Dr. Frank is one of 3 doctors certified in Neurocranial Restructuring (NCR) in Florida, and has done over 2000 inflations on patients with wonderful results. Patients have had relief of chronic headaches, TMJ and jaw disorders, chronic sinus infections, and difficulty breathing. We have seen patients drive from Jacksonville, Melbourne, and the Florida Panhandle in order to receive this treatment.
According to Dr. Howell's Web site:
NeuroCranial Restructuring™ is the newest and most powerful therapy in physical medicine. NCR is a cumulative treatment process involving controlled release of the connective tissue tension to unwind the body and return it toward its original design. NCR utilizes careful analysis of the body's proprioception (patterns of balance) to determine the precise areas of the skull needing to be unlocked during each day's treatment. . . .
After receiving a form of deep muscle massage and external cranial manipulation, the patient is analyzed to determine the cranial treatment pattern for the day. Then the patient is positioned on a treatment table with one or two therapists helping to hold him/her in a very specific position. The skull is finally released by the action of small, inflatable endonasal balloons that are inserted through the nostril and inflated briefly into the throat. The inflation feels like getting water up the nose and rarely requires five seconds to complete. Frequently these treatments, such as Bilateral Nasal Specific therapy, gave relief of symptoms and some long-term results while using a generalized pattern of treatment. Many of the results, however, were temporary and the treatment was frequently painful.
With the specific treatment pattern found with NCR's careful analysis and the new addition of specific body positioning, the entire skeletal structure can be permanently changed. . . . This unlocking of the connective tissues' residual tensions combines with precise movements of the cranial bones to allow the structural systems of the body to move incrementally and cumulatively towards the body's original design.
What is NCR?
NeuroCranial Restructuring is a manipulative craniosacral procedure that works directly on the primary cause of neuro-musculoskeletal dysfunction – a misaligned skull. Like an earthquake, NCR unlocks the binding pattern in the skeletal system and causes the body to shift into its original and optimal design: head, neck and spine in proper alignment.
By correcting the causes of dysfunction, rather than just treating symptoms, like pain, NCR produces permanent, cumulative changes to the skull, spine, pelvis and nervous system. Consequently, unlike other physical medicine techniques where you need maintenance visits for lasting treatment effects, each new NCR series takes you to a new level of functioning. As treatment progresses, life gets better and better!
What conditions are helped by NCR?
NCR successfully improves many conditions including:
· Anxiety
· Attention Deficit Disorder; poor concentration and focus; dyslexia, hyperactivity and other learning disabilities; autism
· Depression
· Cerebral palsy; down's syndrome
· Concussion and other head injuries; brain surgery
· Dystonia
· Ear infection, acute & chronic, & deafness; tinnitus
· Glaucoma; double vision; other vision problems
· Headaches, head pressure and migraines
· Low energy (fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue)
· TMD or TMJ (Mouth, head and jaw pains)
· Multiple sclerosis
· Muscular dystrophy
· Muscle spasms; neck and shoulder pain
· Orthodontic stress and bruxism (grinding)
· Parkinson's disease and tremors
· Sciatica; kyphosis (hunchback); lordosis (swayback); scoliosis (a spiral spine); military spine (from whiplash) and other back problems
· Seizures
· Sinusitis; sleep apnea; snoring; breathing and sinus disorders
· Strokes; thrombosis (excessive blood clotting)
· Vertigo and other balance problems
Why Does My Whole Being Change with NCR?
When the skull is misaligned, the malpositioned bones exert subtle pressures on the brain. This affects emotions and you may feel grouchy, confused, anxious or other undesirable feelings. By releasing mechanical tension, NCR enables the neurotransmitters – the brain's messengers – to flow more freely and communicate more efficiently, optimizing the nervous system. The result is profound changes in feelings, thoughts, behavior and movement:
· you feel calmer, happier, more energetic, clear-headed, smart, creative, and productive;
· you sleep more soundly;
· you have better nasal breathing, smoother action of the TMJ, better posture, improved vision, better balance, decreased muscle tension, and less pain;
· you move more gracefully and become more athletic;
· you look more beautiful as your face becomes broader and more symmetrical.
How is NCR done?
NCR happens in three stages.
1. The patient receives an NCR massage to open up the spine and allow simpler skeletal alignment.
2. The doctor analyzes the body's proprioception (patterns of balance) to determine the areas of the skull to be unlocked.
3. The doctor inserts endonasal balloons through the nostril into the top of the throat through one of the six nasal passageways. The inflating bulb is squeezed, pumping air into the balloon and puffing up the nostril. Air pressure in the balloon increases, pressing outward against the bones inside the nose and upper throat. The pressure eventually pushes the balloon into the top of the throat and the bony joints of the head briefly open, releasing tensions stored in the connective tissues. The bone structures of the head now shift.
How long does NCR take? How long after treatment will I experience effects? How often should I wait before having another treatment? NCR is given in a sequence of four sessions, each taking around thirty-two minutes, including massage.
After four days of treatment, you will continue to experience shifting in your head for three weeks or more, though some people continue to shift for as long as four months. For this reason, it is best to wait a month to four months on average between treatments.
