What is Chiropractic Neurology? More info...

Within the chiropractic profession, there are specialists in radiology, orthopedics, neurology, and physical rehabilitation. A Chiropractic Neurologist is a licensed Chiropractor who has completed a 3 year postdoctoral course in neurology and has passed oral and written examinations administered by the American Chiropractic Neurology Board leading to board certification in Neurology. Typically, a chiropractic neurologist serves in the same consulting manner as a medical neurologist. The difference is that the therapies or applications of a Chiropractic neurologist do not include drugs or surgery; therefore, a chiropractic neurologist customarily sees certain conditions as opposed to a medical neurologist, and vice versa. Specifically, the chiropractic neurologist often treats patients with a variety of movement disorders, dystonia, post-stroke rehabilitation, head/brain, hemispheristic lesions and radiculopathy or nerve entrapment syndromes that are consequences of peripheral or central types of lesions. Chiropractic 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.

What is the training of a Chiropractic Neurologist?
The training to become a board certified neurologist in the chiropractic profession is an additional three years after the doctor’s degree, which is conducted under the auspices of an accredited university or college that is recognized by the U.S. Office of Education. During that training, there is a didactic and residency based/clinically training. After completing those requirements, the chiropractor will sit for a board examination in neurology, which is held once per year by the American Chiropractic Neurology Board. The examination involves 12 written examinations specific to all aspects of neurophysiology and clinical neurology, an oral examination investigating the clinical protocols, procedures and diagnostic and therapeutic skills of the candidate, and a battery of psychometric testing. There are currently approximately 400 board certified chiropractic neurologists in the world.

What is the basis for Chiropractic Neurology?
The chiropractic neurologist is a specialist in the functional aspects of the nervous system and brain based modalities. Recent developments in neurophysiology have given us the understanding that our brain is a receptor-based system that is constantly adapting and responding to the environment. Environmental changes, whether involving a change in temperature, a change in visual information, a change in the position of our bodies, or the movement of a joint, are signaled to the brain via the activation of receptors (free nerve ending) in the periphery of our bodies that in turn activate peripheral nerves. These peripheral nerves enter the spinal cord where they become pathways that transmit signals to the relay centers in the brain. The brain in-turn responds to these signals as a perceptual experience and/or producers an appropriate motor response, which may involve a change in hormonal levels, an alteration in organ function, or the contraction or relaxation of muscles that move joints.
Information coming into your brain is called afferent information and the motor response/information coming from your brain to an organ or muscle is called efferent information.

Your brain is constantly being bombarded with afferent information from the receptors in joints and muscles. The majority of information being sent into your brain is from the mechanoreceptors in the joints and muscles as a result of the forces of gravity. Gravity is the only constant environmental stimuli and as a result of its forces, your muscles and joints have a constant load placed on them that is transmitted to your cerebellum (the area of your brain which controls posture, balance, and coordination) and your cerebral cortex.

The movement of joints also activates mechanoreceptors and their afferent information is sent to these brain centers so that the brain can control the muscles approximately. A classic example of this non-conscious proprioception is the complex act of walking. When one steps forward, the position of the joints and muscles in the limb transmit signals to the brain which in-turn causes some muscles to contract and others to relax. During this intricate control of our musculoskeletal system it is merely the position of the joints that is responsible for the appropriate neuromuscular controls. Therefore, one can understand that the difference between a leg flexed versus extended not only has effects on the local muscles but also changes central relay in the brain. Hence, the position of the joints and movement of joints is integral to our nervous system.

The biomechanics of a joint may be altered as a result of trauma, poor postural habits, and abnormal biomechanical stressors. Such a joint is termed a subluxation. When a joint becomes subluxated there are drastic structural and physiological consequences.

1. There is a decrease in mechanoreceptor stimulation to the relay centers in the brain resulting in decreased control of the postural muscles and possible altered control of the organs. This decreased firing of relay centers may result in certain muscle groups being inhibited-usually witnessed as weakness of the postural muscle. This “weakness” is not as a result of a need to exercise the muscle, but simply because the muscle is not being activated by the nerves and central relay centers.

2. The lack of movement of a joint causes atrophy of the surrounding intrinsic muscles that are the deepest layer of muscles. These muscles unfortunately cannot be exercised; they are only activated reflexogenically if a joint moves. Atrophy of these muscles causes the joint to become unstable further perpetuating the cycle.

3. As a result of the intrinsic muscle atrophy, the larger more superficial muscle layers must tighten, become hypertonic, and sometimes spasm to provide stability of the joint.