Adjusting Techniques in Functional Neurology
Joint manipulation applied in a setting of not understanding its effect on brain activity and not understanding how brain dysfunction influences joint mechanics can have a detrimental effect on the overall function of the CNS. The negative impact can be significant enough to interfere with a patient’s care leading to poorer patient outcomes.
What Is the Adjusting Techniques in Functional Neurology?
The Adjusting Techniques in Functional Neurology series consists of 2 modules designed to teach Chiropractors & Manual Therapists how to use joint manipulation to treat brain dysfunction.
The series represents 45 years of clinical work combining the principles of functional neurology with joint manipulative techniques to treat neurological dysfunction and promote nervous system optimization.
Why Include Functional Neurology in your manual therapies?
The short answer is that joint manipulation applied in a setting of not understanding its effect on brain activity and not understanding how brain dysfunction influences joint mechanics can have a detrimental effect on the overall function of the CNS. The negative impact can be significant enough to interfere with a patient’s care leading to poorer patient outcomes.
Brain optimization relies on balanced proprioceptive input and symmetrical hemispheric activation.
Disturbances in brain activity, most often of the decreased variety, can contribute to many complaints patients experience. Thus, differentiating the patient’s complaint as brain-based can significantly alter their care.
Asymmetrical brain activity produces compensatory patterns of joint dysfunction as the brain attempts to alter proprioceptive feedback to reduce asymmetry. Inappropriately addressing these patterns will further the negative impact on the brain.
Dysfunctional joints classified as fixations, joint position errors, and subluxations can reduce the amount of proprioceptive feedback to the brain.
Chiropractic adjustments, joint manipulations, and joint mobilizations can either increase or decrease proprioceptive feedback, thus producing either a positive or negative effect on the brain.
Examination procedures confirming the anatomical localization of CNS dysfunction
Understanding how to change the variables that alter the net central effect of an adjustment to complement brain activity will produce better patient outcomes
Treatment applications addressing the anatomical site of CNS dysfunction
Applying the ten principles of plasticity to any treatment plan
How to implement Functional Neurology into your practice
Different management approaches in Functional Neurology. How to decide the best one for you and your patient
Adjusting Techniques in Functional Neurology Series
What expected outcomes or skill sets would a learner obtain after completing the series?
The ability to correctly identify and treat Hemisphericity using joint manipulation.
The correct application of coupled manipulations to specific regions of the body
The ability to determine the central impact of your manipulations and how to modify them to achieve the desired results
The ability to identify & treat the top brain-based postural compensations and dysfunctional joint patterns.
The ability to identify and treat Asymmetrical Overload Syndrome (AOS)
The ability to identify and treat Frontal Plane Asymmetry (FPA) and the anteriorly rotated ilium
The ability to apply various combinations of joint manipulations to address Hemisphericity and other functional lesions in the CNS.
The ability to determine the influences of gaze preference of the eyes on postural compensations and how to correct them
The ability to look at a specific musculoskeletal disorder and determine the following:
a. How Hemisphericity contributes to the cause of the disorder and its maintenance
b. Neurological influences from other dysfunctional brain areas
c. The dysfunctional joint patterns that occur in tandem with various musculoskeletal disorders.
d. The pattern of joint manipulations to correct for the influencing brain dysfunction and contributing proximal/distal and opposing joints.
e. The use of adjunctive procedures to facilitate recovery
How to modify your manipulative technique to adapt to doctor-patient pairing
What Are the Differences Between the Modules?
Each module teaches concepts and applications with time devoted to practice. Each module in the progression builds on the material of the previous one. The idea here is to create a smooth and logical progression by first teaching foundational concepts and applications and then adding to them.
- Level 1 (The Fundamentals): Teaches foundational theory and the basics of applying joint manipulation within the hemispheric and brain lateralization models while at the same time leveraging biomechanical coupling.
- Level 2 (The Patterns): Builds on the essentials taught in BBA-1 to integrate them into identifying and treating joint dysfunction patterns associated with specific deficits in the brain
Adjusting Techniques in Functional Neurology Level 1 (The Fundamentals)
Level 1 introduces the fundamental concepts of treating Hemisphericity using joint manipulation and muscle spindle resynchronization techniques.
These fundamentals are applied in a specific manner allowing practitioners more success in treating common neuromuscular and brain-based conditions.
Learners taking this program will quickly realize that sidedness, speed, amplitude, and line of drive all matter in the central consequences of joint manipulation.
Practitioners who understand the relationship between these different qualities to brain activation will be better equipped to deliver joint manipulations with higher accuracy and specificity.
Adjusting Techniques in Functional Neurology I - Fundamental Concepts
Hemisphericity & Brain Lateralization
Impact of impaired proprioception on brain function
Structure and function of joint mechanoreceptors
Neurological benefits of couple joint manipulation & its central effects
Joint manipulation: Central neurological effects
Muscle spindle physiology: Impact on brain function and how to leverage spindle activation Vs. GTO activation
Soft Pyramidal Weakness: From theory to application
Respiration: Importance of adequate ventilation
Hypoxia: Central and peripheral influences
Examining for Hemisphericity/Brain Lateralization
Regional-specific joint assessments
Adjusting Techniques in Functional Neurology I - Joint Manipulations
Coupled Cervical
Cervical Rotation
Coupled Rib & Related Supportive Breathing Exercises
a. Upper Rib
b. Lower Rib
Fast Stretch: Qaudratus Lumborum & Iliocostalis
Coupled Lumbar (Rotation & Lateral Flexion)
Coupled Si Flexion to Ipsilateral L5/S1 Lateral Flexion
Hemisphericity Coupled SIJ Manipulations
Soft Pyramidal Based Manipulations (Addressing Hemisphericity)
a. Shoulder
b. Elbow
c. Wrist
d. Hip
e. Knee
f. Foot
Adjusting Techniques in Functional Neurology II (The Patterns)
Level 2 builds on the fundamental concepts taught in Level 1 while introducing the concept of centrally mediated motor patterning and postural compensatory change.
