Functional neurology is a specialty in healthcare that focuses on the health and performance of the brain, the rest of nervous system, and its interactions with the entire body.
A functional neurologist specializes in the physiology, or function, of the nervous system. A functional neurologist also has training in other areas of neurology as well, including neuropsychology and neurochemistry. They apply their knowledge of how the nervous system normally works to determine when it isn’t performing. They typically look for the four criteria that manifest when the nervous system is either working too well or not well enough:
- abnormal sensations
- abnormal motor function
- abnormal thoughts
- abnormal posturing
Once they have identified the part(s) of the nervous system that need to be corrected, they use different neurological tools and the principles of neuron theory to assist healing.
Simply stated, the principles of neuron theory state that nerves need two essential things to survive and grow:
- proper fuel
- stimulation
Functional Neurology focuses on treating the brain with “afferent (incoming) stimulation”, which conveys information to targeted areas.
It’s simple science really — the brain controls our body, and our body provides feedback to the brain. When this relationship breaks down, so can your health. We work with patients to identify and address these discrepancies.
When you have an issue, condition or health problem… we locate the issue in the body and see how it is tied to the brain.
If you only look at one area of a person’s health — rather than the way the brain and body are fully connected — it’s very difficult to fully comprehend the degree of dysfunction within the person. Therefore it results in a slowing of or a lack of progress for the patient.