Chiropractic Neurology

After a brain injury, it is essential to see a chiropractic neurologist because they can address alignment issues that may occur in the spine and neck. Misalignments can cause tension in the surrounding muscles and limit the flow of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF), which is essential for brain health and removing inflammatory waste from the brain. CN will also address neurological disorders that are not structural. After evaluation, patients are given exercises to help rewire the brain.

Specialist’s Explanation

What is chiropractic neurology?

Chiropractic neurology is a discipline within chiropractic that specializes in diagnosing and treating neurological disorders. Obviously, “neurological disorders” is a term that is very broad since it is estimated that hundreds or even thousands of different neurological disorders exist. However, if we analyze them in a functional or anatomical way, a lot of them have something in common: some neurons are not communicating properly. In other words, there is a dysfunction of the neural pathways involved, and therefore, it doesn’t feel right, or it doesn’t look right. Chiropractic neurology aims to restore proper neural pathways by stimulating different parts of the body or the head.

It becomes a particularly relevant and efficient method when it comes to addressing neurological disorders that are not structural, such as a concussion: even though a brain MRI might be completely unremarkable after a head injury, one might still suffer from symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, brain fog, or light sensitivity just to name a few. Unlike other approaches that will leave someone with those neurological symptoms as it is, or have someone to rely on medication to mask the symptoms, chiropractic neurology involves a more engaged course of action from the patient. Rather than resting or using passive therapies, the patient plays an active and intentional role during the relearning process by doing appropriate exercises that will include mental tasks, balance/coordination activities or sensory perception training to rewire those neural pathways and therefore get rid of the associated symptoms.

Dr. Josuke Tanaka

Dr. Tanaka applying chiropractic neurology methods on a patient.


Patient Reviews

Doctor MacArthur is a Fellow of the Brain Injury and Vestibular Association! He runs a clinic like approach to PCS with some of the newest equipment and approaches. If you are too severe for hospital treatments or not making progress in your program I highly recommend him. He always does an extensive evaluation for patients with neurological symptoms. This evaluation includes a Videonystagmography (VNG) and Comprehensive Assessment of Postural Systems (CAPS) testing as well as he evaluates you himself. The VNG you look at a screen and that can be hard to do since I still have trouble looking at screens, but they will be patient and go at your pace. For the CAPS testing you stand on a board and they put your head in different positions and they record your balance… (don’t worry they stand behind you in case you fall). Doctor McArthur then reviews all your data and creates a customized treatment plan for you based on the problem areas that show up in the neurological testing. For me Dr. MacArthur recommended intensive treatment for weeks at a time to reinforce the treatment that consisted of ocular, vestibular, autonomic nervous system retraining, and chiropractic adjustments. Ocular exercise was usually following a finger/ objects with my eyes. Vestibular they do specifically designed steps of having your head placed in different positions to reorient your vestibular system, Autonomic nervous system retraining they use a tilt table. A tilt able is a table that you lay flat on and they bring the table up to horizontal, then to standing they stimulate your vagus nerve with an instrument that has a mild electrical frequency to either a spot on your head or tongue. All of these treatments can trigger symptoms but they give you breaks in between and Dr. MacArthur reviews all the symptoms you report to make sure you are where you are supposed to be. While it can be overwhelming to be there intensively, and it is very expensive this is where I have made the biggest jumps in progress. The staff is friendly and will accommodate you, and there are hotels minutes away that will drive you to and from with their shuttle service!

Torie/Doctor MacArthur in Portland, ME

Ryan Khalsa saved me. Doctor Khalsa is extremely dedicated to the work he does and is always researching.  He is extremely knowledgeable about PCS and the complications it can cause, and he took in all the little details of my case to create a treatment plan for me. I can’t speak highly enough of his character. I was 3 months into my head injury when I saw Doctor Khalsa and I could not tolerate any light and had been wearing earplugs nonstop and was experiencing migraines almost every day. Doctor Khalsa did some ocular testing and cervical joint position testing to evaluate where I was. He was able to explain my symptoms and why they were happing and most of all Doctor Khalsa gave me a beam of hope in a time in my life where I was completely in the dark. He also was able to reduce my pain in every session I had with him saving me many ER trips. He did this by insufflation, trigger point therapy, and chiropractic adjustments. Insufflation is a technique to abort a migraine. Doctor Khalsa inserts the tip of an otoscope (instrument doctors use to look into your ear) into your ear. The otoscope tip is attached to a ball pump that he squeezes that blows air into your ear. While this sounds strange there have been clinical studies on it and just a couple minutes of it could bring me down from an 8 migraine to a 6.  Trigger point therapy is pressure on a tight muscle point that causes referred pain. Triger point therapy in some spots I found can be painful at first but then the pain comes down and reduced my overall pain level. I became aware of my trigger points and what caused them to tighten with Dr. Khalsa’s guidance.

Torie/Doctor Ryan Khalsa in Newington NH

 I definitely began taking some steps in the wrong direction after returning to work full time in April.  I was really struggling, basically getting through the workday, but coming home and going right to bed.  So, back to the internet I want to search for someone that may be able to help me.  I first heard about Functional (Chiropractic) Neurology from TBI Coach on YouTube and visited the American Chiropractic Neurology Board website, https://www.acnb.org, and located Dr. Bryan Royer at Harmony Chiropractic Center in Sylvania, Ohio.  He is one of 500 in the US with this certification. I cannot say enough about my experience with Dr. Royer!  He completely understands brain injury, and is incredibly thorough.  The initial assessment required 4 appointments, and we have been working on functional therapies to address the areas of my brain that are impaired based on my symptoms in a very strategic order.  He was able to record my eye movement and has identified the fact that I am still not ready to work on my eyes, which is likely why the Physical Therapy I did earlier in my recovery was not as effective as we had hoped.  Some of the therapies he has prescribed are super simple, such as playing the game Memory.  We are actively working on multiple areas that I am still struggling with, including my  memory, balance, issues with my eye movement, light and sound sensitivity, headaches, and some moderate neck pain and tightness.  My energy level has greatly improved since I began working with Dr. Royer, beginning in June.  I am able to get through work, and still have energy to spare.  I finally feel like I'm getting back to myself.  I am still treating with him, and am very encouraged to be able to work with someone who can explain why I'm experiencing what I am, instead of dismissing me and making me feel that it's not all in my head and that anxiety medication is not the answer, as this is what the traditional Neurologist had offered me.  Dr. Royer also offers Graston Technique, which we started recently and is helping a lot with my range of motion in my neck as well as the tightness and pain.  He is truly brilliant, and is very well versed in dealing with insurance companies and how things should be documented.  I truly wish I would've discovered him sooner as I couldn't be happier with the care I am currently receiving and the progress we are making.  

Sarah Verlinde/ Dr. Bryan Royer, DC in Sylvania, OH