Deviated Septum: Symptoms & Treatment Options

If one side of your nose never feels fully open, or you have been told you have a deviated septum, you may wonder what can be done to improve your breathing.

The septum is the partition between your nasal passages. It contains both cartilage and bone, and its shape is one part of the wider framework surrounding your nasal airway.

At Cranial Solutions, we assess this broader cranial and facial framework alongside your symptoms and treatment history. In our clinical experience, patients diagnosed with a deviated septum often report improved nasal breathing following the NasalRx protocol. Our aim is lasting, comfortable airflow, with suitability assessed individually.

Deviated septum symptoms: why is one nostril always blocked?

Perhaps one side of your nose never feels fully open. You may notice restricted breathing during exercise, find yourself breathing through your mouth at night, or get temporary improvement from nasal sprays before the blockage returns.

A deviated septum can contribute to these symptoms by narrowing the space available for air to pass through one or both nasal passages. The restriction may involve the cartilage towards the front of the nose, the deeper bony septum, or a combination of both.

Symptoms can include:

Persistent difficulty breathing through one side of the nose.
Restricted airflow through both sides.
Mouth breathing, particularly during sleep or exercise.
A sense that nasal breathing requires extra effort.
Night-time blockage that contributes to snoring or disturbed sleep.

The pattern matters. Blockage that alternates between sides can reflect the normal nasal cycle, while swelling of the nasal lining can make an existing structural narrowing more noticeable. Persistent one-sided blockage deserves assessment rather than assuming the septum is the only cause.

At Cranial Solutions, we consider how your breathing feels throughout the day and night, what previous treatments—including nasal surgery and nasal sprays—have achieved, and the cranial and facial framework surrounding your nasal airway. Our aim is to understand the restriction and assess whether NasalRx is suitable for helping you achieve easier, lasting nasal breathing.

Cartilage and bone: understanding the deeper septum

The nasal septum is the partition between your two nasal passages. Towards the front, it is made mainly of flexible cartilage. Further inside, its framework includes the vomer and part of the ethmoid bone, supported along the nasal floor by a ridge formed by the maxilla and palatine bones.

These connected parts influence the shape and space within your nasal airway. A restriction can involve the front cartilage, the deeper bony septum, or both. Swelling of the nasal lining can further reduce the available breathing space.

The cartilage and bone are closely connected. Distortion of the deeper bony framework can place uneven forces on the attached cartilage, contributing to its bend. Understanding a deviated septum therefore means looking beyond the visible cartilage to the bony structures that support and influence it.

At Cranial Solutions, we assess these relationships within the wider cranial and facial framework. Alongside your symptoms and treatment history, this helps us explore whether NasalRx is a suitable approach to improving your nasal breathing.

What causes a deviated septum?

Septal deviation can develop as the nose and face grow, or follow an injury. Some people remember a knock to the nose; others have no clear history of injury. The shape may involve cartilage, bone or both, and its effect on breathing depends on the space available throughout the nasal passage.

Because the cartilage and deeper bony septum are connected, we consider their relationships within the wider cranial and facial framework. Understanding your symptoms and treatment history helps us assess the restriction you experience now, even when its original cause is unclear.

Simplified front-facing comparison of aligned and deviated bony nasal septa, labelled with the perpendicular plate of ethmoid, vomer, maxilla and maxillary crest. — Simplified comparison of an aligned and deviated nasal septum. The location and shape of a deviation vary between people. Select the image to view it at full size.

What is a septal spur?

A septal spur is a local ridge or projection from the nasal septum into the breathing passage. It can accompany a broader septal deviation or occur as a more isolated irregularity. Depending on its size and position, it can reduce the space available for airflow.

Does a septal spur always require surgery?

The term describes its shape; it does not necessarily mean an extra calcium deposit like people commonly associate with a heel spur.

Whether treatment is needed depends on how the projection affects your breathing and the surrounding airway. Surgery can physically reduce or remove an obstructing spur.

At Cranial Solutions, we assess the wider cranial and facial framework rather than considering the spur in isolation. In our clinical experience, patients diagnosed with septal deviation have reported substantial, lasting improvements in nasal breathing following the NasalRx protocol. Improved airflow alone cannot tell us whether the spur has changed in size or position.

