Cranial Facial Release (CFR)

Cranial Facial Release by Spicer Chiro

The objective of the 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 nasopharynx) 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 and is performed in a series of 4 individual days of treatment over a 7-10 day period.

The skull is made up of 22 individual bones that actually move as you breathe – or at least they are supposed to. Cranial fixations are a common occurrence and oftentimes the root cause of many chronic neurological conditions and recurrent pain syndromes that don’t respond to conventional chiropractic adjusting procedures. Frequent causes of cranial aberrations and sutural fixations are things like head trauma, birth trauma, uneven bite force (TMJ disorders), bruxism, etc., yet these conditions are seldom detected and rarely addressed by chiropractors.

Cranial motion is not “gross osseous movement”, instead it is an expansion and relaxation type of movement in which each cranial bone has its own specific direction of motion. “Cranial respirator motion” works in direct conjunction with “sacral respiratory motion” (the lower end of the spine) and is the key mechanism by which Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF) is produced in the choroid plexus and circulated throughout the body and spinal cord. This is essential to normal brain function which is essential to normal body function, embodying the basic science and philosophical foundation of Chiropractic.

It is important to note that CFR is not directed at the treatment of any one specific disease or disorder. The primary objective of CFR is to mobilize the cranial bones, unlock cranial fixations, open the breathing passageways, facilitate cerebral spine fluid flow, increased vascular flow and venous drainage from the cranium, promote endocrine balance, and optimize brain function. This oftentimes improves symptoms related to various structural and neurological disorders.

Conditions that Respond Favorably to CFR:

Chiropractors get 80% of their patients well by adjusting 20% of the Nervous System – imagine what happens when you tap into that other 80%…