NasalRx is a specialised endonasal treatment that uses brief, controlled pressure within the nasal passages to influence restriction within the nasal, facial and cranial system.
Because treatment is applied internally through the nose, patient suitability and safety assessment are important before treatment begins.
Not everybody who comes to Cranial Solutions will be suitable for NasalRx, and having a condition such as concussion, headache, nasal obstruction or TMJ dysfunction does not automatically mean that NasalRx is the appropriate treatment.
The decision is based on your history, examination, structural findings and individual risk factors.
Before Your First NasalRx Treatment
Your assessment begins before any endonasal treatment is performed.
We want to understand not only your current symptoms, but also the mechanical history that may have contributed to them.
This can include:
- current symptoms and when they began
- recent concussion or head injury
- previous concussions
- previous facial or nasal trauma
- whiplash and cervical injuries
- sporting injuries and falls
- jaw or TMJ problems
- nasal or sinus surgery
- previous fractures
- bleeding history or medications that may affect bleeding
- other relevant medical conditions
Previous injuries are particularly important.
The most recent injury may not be where the mechanical problem began.
Some patients have experienced multiple concussions, head impacts, whiplash injuries or facial injuries without completely recovering their previous cranial, facial or cervical mechanics.
A later injury may then create a new restriction or re-aggravate an older mechanical pattern.
Understanding that history helps us decide both whether NasalRx is appropriate and what areas need to be assessed.
What Do We Assess?
The examination varies according to the reason you are seeking treatment.
Depending on your presentation, we may assess:
- nasal airflow
- internal nasal restriction
- facial symmetry and movement
- cranial and craniofacial mechanics
- vomer and deeper nasal relationships
- maxillary and palatal mechanics
- zygomatic movement
- sphenoid and cranial-base mechanics
- temporal and occipital movement
- jaw/TMJ mechanics
- cervical and upper cervical function
- headache or head-pressure patterns
- facial or sinus pressure
- directional eye-movement discomfort
- other symptoms relevant to your presentation
The aim is to establish a useful baseline before treatment.
That gives us something meaningful to compare afterwards.
When Might NasalRx Not Be Appropriate?
There are situations where NasalRx should not be performed, or where additional medical information or clearance may be needed before deciding whether treatment is appropriate.
Particular care is required with a history of:
- recent facial, nasal or skull trauma where fracture may be present
- recent nasal or sinus surgery
- recent cranial or neurosurgical procedures
- significant or recurrent nosebleeds
- bleeding disorders
- medications that substantially affect bleeding or clotting
- known significant vascular abnormalities
- other medical conditions that may alter the safety of endonasal treatment
These factors do not all carry exactly the same level of risk, which is why we assess the individual rather than relying on a simple checklist.
If there is uncertainty about whether treatment is appropriate, NasalRx can be deferred while further medical assessment or clearance is obtained.
What About a Recent Concussion?
A recent concussion does not automatically mean that NasalRx should be performed immediately.
The first priority is determining whether there is any reason the patient requires further medical assessment.
New or worsening neurological symptoms following head trauma need to be taken seriously.
Once serious injury and relevant contraindications have been considered, we can determine whether cranial, facial, nasal or cervical restriction appears to be part of the patient's presentation and whether NasalRx is appropriate.
What Actually Happens During NasalRx?
NasalRx uses a small inflatable device introduced into the nasal passage.
It is positioned according to the area being treated and then briefly expanded in a controlled manner.
This introduces a physical mechanical force from inside the nasal passage into the surrounding nasal and craniofacial structures.
The pressure itself is brief.
The objective is not simply to inflate the nasal passage.
It is to influence areas of mechanical restriction within the interconnected nasal, facial and cranial system.
Depending on the individual, this may involve relationships associated with the:
- vomer
- ethmoid
- sphenoid
- maxillae
- palatine bones
- zygomatic bones
- temporal bones
- wider cranial base
What Does NasalRx Feel Like?
Most patients feel a brief sensation of pressure within the nose and deeper facial region.
The sensation can be strong, but the actual expansion is brief.
Different areas can feel different depending on the individual's anatomy and restriction.
Some treatments produce a relatively subtle change.
Others produce a much more obvious mechanical release.
There may occasionally be an audible cavitation or release associated with the correction.
The sound itself is not the objective of treatment and does not tell us precisely which articulation moved or how much movement occurred.
What matters is what changes afterwards.
What Do We Look for After Treatment?
Following treatment, we compare the patient with their pre-treatment findings.
Depending on the reason for treatment, we may look for changes in:
- nasal airflow
- movement of particular cranial or facial structures
- craniofacial symmetry and mobility
- sphenoid and cranial-base mechanics
- occipital and posterior cranial movement
- facial or scalp tension
- cervical movement
- jaw mechanics
We also ask whether the patient notices changes in relevant symptoms.
These can include:
- nasal breathing
- facial or sinus pressure
- head pressure
- headache
- cranial or facial tension
- base-of-skull or posterior scalp tension
- mental clarity
- light sensitivity
- discomfort or restriction with directional eye movement
Not every patient experiences the same changes.
The important clinical question is:
Has the treatment produced a meaningful structural or symptomatic change?
Can Changes Be Immediate?
Yes, some changes can be apparent immediately.
One of the most consistent immediate changes we see is improved nasal airflow.
Patients may notice that a previously restricted nasal passage feels more open or that breathing through the nose requires less effort.