An individual assessment can help you explore whether NasalRx is a suitable option before deciding on surgery.

How do you know if you have a deviated septum?

Persistent one-sided blockage can suggest a structural restriction, but symptoms alone cannot tell you whether it involves cartilage, the deeper bony septum, a septal spur or swelling of the nasal lining.

An examination inside the nose helps identify the restriction. An ENT provider may use nasal endoscopy to see deeper areas, with imaging used when clinically appropriate.

At Cranial Solutions, we review any previous findings alongside your experience of breathing: which side feels restricted, whether the blockage changes, and what nasal sprays or surgery have achieved.

Our assessment also considers the cranial and facial framework surrounding the airway. Before and throughout the NasalRx protocol, we review your reported airflow and comfort alongside our clinical examination, including cranial and facial palpation.

The aim is to understand your particular pattern of restriction and track whether treatment produces a meaningful, lasting improvement in everyday nasal breathing.

Can a deviated septum contribute to snoring?

When nasal airflow is restricted, breathing through your mouth during sleep may become more comfortable. Nasal obstruction can contribute to snoring, alongside the way the soft palate, tongue and surrounding throat tissues behave during sleep.

The nose and palate form a connected framework. The vomer contributes to the deeper septum, while the maxilla and palatine bones form the nasal floor and hard palate. Behind this sits the flexible soft palate. Its laxity, thickness and tissue condition, together with tongue position and throat space, can influence vibration during sleep.

At Cranial Solutions, we assess these cranial and facial relationships alongside your nasal airflow, nighttime breathing and snoring. Our clinical approach considers nasal restriction alongside any remaining soft-palate contribution to snoring.

In our clinical experience, patients commonly report easier nasal breathing and reduced snoring following the NasalRx protocol. We review these changes through your experience and, where available, your partner’s observations of quieter, more settled breathing during sleep.

If snoring remains after nasal breathing improves, the soft palate may need separate assessment. Our snoring guide explains complementary options, including non-ablative oral laser treatment from an appropriately qualified external provider. Cranial Solutions does not provide oral laser treatment.

Snoring and sleep apnoea are different outcomes. If breathing pauses, gasping or marked daytime sleepiness are present, sleep assessment remains important—even when nasal breathing improves and snoring becomes quieter.

Deviated septum treatment without surgery: the NasalRx approach

At Cranial Solutions, we consider the connected cranial and facial framework surrounding your nasal passages—including the relationships between the deeper septum, the palate and neighbouring bones.

NasalRx is our approach to cranial and facial release, with treatment directed towards improving nasal breathing. We assess these structural relationships alongside your symptoms, previous treatment and the health of your nasal lining.

In our clinical experience, patients often describe a noticeable opening of their nasal airway during the treatment series. Once comfortable nasal breathing is established through our six-treatment protocol, patients commonly report that the improvement is long lasting.

We review your response throughout the series, including how freely each side feels, whether breathing requires less effort, and changes during sleep or exercise. Cranial and facial palpation forms part of our clinical assessment, alongside your reported experience.

Our aim is to resolve the restriction where possible and establish lasting, comfortable nasal breathing. Your assessment helps determine whether NasalRx is suitable for you and what progress we should look for.

Exploring NasalRx before deciding on surgery

If you are considering surgery for restricted nasal breathing, we recommend exploring NasalRx first where assessment shows it is suitable for you.

Our six-treatment protocol offers a non-surgical approach focused on the wider cranial and facial framework, including facial mobility and the structures surrounding the nasal airway. In our clinical experience, patients frequently report substantial improvements in breathing, with benefits extending beyond the original area of restriction.

We explain the treatment process and the cost of the complete series before you begin, helping you make an informed decision.

If the protocol does not deliver a substantial improvement in nasal airflow, further assessment with your ENT provider can help determine whether surgery would be worthwhile. Trying a suitable non-surgical approach first gives you the opportunity to assess your response before committing to an operation.

What does deviated septum surgery involve?

Septoplasty aims to improve nasal breathing by correcting the parts of the septum that narrow the airway. Depending on your anatomy, this may involve releasing attachments, reshaping or repositioning cartilage and bone, or removing selected obstructing portions.

