Question 1

What is Functional Neurology?

Accepted Answer

Functional neurology uses the natural receptors of your brain, or nervous system, to help re-train your brain to work better for you.

like personal training, except for your brain,
like tuning an instrument, or three, in the orchestra so the ensemble is in harmony,
like updating your GPS, or phone, to find quicker routes,
like using the right ingredients at the right temperature to make the perfect dish.

Question 2

How is Functional Neurology different from Medical Neurology?

Accepted Answer

Functional Neurology is a post-doctorate diplomate achieved that teaches the strategies for re-educating a human nervous system through receptor-based therapies.

Medical neurology is a medical degree that can provide advanced imaging and testing to diagnose serious health complications. They can refer for medications or surgeries that can be lifesaving. 
_______________

At DCFN, we see that there is a large swath of population that is suffering from neurological complications and yet do not qualify for medication or surgery. This is the point where we can help.

There are many states of health or disease that can be managed when a brain is working in concert for the protection of its body.

Question 3

Is Functional Neurology legitimate / evidence-based?

Accepted Answer

Yes.

We engage with real anatomy, real sensorimotor reflexes, and real studies of brain connections to affect an outcome of improved health.

A functional neurologist can be considered as someone who has read the textbooks of several different specialties -- Neurology of Eye Movements, Neurophysiology of the Vestibular System, Principles of Neuroscience, DeMyer's Neurological Exam, Neurological Differential Diagnosis, exercise physiology, nutrition, pathology, traumatic injury, and endless current research -- in order to comprehend the total human in front of them.

Question 4

Why does functional neurology work?

Accepted Answer

Neuroplasticity, of course.

The connections of your neurons constantly re-adapt according to how you use them, according to what sequences you use them in, and according to the intensity with which you use them together.

Within minutes of performing functional neurological exercises, you will be creating and replicating hundreds and thousands of new proteins and structures that will help your brain work better.
...like paving a dirt road so that you can drive faster,
...and then adding a lane to that narrow state road,
...and then widening a highway to really get places,
...and then adding express lanes for the most important functions.

For context, when you go to the gym to build muscle you will have to commit 6-10 days of repetitive effort in order to replicate the scale of growth of neuronal proteins that you can do in minutes with a functional neurologist.

Question 5

What does functional neurology therapy look like?

Accepted Answer

Your therapy might involve repetitive eye movements, "Look at this target," or "Follow this target."
It might involve your vestibular system with head tilts, head turns, body rotations.
It might involve the doctor passively rotating your arm or your leg or both.
It might involve repetitive head motions side-to-side or up-and-down.
It might involve joint adjustments designed to reduce focal aberrant posturing (tight muscles).

Your care will always be unique to you. 
The best providers will adapt to your conditions on the fly so that your brain will adapt positively.

All therapy is non-invasive and comfortable.

Question 6

How long do care plans typically take before I feel better?

Accepted Answer

They take anywhere from a few weeks to several months.

Our adjustments are creating new habits of pain-free life. 
Habits will require a few weeks to several months of repetition before they are 'learned' and they become part of how you live.

Previous care in our office or in similar offices will help future care work quicker.

Some common reasons that will lengthen the period of treatment are:
diabetes
concussions
previous degeneration of joints or cartilage or discs or bones
the length of time that you have been suffering from this ailment without seeking proper treatment
inadequate diet or exercise
outlook on life

On occasion, we can hit that magic button and get you feeling better quickly. We will always be looking for that magic button.

Question 7

Will I get an adjustment on the first visit?

Accepted Answer

No.

We reserve 60 minutes to gather evidence of the functionality of your nervous system. After we have our information, we will spend time organizing those findings into a successful treatment plan for you.

On our next visit together, we will sit down together to review your findings and to review the best type of treatment plan achieve your health goals. After we review your findings, we can decide to begin adjustments on that day.

Question 8

How long are typical treatment visits?

Accepted Answer

Twenty minutes.

In that time, we address the steps formulated in our treatment plan. This gives us enough time to address any combination of neurological, spinal, or extremity concerns without over-burdening your system with too much change and too much therapy at one time.

Question 9

What if my treatment is moving slower than we expected?

Accepted Answer

This answer will always be unique to you.

Common causes for slowed healing:
Diabetes or similar metabolic errors
Past surgeries, even small ones, will forever alter your given anatomy, and your brain will take longer to adapt to those surgical changes, and it may not adapt completely
Chronicity of ailment, which is to say, the longer that you suffer from a particular thing the more it alters your tissue and your chemical makeup so that what was once a specific injury has now morphed into a systemic change that will take longer to uncover and address.
Ill-advised activity outside of and between treatment visits
Too much time between treatment visits -- the gist of healing is creating new habits of nerve firing and muscle contractions, and the best way to create new habits is by repetition in close succession. A habit fades, even a good habit, if it does not get the practice that it needs.
Simply unverifiable reasons. There are some things we cannot know until the Final Analysis.

Question 10

What does DC stand for?

Accepted Answer

Doctor of Chiropractic.

A doctorate in chiropractic, DC, requires a bachelor's degree before matriculation to an accredited college where you will complete over 4600 hours of education hours. This pathway and these educational hours are similar to those required for an osteopathic education, DO, and a medical education, MD.

See Professional Health Systems for a convenient comparison.

A DC education will focus on anatomy, physiology, nutrition, physical exercise, and adjustments. Our curriculum has promoted physical therapy since the 1910s, and we have been on the forefront of the nutrition waves.

Question 11

What does DACNB stand for?

Accepted Answer

Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Neurology Board.

After achieving a Doctor of Chiropractic, a candidate must complete 300 hours of accredited course work in applied neuroscience to be qualified to sit for an exam, and upon passing that exam will be awarded this diplomate.

The leading institution for this education is, by far, the Carrick Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation.

Question 12

I have heard that once you begin with a chiropractor, then you are stuck with them forever.

Accepted Answer

There are no contracts and no obligations to continue your care beyond what you decide.

Another way to phrase this comment is to say, 
After I began with my chiropractor, I realized that I didn't have to live with my symptoms, and I wanted to go back to them to always feel better.

Do you go to the gym once and feel exercised forever?
Do you eat one meal and not feel hungry again?
Do you get your car serviced once and then drive it forever?

We just choose the things in our life that help us live happily, and we continue them for as long as they make us happy.

Question 13

Why don't you take insurance?

Accepted Answer

We wish that we could accept all insurances and still perform the dynamic work that we do.

Billing through insurance, even Medicare, limits our ability to serve you. By the codes of insurance and Medicare we are recognized only for work on the spine and only then for certain occasions.

We felt that our ability to address complaints with the brain, the extremities, and so many other topics, would be obstructed to the point of inadequate care.

Question 14

Will I need to do anything at home / on my own?

Accepted Answer

Most likely.

We can set your brain and body on course, but you have to have to strength and the nutrition to keep driving it on that course.

Common things a successful patient will do at home:
Stretch / exercise suitable for your needs
Eating and drinking what agrees with your body
Avoiding habits that detract from health, e.g. smoking
Breathing with your diaphragm on not your shoulders
Have gratitude

Frequently Asked Questions