Does treatment hurt? Everyone notices pressure inside the nose during each treatment for around two seconds but generally not pain. Some people feel pain with the first treatment, although most find it weird or odd instead. Many liken it to getting pool water in the nose---more annoying than painful. Each day, after treatment, the bones continue to move, and this too can feel strange, painful or uncomfortable. These sensations are usually most intense during the first treatment series and almost all patients find it easier after the first sequence.
What should I do if I easily bleed, bruise or am on blood thinners? If you bleed easily, you may bleed during NCR treatment. Being on blood thinners is usually no problem, although in special circumstances you may, with the permission of the prescribing doctor decrease your blood thinner dosage for a few days prior to NCR.
Why does my nose sometimes run or bleed after getting treatment? NCR treatment squeezes the sinuses, dumping mucus while the irritation of the mucous membranes of the nose causes watering of the eyes and increased watery mucus. Nosebleeds can occur anytime if the mucous membranes inside the nose are split or torn. As treatment continues, bleeding ceases because elasticity in the skull structures increases and the mucous membranes stretch rather than tear. Persons with a history of nosebleeds find that their frequency and intensity diminishes or stops after some NCR.
Why do my teeth sometimes ache after treatment? The teeth are mounted in the bones of the head. As NCR treatment releases the joints of the head, stored-up mechanical tension in the connective tissues of the skull, spine and pelvis (meninges, etc.) releases and is especially felt as movement of the bones of the skull. As the palate and jaw shift, the teeth move too and can make the teeth ache, pulsate or tingle.
How many treatments do I need? Why do some people need more treatments than others? Number of treatments needed depends on many factors, including degree and complication of dysfunction, frequency of treatment (the more frequent the treatments, the quicker changes will occur), lifestyle, stress level and so forth. Some people will stop treatment when the pain/dysfunction goes away; others continue for a long time because each NCR series effects profound changes in their functioning and life. Most people require at least four or five treatment sequences (sixteen or twenty treatments).
Why does my face tend to become more oval and symmetrical with NCR?
As NCR treatment progresses, the bones move closer to the alignment pattern for which they were designed. For most people this means a more oval face. For everyone, the face becomes more symmetrical, the skin fits more properly with lines and wrinkles dramatically decreased, the nose and eyes become straighter and more even, and the jaw more centered with no annoying TMJ click. In fact, NCR is more effective than cosmetic surgery because the asymmetry found in most faces can be corrected. Eyes that appear to be different shapes, a crooked mouth, uneven cheekbones, ears that don't line up -- all tend to improve with NCR.
How long after treatment should I wait to have dental work done? Will TMJ affect my need for dental work? Can NCR replace dental work?
Avoid dental diagnosis or therapies for at least a month after completing a sequence of NCR as your head and mouth are shifting.
If you need bridges, crowns, dentures, change in tooth position or bite, get NCR first, then get the dental work, return for some NCR and finish with some dental fine-tuning. Cosmetic bonding, cleaning, periodontal treatment or a basic filling present less concern unless you have TMJ, in which case holding your mouth open for an extended time will cause changes in your head shape.
NCR will not correct the need for bridges, crowns, fillings or dentures. But dental work for TMJ, bite problems, and orthopedics or orthodontia can often be avoided or simplified as generally these dental techniques try to correct problems created by the skull shape by working inefficiently on only part of the skull.
How does NCR affect pregnant and delivering women? Are there any precautions? NCR is not recommended during labor and delivery but can be given up to that point. If given during early pregnancy, NCR will help the mother feel more comfortable throughout the pregnancy and delivery as her spine and pelvis operate more optimally. If the pregnant woman has powerful changes during NCR, therapy should be avoided during the final trimester of pregnancy to prevent premature labor. There is, however, no recorded instance of this occurring.
Can NCR prevent or reverse age-related stooping? Yes. Even though stooping is considered a consequence of osteoporosis, it is actually a simple change in posture from bone loss: the head is positioned more forward on top of the neck and tips slightly forward and the body is pulled forward by the weight of the head. With NCR, the head sits straighter on the neck allowing the head to be more balanced and the neck to support the head more easily. Posture improves and the bones grow stronger again.
What are the youngest and the oldest ages you can treat with NCR? NCR can be administered safely from the first day of life to the last without side effects. The sooner treatment begins the greater nervous system integrity.
Is there anything I can do to accelerate my progress with NCR? Yes. Engage in movement within your normal performance range, especially balanced activities like walking, yoga, tai chi or some kinds of swimming. Stop exercising before you get overly fatigued.
If you feel tense or anxious, try relaxant herbs or medications.
Get NCR as often as possible, from every four weeks to every twelve weeks apart.
Is there anything that impedes my progress with NCR? What should I avoid? Yes. Please avoid potentially traumatic activities and extreme emotions or fatigue. Avoid activity that stresses the muscles or bones in an unusual way as this can alter the postural pattern and damage can occur before stability is achieved: if you are not a furniture mover, don't begin moving furniture just after completing NCR; if you normally walk three miles daily, don't walk five miles because you feel so good.