The deeper bony framework can be an important part of this correction. Releasing the cartilage from its attachments and correcting adjacent bony restrictions can allow the cartilage to straighten.

Where a septal spur projects into the breathing passage, the surgeon may trim or remove the projection. A bony spur can be reduced using cutting instruments or a powered burr; adjoining cartilage may also need attention.

Your ENT provider can explain which structures contribute to your blockage and what the proposed procedure is intended to achieve. Understanding this can also help you explore whether a non-surgical assessment is appropriate before deciding on treatment.

Still blocked after septal surgery?

If nasal surgery has helped but your breathing still feels restricted, you may wonder whether another operation is the next step.

In our clinical experience at Cranial Solutions, many patients who describe only mild to moderate improvement following nasal surgery have subsequently reported much greater changes after our six-treatment NasalRx protocol—including complete resolution of their remaining nasal blockage and the ability to breathe freely and comfortably through their nose.

Before considering further surgery, a NasalRx assessment offers an opportunity to explore another approach. We review your previous surgery, healing and current symptoms, and assess the wider cranial and facial framework surrounding your nasal airway to determine whether treatment is suitable for you.

Our aim is lasting, comfortable nasal breathing, with progress reviewed throughout the treatment series.

Frequently asked questions

Can you improve breathing with a deviated septum without surgery?

A diagnosis of a deviated septum does not automatically mean surgery is your only option for better nasal breathing.

In our clinical experience at Cranial Solutions, many patients diagnosed with a deviated septum report substantial, lasting improvements in nasal airflow following our six-treatment NasalRx protocol.

We recommend an assessment to determine whether NasalRx is suitable for you before deciding on elective surgery. Throughout treatment, we review how freely and comfortably you breathe and whether those improvements are maintained in everyday life.

Can NasalRx help if I have already had septal surgery?

Previous septal surgery does not automatically rule out NasalRx.

In our clinical experience, many patients who achieved only mild to moderate improvement after surgery have reported much greater improvements following our six-treatment NasalRx protocol, including complete resolution of their remaining sense of nasal blockage.

We review your previous procedure, healing and current symptoms to assess suitability. If your breathing remains restricted, this assessment gives you an opportunity to explore NasalRx before deciding on further surgery.

How long do improvements in nasal breathing last?

In our clinical experience, once comfortable nasal airflow is established through the six-treatment NasalRx protocol, patients commonly report that the improvement is long lasting.

We review progress throughout the series, including how freely you breathe during the day, during exercise and at night. The aim is sustained, comfortable nasal breathing beyond the treatment sessions.

Can nasal sprays straighten a deviated septum?

Nasal sprays do not straighten the cartilage or bone of a deviated septum. Depending on the type of spray, they can reduce inflammation or temporarily relieve swelling, creating more room for airflow.

If breathing remains restricted despite using sprays, it is worth assessing the structural framework alongside the condition of the nasal lining.

At Cranial Solutions, we review which sprays you use, how often you use them and what improvement they provide. This forms part of assessing your suitability for NasalRx and any preparation needed before treatment. Changes to prescribed sprays should be discussed with your prescriber.

Why is one nostril still blocked after using nasal sprays?

Nasal sprays may reduce swelling, but they do not straighten the septal cartilage or bone. If one side remains restricted, the blockage may involve a structural narrowing as well as the nasal lining.

At Cranial Solutions, we review which treatments have helped, how your blockage changes throughout the day, and the cranial and facial framework surrounding your airway. This helps us assess whether NasalRx is suitable for improving your nasal breathing.

Take the next step towards easier nasal breathing

If a blocked nose is affecting your sleep, exercise or everyday comfort, we would welcome the opportunity to assess you.

Whether you have been diagnosed with a deviated septum, rely on nasal sprays or still feel restricted after surgery, we can review your symptoms and previous treatment, explain the six-treatment NasalRx protocol and assess whether it is suitable for you.

Our aim is lasting, comfortable nasal breathing. An assessment gives you a clear starting point before deciding on treatment or further surgery.

Book a nasal breathing assessment at Cranial Solutions.

References and further reading

These sources support the anatomy and discussion of conventional assessment and surgery. NasalRx outcomes described in this article reflect the practitioner's clinical experience and patient reports; these publications do not establish NasalRx correction of a septal spur or superiority to surgery.