What is Functional Neurology?
Functional Neurology Rehab is like physio, but for your brain. Similar to if you broke your arm and had it in a cast for awhile, you would need to do specific rehab to help your arm be as strong as your other arm again. In the same way we look for areas of your nervous system that are injured or not functioning at their potential (called a "functional lesion") and give specific exercises to help strengthen those areas to bring balance to your nervous system.
We use the well-understood concepts of neuroscience to assess your nervous system, similar to how a neurologist would, to find the areas that are functioning sub-optimally, and then we use the known stimuli that affect these areas as rehab exercises.
We assess to see how the nervous system is working functionally, and then offer specific treatments to help bring balance and improved function to your nervous system
FAQs
Who can benefit from Functional Neurology Rehab?
People who suffer with:
Concussions/ PCS/ TBI
Persistent migraines or headaches
Movement disorders/ dystonia/ functional neurological disorders
Chronic neck/ back or shoulder pain
Chronic pain conditions/ fibromyalgia/ CRPS
Neurodevelopmental/ sensory processing disorders
Dysautonomia/ POTS
Post-stroke
Anxiety
Scoliosis
And much more…
Call or email us to ask if you could benefit from Functional Neurology Rehab!
What does a Functional Neurology assessment look like?
We start with a FULL HISTORY. You’ve been through a lot! We need to listen to you in order to know your experience, so we can help. Specifically we want to know: What’s going on? How long has this gone on for? and What have you done? This gets us started on figuring out the million+ piece puzzle that is your brain.
Next we complete a NEUROLOGICAL EXAMINATION. Your brain is a sensory-motor organ so we need to test different parts of this system to see what part of your brain and nervous system is injured and not working properly. There are several textbooks on the neurologic examination, the exam we perform is the same however instead of looking mainly for pathology we are looking for what is not functioning ideally.
TREATMENT. Our treatments are patient centred and are not just blanket protocols. Each treatment plan is unique and is adapted along the way based on the each individual’s response to care. The nervous system is the fastest communication system in the body so we can see right away what changes are happening. If there is a positive change we try to find the right combination of therapies at the right intensity, frequency and duration to make a lasting change.
Can Functional Neurology cure my disease?
No, Functional Neurology is not curing any diseases, especially not neurodegenerative diseases or brain lesions, but it is utilizing the concepts of neuroplasticity, which means that the brain is able to change and grow new connections, even as we age. We are using concepts of neuroscience and chiropractic in combination, that the body is able to heal itself, when given the right stimulation and environment. For this reason, we use a multidisciplinary and holistic approach, including maintaining a positive relationship with your medical providers.
What kind of education does someone need to practice Functional Neurology?
Just like in any healthcare profession, doctors of chiropractic can study and become more proficient in a certain area of study; practitioners of Functional Neurology are complete nerds when it comes to learning the nervous system and how to make improvements to your brain/nervous system. Both Dr. Knelsen and Hardy are board certified in Functional Neurology and have each completed over 1000 hours of study in this field. They are also registered with the American Chiropractic Neurology Board. According to the ACNB website:
“A chiropractic neurologist is a Doctor of Chiropractic or the equivalent that has taken 300 post-doctoral hours of coursework in functional neurology and passed the rigorous written and performance exams required for certification by the ACNB. We call these doctors Diplomates of the American Chiropractic Neurology Board (DACNB).
They use the patient’s body and environment to assess, diagnose and localize areas of dysfunction. The human body systems are constantly affecting the neurological system and being affected by the neurological system. Our doctors use this functional and holistic approach to target interventions specific to the location of the dysfunction.
The chiropractic neurologist uses the muscular skeletal system and the sensory systems as they interact with the neurological system to improve quality of life. They use a variety of treatment modalities including the technique of adjustment as well as other sensory based modalities to bring about improvements in health.”
ACNB.org