With more significant structural releases, we may also observe immediate changes in cranial or facial movement.
Some patients report changes in head pressure, facial pressure, headache, scalp tension or other symptoms shortly after treatment.
Other changes develop more gradually over the course of care.
There is no single response that every patient should expect.
How Many NasalRx Treatments Are Usually Recommended?
A typical initial course of NasalRx consists of six treatments, usually performed once or twice per week.
This gives us an opportunity to treat progressively and, importantly, observe how the patient responds over time.
Some patients respond more quickly than others.
Where progress is slower but treatment is producing useful changes, a further four to six treatments may be recommended.
That extension is not automatic.
The decision is based on the patient's response, structural findings, symptom changes and whether continued treatment appears clinically worthwhile.
Why Don't We Prescribe the Same Number of Treatments to Everyone?
Patients do not arrive with the same mechanical history.
One person may have a relatively recent restriction.
Another may have had:
- several previous concussions
- years of contact sport
- an old facial injury
- previous whiplash
- longstanding nasal restriction
- jaw dysfunction
- multiple accumulated injuries
The latest injury may also have re-aggravated older restrictions rather than creating the entire problem from scratch.
For this reason, the degree and duration of restriction — and the patient's response to treatment — can differ considerably.
Treatment should therefore be response-dependent rather than simply number-dependent.
Is NasalRx Painful?
NasalRx produces pressure and can be uncomfortable.
It would be misleading to suggest that every patient finds the treatment completely comfortable.
The pressure is deliberately brief, and treatment is controlled according to the individual.
Different nasal passages and treatment positions can also feel different.
We explain what is going to happen before treatment and monitor the patient's response throughout the procedure.
What Should I Expect After a Treatment?
People respond differently.
Some notice an immediate sense of greater nasal space, easier breathing or reduced pressure.
Others notice changes in cranial, facial or cervical tension.
With a more significant mechanical release, the head or face may simply feel physically different afterwards.
The response to each treatment helps determine what we do next.
Rather than assuming that a predetermined sequence must be completed regardless of response, we continue to assess whether treatment is producing useful change.
Does NasalRx Treat Only the Nose?
No.
Although the treatment is delivered through the nasal passages, the reason for using this route is the mechanical access it provides to the wider craniofacial system.
The nasal structures have anatomical relationships with the facial skeleton, sphenoid, cranial base and wider cranial system.
This is why changes following treatment may extend beyond nasal breathing alone.
NasalRx may be used as part of care for patients presenting with nasal restriction, headache, facial pressure, craniofacial tension, TMJ problems or persistent symptoms following concussion and head trauma.
Is NasalRx Always Used on Its Own?
No.
Some patients have significant cervical or upper cervical involvement alongside their cranial and facial restriction.
Others have jaw, visual, vestibular or other problems that need to be considered.
Where appropriate, Cranial Solutions may combine NasalRx with cervical treatment.
For patients with persistent post-concussion symptoms, NasalRx should be considered as one potential part of a broader clinical picture rather than as a replacement for neurological, vestibular, visual, cervical or medical care where those are required.
Is NasalRx Proven to Improve CSF or Glymphatic Flow?
Respiration, cardiovascular pulsation and pressure changes are recognised contributors to cerebrospinal fluid movement.
There are also anatomical relationships between the cranial base, dura, venous structures and the wider fluid environment surrounding the brain.
These relationships make the effects of changing cranial mechanics and nasal breathing scientifically interesting.
However, direct physiological measurement demonstrating that NasalRx increases CSF flow or glymphatic clearance has not yet been established.
Our immediate clinical focus is therefore more direct:
Identify restriction. Apply a controlled mechanical force. Improve structural movement. Assess the patient's response.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is NasalRx safe?
NasalRx is not automatically appropriate for everyone.
Safety depends on the patient's history, current health, previous trauma, surgery, bleeding risk and other relevant factors.
This is why suitability is assessed before treatment.
How long does the actual expansion last?
The expansion itself is brief.
Assessment, positioning and reassessment take considerably longer than the actual expansion.
Will I hear a crack or pop?
Not necessarily.
Some corrections are subtle.
Others may be accompanied by an audible cavitation or release.
Producing a sound is not the purpose of treatment.
Will I be able to breathe better immediately?
Some patients notice an immediate improvement in nasal airflow, particularly when a mechanically restricted nasal passage responds well to treatment.
Not everybody responds in the same way.
How many treatments will I need?
Our typical initial course is six treatments at one to two treatments per week.
If progress is slower but treatment is producing useful changes, a further four to six treatments may be recommended.
Continued treatment is based on your response rather than being automatic.
What if I've had several previous concussions or injuries?
Tell us.
Previous head, facial, nasal, jaw and cervical injuries can be highly relevant.
The latest injury may have re-aggravated a mechanical pattern associated with earlier trauma, so understanding your complete injury history is an important part of the assessment.
Can NasalRx be combined with neck treatment?
Yes.
Where cervical restriction is also present, cervical treatment may form part of the overall approach.
The balance between cervical care and NasalRx depends on the individual findings.
Is NasalRx Appropriate for You?
The best way to determine whether NasalRx is appropriate is to assess the problem rather than assume the treatment from the diagnosis.
We look at your history, previous injuries, current symptoms, nasal and craniofacial mechanics, cervical involvement and any factors that could affect treatment safety.
From there, we can decide whether NasalRx, cervical care, a combination of the two, or another form of assessment or referral is the appropriate next step.