It is well-known that central nervous system lesions produce characteristic postural alterations and motor changes. For instance, it is common for individuals with cerebellar deficits to orient themselves to the same side of their lesions. While individuals with Parkinson’s disease often have a characteristic camptocormic posturing.
The concept of motor patterning suggests that any movement, regardless of how minor, does not occur in isolation but rather in precisely choreographed patterns linked to precise patterns of brain activity. Even a simple movement of your eyes to look in a particular direction involves linking many motor and sensory areas of the brain to the choreographed proprioceptive input from the body.
Level 2 focuses on defining the motor/postural compensatory patterns associated with specific functional brain deficits. Level 2 also leverages the concept of “Choreographed Proprioceptive Input” by applying patterns of joint manipulations that balance, restore and optimize network activity in the brain.
Adjusting Techniques in Functional Neurology II - Motor/Postural Compensatory Patterns
Hemispheric
Cerebellar
Vestibular (Canal)
a. Yaw Plane
b. Pitch Plane
c. Roll Plane
Vestibular (Otolithic Graviceptive)
a. Utricle
b. Saccule
Gaze Preferencing
a. Frontal Plane Asymmetry
b. Asymmetrical Overload Syndrome
c. Anterior Subluxated Ilium
Adjusting Techniques in Functional Neurology II - Joint Manipulations
All Level 1 Joint Manipulations Plus:
Sub-Occipital Fast Stretch
Upper Cervical
C1 Coupled to T1/1st Rib
Coupled Cervical and Sternal Clavicular Joint
Joint Manipulations Emphasizing
Yaw
Pitch
Roll
Translation
Standing Thoracic P-A adjustments
TMJ
Anterior Cervical
Meningeal Release
Sacrum Nutation/Counter Nutation
Course Information
Course FAQ
How do I prepare for the modules?
The best thing you could do is try to review the articles in the Flipped Classroom. They emphasize the key concepts taught in the seminar. Taking the time to review them will go a long way to maximizing your learning experience.
Do I have to take the modules in sequence?
Yes and no, as it depends on your background knowledge in Functional Neurology and prior exposure to neurological-based adjusting seminars. If you have questions about where you should start in the series, it is best to contact the Carrick Institute, and they can assist you in setting up a time to speak with a faculty member to address your questions better
How should I dress for this each module?
Casual dress is highly recommended. This includes loose-fitting clothes, as a significant portion of class time will be devoted to “hands-on” practice of the techniques demonstrated.
Do I have to bring a portable adjusting table to each module?
It is highly recommended that everyone who can bring an adjusting table notify the registrar at the Carrick Institute. The practicums are structured so that participants work in groups of 3 or 4 per adjusting table. Notifying the registrar of your ability to bring an adjusting table will help the Carrick Institute maintain the appropriate participant-to-table ratio.
Should I attend a live class?
That is a personal decision. However, since this is a hands-on seminar that demonstrates adjusting techniques, it has been our experience that learners benefit most from individual one-on-one instruction, which is only achievable at a live event.
Tuition for Adjusting Techniques in Functional Neurology 1 & 2
$599 (per module)
Included In Your Tuition for Adjusting Techniques in Functional Neurology 1 & 2
15 hours of Instruction with Dr. Klotzek in the form of digital and or live attendance
15 Neurology Hours towards the ACFN (American College of Functional Neurology) & ACNB (American Chiropractic Neurology Board)
Receive any future updates to the course videos or other materials
All-Access to the flipped classroom material and online videos, including updates. The clinical applications will be organized and updated so you can easily find them, review them, and implement them in practice.
All-Access to the digital recording of the class
Re-attendance – Retake the class on-site, via Livestream, or via online, self-paced learning as many times as you’d like as an audit.* With an active carrick institute account.
3 months of unlimited access to Medline
Re-attendance policy: Scholars who have registered and completed the program (including the 4-day format or the 5-module series in its entirety) have the ability to re-attend the course with no additional fee. When re-attending a course, the scholar will not receive continuing education credits and will receive an audit. Carrick Institute is not responsible for providing new materials for class audits, including but not limited to manuals, shirts, equipment, etc. If manuals have been updated since the original attendance date, the updated materials will be available via PDF on the scholar’s online portal. If the scholar would like to purchase a new paper manual, they may do so before the course start date.
The All-access and re-attendance as part of your Functional Neurology tuition are specific to the Functional Neurology program. The re-attendance is considered an audit of the course material and does not yield CE or CEU credits. It does transfer to other programs offered by the Carrick Institute.
To view full Terms & Conditions, click here.
For more information on CE/CME eligibility, visit https://carrickinstitute.com/ceinfo/
Continuing Education
Continuing education requirements to maintain certification status through a professional association are usually separate from the state board’s requirements. In order to maintain your certification status in your state please submit a State Continuing Education Application Form.
*We cannot guarantee approval for individual state CEUS. Each state has different rules and regulations. State Applications need to be submitted at least 90 days prior to the state date of your course*
Recertification / Diplomate Requirements: All Carrick Institute courses are approved by the ACFN & ACNB.
