Cranial Solutions · Auckland & Christchurch
Blocked Nose & Sinus Pressure
True relief from chronic sinus and nasal blockage comes from correcting the underlying structural framework, not just treating surface symptoms.
Craniocervical Diagnosis · Advanced Biomechanics
Recurring nasal blockages and facial pressure frequently trace back to misalignments in the cranial and facial bones. While traditional care focuses on temporary symptom relief, our expert biomechanical approach works directly on the structural framework. We also see many patients whose symptoms have persisted after ENT surgery, with excellent outcomes following NasalRX Procedure care.
By applying targeted endonasal expansion, we release deep mechanical restrictions across the nasal passages, and surrounding structure - offering a surgical-level structural release through a completely non-surgical procedure.
Already had other diagnoses or treatment?
Tell us about earlier nasal and sinus diagnoses, medicines or ENT procedures, including what improved and which breathing difficulties remain. We consider that history alongside your current airflow and facial findings.
Understand your options
Nasal & Sinus Treatments: What Does Each Approach Change?
Nasal blockage and sinus disease can involve inflammation, allergy, the septum, turbinates or sinus drainage pathways. The right treatment depends on which findings explain your symptoms.
| Treatment | What it does | Purpose & limits |
|---|---|---|
| Saline rinses | Wash mucus and irritants from the nasal passages. | Help clear secretions; they do not straighten the septum or reposition facial bones. |
| Steroid sprays and allergy medicines | Steroid sprays reduce inflammation and swelling. Antihistamines address allergy-related symptoms. | Treat the inflamed lining or allergic response; suitability depends on the cause of the blockage. |
| Antibiotics | Treat selected bacterial infections when prescribed. | Not a routine treatment for every episode of sinusitis; they do not correct a structural obstruction. |
| Septoplasty and turbinate reduction | Septoplasty corrects a deviated nasal partition. Turbinate procedures reduce enlarged tissue inside the nose while seeking to preserve its function. | Improve nasal airflow where the septum or enlarged turbinates are contributing to obstruction. |
| Endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) | An ENT surgeon opens obstructed sinus drainage pathways, removing tissue or thin bone where needed. | Improve drainage, access for rinses and delivery of topical medicines in appropriately selected sinus disease. |
| Balloon sinuplasty | An ENT procedure that dilates selected natural sinus drainage openings with a balloon. | Widen sinus openings in selected patients. This is a different procedure from NasalRX. |
| Cranial Solutions — NasalRX | Controlled endonasal balloon inflations within selected nasal passages, combined where indicated with cranial, facial, jaw and cervical care. | Our clinical rationale is to address mechanical restriction in the nasal and facial framework and support breathing function. Lasting repositioning of particular cranial bones and superiority to ENT surgery have not been established by adequate clinical studies. |
Our focus: mechanical restriction and nasal function
We examine nasal breathing alongside cranial, facial, jaw and upper-neck mechanics. Where appropriate, NasalRX offers an endonasal approach without surgically removing tissue. We explain the proposed benefits, risks and evidence limitations before you decide, and review changes in airflow and symptoms throughout care.
NasalRX is not a substitute for assessment or treatment of infection, polyps or other nasal disease. Medicines and ENT procedures can also improve breathing and can remain appropriate alongside structural care.
Your next step
Ready to Discuss Your Nasal Breathing or Sinus Symptoms?
The call is free, with no obligation.
Your Craniocervical Diagnosis, Explained
NasalRX Procedure (otherwise called Cranial Facial Release)
Sinus and airflow issues rarely exist in isolation. They are deeply connected to the structure of your head and neck.
Our diagnosis evaluates the mechanical relationships between your nasal passages, facial framework, jaw, and upper neck. This allows us to identify the exact structural restrictions driving your symptoms and determine if the NasalRX Procedure protocol is the right non-surgical solution for you.
Why Assess Structural Restrictions?
