FUNCTIONAL NEUROLOGY
Functional neurologists are highly trained and qualified experts of the brain, spine and nervous system.
Typically, a functional neurologist serves in the same consulting manner as a medical neurologist. The difference is that the therapies or applications of a functional neurologist do not include drugs or surgery.
As a result, certain conditions are more customarily seen by a functional neurologist as opposed to a medical neurologist, and vice versa.
Specifically, our people see patients with a variety of movement disorders, dystonia, post-stroke rehabilitation, and radiculopathy or nerve entrapment syndromes that are consequences of peripheral or central types of lesions.
Functional neurologists can provide therapies and treatments as well as counsel when there is a diagnostic dilemma or a question of appropriateness of care regarding an individual lesion or scenario (Carrick, 1998).
WHAT CAN IT TREAT?
Click on a condition below to learn about how functional neurology can help you
NEUROINFLAMMATION AND AUTOIMMUNITY
MOVEMENT DISORDERS
SPINAL CORD AND NERVE INJURIES
HEAD INJURY OR STROKE
DEVELOPMENT DISORDERS
VERTIGO
LEARNING AND ATTENTION DISORDERS
HEADACHES AND CHRONIC PAIN
HOW IS A FUNCTIONAL NEUROLOGIST DIFFERENT THAN A MEDICAL NEUROLOGIST OR NEUROSURGEON?
Functional neurologists, medical neurologists and neurosurgeons differ greatly in their methods of treatment.
The medical neurologist will prescribe medications or injections. The neurosurgeon uses surgery to correct a condition. The functional neurologist uses medication free and non-surgical treatment methods to reactivate damaged or malfunctioning nerve pathways.
Many conditions of the brain and nervous system do not respond well to aggressive interventions such as drug therapy or surgery.
Additionally, the drug therapies used by medical neurologists, and the surgical interventions of the neurosurgeon often carry increased risks for serious complications or dangerous side effects.
For this reason, functional neurologists fill a unique and significant role in treating brain and nervous system disorders using safe and effective methods producing lasting health benefits.
WHAT SPECIAL DIAGNOSTICS DO FUNCTIONAL NEUROLOGISTS USE?
In addition to physical examination methods, functional neurologists may use:
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI)
COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY (CT)
X-RAY
ULTRASOUND
ELECTROMYOGRAPHY / NERVE CONDUCTION VELOCITY TESTING
VIDEO NYSTAGMAGRAPHY
BLOOD WORK: FXMED DIAGNOSTICS OR CYREX LAB PANELS
WHAT TREATMENT METHODS DO FUNCTIONAL NEUROLOGISTS USE?
Functional neurology treatment methods are safe, effective and can include a wide variety of tools such as:
FUNCTIONAL ADJUSTMENTS BY HAND OR INSTRUMENT TO THE SPINE/EXTREMETIES
EYE EXERCISES USING IPDS PROGRAMMES
BALANCE AND COORDINATION ACTIVITIES
COGNITIVE EXERCISES AND ACTIVITIES
SENSORY TRAINING E.G. LIGHT, SMELL, TOUCH, SOUND
PHYSICAL EXERCISES
BREATHING EXERCISES
BIO FEEDBACK / NEURO FEEDBACK
NUTRITIONAL MODIFICATION
WHAT MAKES FUNCTIONAL NEUROLOGISTS SO SPECIAL?
WHAT IS A CHIROPRACTIC NEUROLOGIST?
As in medicine and dentistry, there are specialists within the Chiropractic profession. Chiropractic specialists include radiology, orthopedics, physical rehabilitation, and neurology. The Chiropractic Neurologist chooses to focus his/her practice on neurologically based problems. Chiropractic professionals, as well as all allopathic physicians, are trained in the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of conditions.
TRAINING FOR CHIROPRACTIC NEUROLOGY
Specialists complete a rigorous program beyond chiropractic college. The training to become a board certified Chiropractic Neurologist is an additional three years after completing the four-year Doctor of Chiropractic degree. The post-doctorate degree is conducted under the auspices of an accredited university or college that is recognized by the United States Department of Education.
The program includes didactic and residency based/clinically-based training. After completing these requirements, the Chiropractor sits for a board examination in neurology that is given only once a year by an independent examining board. The information tested is specific to the field of neurology and includes clinical and diagnostic techniques as well as knowledge of neurophysiology. The certification examination also includes oral and practical examinations as well as extensive psychometric testing.
Because of the demanding educational requirements that include yearly re-certification, there are only several hundred active Chiropractic Neurologists in the United States.
WHEN TO SEE A CHIROPRACTIC NEUROLOGIST
Chiropractic Neurologists are educated to observe subtle changes in specific parts of the nervous system with specialized training that helps the doctor to see beyond the symptoms and discover the underlying cause of pain or disease. Typically, a Doctor of Chiropractic who specializes in neurology serves in the same consulting manner as a medical neurologist. The difference is that the type of care or applications of a Chiropractic Neurologist do not include drugs or surgery. A Chiropractic Neurologist is trained to use safe, natural, non-invasive health therapies.
Specifically, Chiropractic Neurologists have tremendous success in treating a variety of conditions including movement disorders, dystonia, post-stroke rehabilitation, radiculopathy, chronic pain, vertigo, head injuries, and nerve entrapment syndromes that are consequences of lesions in the central or peripheral nervous system.