle, gland, etc. In the brain neurotransmitters help nerves talk to one another. These chemicals flow across the gap between adjacent nerves as well as circulate through the cerebrospinal fluid.

As an example of neurotransmitters in the pharmacological industry, people with depression are treated with drugs that increase the neurotransmitter serotonin. This can provide a temporary bridge over a troubled time. However, the problem is that bombarding an incredibly delicate and well balanced system with external chemicals on a long-term basis is bound to create unpleasant side effects. Besides weight gain, anxiety, sexual dysfunction, violent behavior and suicide, the person is often more apt to an increase in the depression that they started with.

Is it possible that these people may just have a problem distributing the neurotransmitters that they already have in their brains? In fact, with endonasal cranial adjusting pressure is relieved from the brain and cerebrospinal fluid is allowed to transport chemicals to where they are needed. The proper distribution pattern is gradually brought back to where it was when the skull was much younger. The results I have had in my office helping people with depression, memory, psychosis, stress relief, learning disorders, anxiety and many others speak to this outcome.

Drink Plenty of Water- During this treatment you will have dilation of the nasal cavity. Irrigation of the nasal passages with a provided purified saline spray bottle will assisit in care. The amount of water in your system will affect the hydration of your mucosal lining. This hydration will result in the inside of your body being more lubricated an receptive to the treatment. It should follow that coffee, tea and alcohol should be avoided as much as possible as they are diuretics and will take water out of your body leaving your linings, joints, muscles, etc. dehydrated. A good formula for proper water consumption is as follows:

Take your body weight in pounds and divide that number by 2. That number in ounces is good for a daily intake of water. So, if you weigh 100 pounds you should shoot for 50 ounces of water per day.

Using urine shades assist to determine your hydration levels as well. Lighter being better hydrated.

After visits some self Facial massage can be a great adjunct to cranial adjusting and you will receive specific soft tissue work on the days of your treatment. After your Doctors guidence and explenation,starting treatment if indicated would include massaging your temples, above your eyebrows and on either side of your nose. This is also an accupressure point of LI 20 that will help make sinus more patent.

Move your body- If it is feasible, participate in activities which move your body. The skull and brain are not the only parts of your body that will be affected from endonasal cranial adjusting. Your posture including pelvis alignment, feet alignment, spinal positioning and the overall balance of the body will be more optimal. To gain the maximum benefit try to walk, do yoga, go to the gym, take a Pilates class or just rock in a rocking chair if that is all your body affords. Movement is your friend and is your partner in optimizing your treatment.

Research is showing that it is optimum to receive a series of visits that are close together. This way the benefit gained on the first visit will be held open and taken even further on the second visit, etc. Generally, that means that you will be seen 2 times to 3 a week for up to 20 visits. The Doctor will examine and reveiw your case and decide on care frequency. That is one series. After these treatments sometimes a rest period is given from active care and a reveiw as to any further folllow up visits. At times it is appropriate to have a rest from endonasal adjusting. Often, people have results that will continue at a rate of change and for cumulative improvements, series can be continued at this rate.

For those of you who are coming in from out of town This can be acomplished with scedual adaptations.

Care can continue till improvement and or resolved until it is decided mutually due to your cranial bones and nervous system to be optimally adjusted and functioning.

The first part of the work is cranial treatment with some trigger tissue release. The Doctor will also release your hard palate and align your TMJ if required. Bruxiism is discusssed. This is ussually well tolerated feedback along the way is always accepted. Pain releise from this part of care is noted by most.

When the finger cot is inserted there may be a slight discomfort. It is more likely, however, that it just feels strange. Most likely, you have not had something like a balloon up your nose but you will make peace with that feeling very quickly. Some have described the treatment as getting water up the nose. 

When the finger cot/balloon is inflated, it fills up the nasal passageway pushing on the nasal walls to open up the airways. As the pump device used to inflate the balloon is squeezed the cot/balloon enlarges and moves its way through the nasal passageway. When this is going on there can be popping, clicking and cracking sounds coming from your skull. (Each inflation takes approximately 3 seconds). Three times per side. In most cases there is no pain at this point. In rare cases there will be slihght pressure sensation. However, the dominant feel is surprised followed by release.

Please note that each visit will be easier and easier to handle and you will be rewarded with better breathing and hopefully better health.

I recently fractured my nose can I still receive treatment? Many injuries are diagnosed as fractures but may be displaced nasal bones. X-ray confirmation is needed for a definitive diagnosis. If the bones are displaced rather than fractured then cranial adjusting is indicated immediately to set the nose into a proper alignment. However, in the event of a fracture a light treatment is still possible till the fracture is healed. I recommend waiting six weeks before care.

The birth process can be very traumatic for the newborn. More than 30 percent of births in the United States are performed by c-section. Many also use forceps and vacuum extraction methods to aid in delivery. Vacuum extractions can double the rate of intracranial hemorrhage as compared to a normal vaginal delivery. Forceps deliveries also increase the risk of injury during the delivery. Cranial and spinal misalignments can follow and impair a newborns ability to function at 100%. Thus, a careful cranial treatment on a child may be indicated and may help them considerably.

On the other side of the age spectrum are senior citizens. Seniors have had a lifetime of possibilities for cranial misalignments. They often have what has been called “senior moments”. Many suffer from sleep apnea C-Pap usage and many other conditions that could be helped by well moving cranial bones and a brain that is being nourished by cerebrospinal fluid. We have performed and seen results by performing endonasal cranial adjusting on people up in their eighties and nineties. This may not be the case for everyone but one woman had not beign able to breath nasally and using a C-Pap noted post care nasal patency and reduced C-Pap with better O2 numbers. No results unfortunatly are guaranteed. and some results may vary. Before accepting your maladies as just “old age” call for a consult have your cranial bones checked for misalignment. You may be well amazed by your positive results. Call for further information. Thank You and Be Well!