Addressing the Structural Root of Nasal Blockages
Nasal narrowing and swelling often work together to compromise your breathing. By assessing the bony framework surrounding your passages, we isolate structural airflow restrictions from sinus drainage problems, ensuring your treatment targets the exact mechanical cause of your discomfort.
Nasal Airflow and Sinus Drainage: What’s the Difference?
Your nose provides a passage for breathing. Your sinuses are air-filled spaces within the bones around your cheeks, forehead and eyes. Their lining produces mucus, which tiny moving hairs help carry through small openings into the nose.
These systems are closely connected, but they have different jobs.
When nasal airflow feels restricted
The space available for air depends on both the surrounding structure and the tissues lining your nose. The septum divides the two sides, while the turbinates help condition incoming air.
Septal deviation, swollen tissue and other forms of narrowing can make nasal breathing feel difficult, even when there is little mucus to clear.
When sinus symptoms are more prominent
Inflammation or narrowing around sinus drainage pathways can interfere with normal mucus clearance. You may experience congestion, discharge or pressure around the face. Facial pressure can also have other causes, so its location alone does not tell us whether a sinus is blocked.
How the Facial Bones Relate to Nasal Breathing
Nasal airflow & sinus nitric oxide
Your nasal airway is defined by the surrounding bone and cartilage - not just soft tissue.
The upper jaw and palate form the floor of your airway, while the surrounding cranial and facial bones shape the passages above. Deep inside, the ethmoid and vomer bones - alongside the nasal septum - dictate the physical space available for airflow.
Why Breathing Gets Restricted
When structural misalignments, septal deviations, or bone spurs narrow these passages, even minor lining inflammation can completely lock up your airway. True relief requires releasing these underlying bony restrictions to restore physical space and natural airflow.
Cranial Solutions successfully treats deviated septums in most cases, with a few exceptions.
Our approach at Cranial Solutions
We assess nasal breathing alongside the relationships between the cranial and facial structures surrounding the airway. This broader structural focus is central to our NasalRX Procedure approach.
In our clinical experience, many patients describe a noticeable opening of their nasal breathing after treatment, often accompanied by greater facial comfort. We review these changes alongside examination findings and how comfortably you breathe in everyday life.
Patients sometimes describe a distinct sensation of movement or release deep within the nose and palate during NasalRX Procedure, followed by freer, more balanced breathing through both sides.
Sinus Pressure and Drainage
Sinus cavities & drainage
Pressure around your cheeks, forehead or eyes can leave your face feeling heavy and uncomfortable. When secretions collect within the sinus cavities and drainage is impaired, that sense of fullness may persist alongside nasal congestion or discharge into the back of your throat.
The sinuses normally clear their secretions through small openings into the nose. Tiny moving hairs along their lining help this process. Inflammation or narrowing around the drainage pathways can interfere with that clearance.
Looking at the surrounding facial structures
The sinus cavities sit within the bones of your face and skull. At Cranial Solutions, we assess these surrounding structural relationships alongside nasal airflow, facial pressure and your experience of sinus drainage.
Our NasalRX Procedure approach aims to improve breathing and facial comfort. In our clinical experience, patients frequently report reduced pressure and easier drainage following treatment.
Discharge after NasalRX Procedure
Patients often describe discharge draining into the back of the throat after treatment. It may be thick, yellow or green, and can accompany a noticeable easing of facial fullness and more comfortable nasal breathing.
We record this as a clinical observation of improved drainage. The discharge’s appearance alone cannot confirm which sinus it came from or whether it contains a bacterial or fungal infection.
Lasting improvement
Sinus passages sit within a connected framework of facial and cranial bones. When structural shifts create mechanical tightness, airflow and drainage can become restricted.
The NasalRX Procedure protocol applies targeted, non-surgical endonasal expansion to gently release these deep structural restrictions. By addressing the surrounding structure, it works to restore natural drainage pathways and open the airway from the inside out.
We review these changes throughout care, recording both your experience and our examination findings.
A Non-Surgical Approach to Nasal Breathing and Sinus Comfort
If a blocked nose or recurring sinus pressure has become part of everyday life, you may be looking for an approach that considers the structures surrounding your nasal passages.
At Cranial Solutions, NasalRX Procedure forms part of our diagnosis and treatment of the cranial and facial region. Our aim is to establish comfortable nasal airflow, improve sinus drainage and reduce facial pressure.
Diagnosis and treatment
We begin by discussing your symptoms, previous treatment and any history of facial injury or nasal surgery. We assess nasal breathing and the surrounding cranial and facial structures, then explain whether the NasalRX Procedure protocol is appropriate for you.
Throughout care, we compare your breathing, facial comfort and drainage with your starting point, alongside our examination findings.
Exploring your options
NasalRX Procedure offers a non-surgical option for suitable patients. If surgery has been recommended, its suitability depends on the reason for that recommendation; we cannot assume it replaces a procedure needed for a specific condition.
Read more about NasalRX Procedure treatment and safety and what to expect.
Explore Your Nasal and Sinus Symptoms
Choose a guide for the symptoms or relationships you would like to understand more closely.
- Deviated Septum
- Swollen Turbinates
- Sinus Pressure & Headaches
- Post-Nasal Drip
- Blocked Nose at Night
- Forward Head Posture & Breathing
- Narrow Palate & Nasal Breathing
- Nasal Sprays & Rebound Congestion
- Snoring
For broader education, explore Nasal Breathing vs Mouth Breathing.
If breathing changes began after a head injury, explore nasal congestion and sinus pressure after head injury.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can NasalRX Procedure help a persistently blocked nose?
In our clinical experience, many patients experience substantial improvements in nasal breathing after NasalRX Procedure. We assess your symptoms and the cranial and facial structures surrounding the airway to determine whether the treatment protocol is appropriate for you.
Can NasalRX Procedure help sinus pressure and drainage?
Patients frequently report reduced facial pressure and easier drainage following treatment. Some notice a distinct discharge into the back of the throat as their symptoms improve. We assess these changes alongside breathing comfort and examination findings.
Can it help if I have a deviated septum?
A deviated septum may contribute to restricted airflow, alongside swelling and other areas of narrowing. We assess the broader structural relationships surrounding your nasal passages. In our clinical experience, patients often experience improved breathing following the NasalRX Procedure treatment protocol.
How long do improvements last?
In our clinical experience, once improved nasal airflow is established through the NasalRX Procedure treatment protocol, the improvement is long lasting. We also review how facial comfort and drainage respond throughout care.
Is NasalRX Procedure an alternative to sinus or nasal surgery?
For suitable patients, NasalRX Procedure offers a non-surgical approach worth exploring. Whether it is an appropriate alternative depends on the condition being treated and why surgery has been recommended. We discuss this during diagnosis.
What should I expect during treatment?
We explain the procedure, the sensations you may experience, relevant risks and the proposed treatment schedule before you begin. Our NasalRX Procedure safety and what to expect guide provides further information.
Research & Further Reading
These sources explain anatomy, nasal physiology and medicine use. Statements about NasalRX Procedure outcomes on this page reflect Cranial Solutions’ reported clinical experience; these sources do not establish NasalRX Procedure efficacy.
- Nasal anatomy and structural relationships
- Turbinates: warming and humidification
- Lundberg et al., 1995, nitric oxide production in human sinuses
- Lundberg, 2008, sinus nitric oxide, antimicrobial activity and vasodilation
- Settergren et al., 1998, nasal breathing and pulmonary vascular resistance
- MedlinePlus: sinusitis and coloured discharge
- Carrie et al., 2023, septoplasty compared with medical management
Your next step
Ready to Discuss Your Nasal Breathing or Sinus Symptoms?
The call is free, with no obligation.