Balance and Vertigo

Did you know that Functional Neurologists use eye movement tests as helpful methods to determine what is wrong with a patient? The disconnection between individual eye muscles during normal motion (such as weakness in one or more of the independent muscles) can be a common sign of vertigo.

While vertigo and balance problems themselves are not life-threatening, they can lead to increased risks of falling and sustaining fall-related injuries. The risk of falling also increases in patients that are over 40 years old or who otherwise suffer from other neurologic deficits and chronic medical problems.

Common signs that accompany vertigo include dizziness (3.9 million emergency room visits for vertigo in 2011 alone), hearing loss, visual impairments, nausea and often result in difficulty driving, difficulty bing in places with a lot of sensory input (grocery stores and concerts) and a constant '“out of body” experience.

Vestibular rehabilitation (VR) is used by functional neurologists to be able to target the various parts of the vestibular system (inner ear, cerebellum), which are at the root of conditions affecting balance and coordination.

VR methods may include various forms of balance stability work, complex patterned movements of the extremities, therapeutic movement with a motorized rotational chair (Gyrostim), positional maneuvers, and/or eye exercises.

Spinal Decompression

Were you aware that 80% of adults experience lumbar pain at least once in their lifetime, and of these cases, 80% of structures causing lumbar pain are related to intervertebral discs? 

With these odds, it’s important that you are prepared for where to seek treatment should this pain pop up at any time!

Non-surgical spinal decompression is often the answer for people who are suffering from sciatica, facet syndrome, bulging or herniated discs, or even some cases of degenerative arthritis.

Nonsurgical spinal decompression therapy is a type of motorized traction that helps relieve back pain and/or leg pain. Spinal decompression works by precisely targeting the vertebral levels causing the pain and creating a negative pressure in the disc. This in turn helps promote movement of water and nutrient-rich fluids into the discs so they can heal. While not every person is a perfect candidate for spinal decompression, its worth being examined.

Spinal Stenosis

What comes to mind when you think of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis? 

Does your definition of spinal stenosis include pain or possibly limiting physical activity? 

Spinal stenosis is what happens when the spinal canal area is narrowed. This narrowing puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves and can cause pain.

For many, lumbar spinal stenosis comes with age when degeneration of the spine causes narrowing of the spinal canal. On the other hand, stenosis can also be caused by a disc herniation inserting into the spinal canal, taking up space that is meant for spinal nerves. Regardless of the cause, spinal stenosis can be incredibly painful. If you’re like the growing number of the population diagnosed with spinal stenosis, functional neurology’s effective methodologies may be your best option to conservatively relieve your stenosis pain.

Manage your sciatica once and for all!

Most who are polled think that Sciatica is a senior-only problem and are surprised to learn that Sciatica has been reported to occur in 1 to 10% of the population, most commonly in people age 25 to 45 years old!

Are you equally as surprised?

It turns out that prolonged sitting or lying on the buttocks, pelvic fractures, gunshot wounds, and other trauma to the buttocks or thighs are the most common cause of sciatica pain. Though, spinal stenosis (which occurs as people get older) can put pressure on both sides of the sciatic nerve and can result in sciatica on both sides of the body (known as bilateral sciatica).

What makes sciatica a surprising diagnosis is that most of those dealing with the pain cannot recall a specific trauma that caused the symptoms!

This is where functional neurology comes in.

After a comprehensive neurological examination, functional neurologists are able to determine which part of the nervous system is compressed, causing the sciatica symptoms. If there is sensory or motor loss, a Functional Neurologist can order an MRI to further evaluate what is taking place. From here, many different rehabilitation options may be recommended that range from chiropractic adjustments, nerve stimulation, cold laser therapy to spinal decompression and balance rehabilitation.

Have you heard of Restless Leg Syndrome?

Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) does not discriminate between men and women, and while it affects 1 million school aged children, 5 million American adults have moderate to severe RLS with twice as many women dealing with it than men.

Symptoms continue longer and become more frequent with age, though it’s important to note that the onset of RLS does not necessarily indicate the presence of other neurological diseases.

RLS can be traced to the basal ganglia, an area in the brain that governs involuntary movements. When there is dysfunction of the basal ganglia, it can cause tics, spasms, and tremors. In order for the basal ganglia to function properly, other areas of the brain must communicate appropriately with the basal ganglia. There are various reasons that result in miscommunication ranging from developmental delays in childhood, brain injuries and inflammation, to genetics and brain degeneration.

Thankfully, Functional Neurologists are extensively trained to examine brain function through various objective tests that include reflexes, movement and balance capture on a force plate, to evaluating eye movements on oculography testing, which some call videonystagmography (VNG) testing.

20 million impacted in the US alone

Peripheral Neuropathy is something many have never heard of, yet it affects 20 million people in the United States alone!

Peripheral nerves send sensory information from the hands and feet back to the brain and spinal cord. These nerves also carry signals from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles to generate movement, which means that any damage to the peripheral nervous system interferes with these vital connections.

Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy can range from numbness or tingling, to pricking sensations (paresthesia), or muscle weakness. Entire areas of the body may become extra sensitive leading to an exaggerated or distorted experience of touch (known as allodynia). In such cases, pain may occur in response to stimulus that does not normally provoke pain. As a consequence of peripheral neuropathy, it is common that individuals also have poor balance and have higher fall risk.

It is possible to improve nerve function! Neurological rehabilitation that include specific nerve stimulations and balance training can improve conduction of the nerves. Also, nutrient support may be indicated depending on the cause of the peripheral neuropathy.

Alternative for migraines and headaches

With nearly 1 in 4 U.S. households being home to a migraine sufferer, the odds are that you know someone who is affected by this pain on a constant basis. Although migraines are the most common between the ages of 25 and 55, 18% of American women, 6% of men, and 10% of children experience migraines.

Sadly, most of those who are suffering from headaches and migraines are accustomed to reaching for over-the-counter drugs over and over again, even though they may provide little to no relief. 

If you are (or know of someone who is) suffering from an endless cycle of popping pills to mask the symptoms, know that there is another solution that exists known as Functional Neurology. 

Functional Neurology is a drug-free approach to getting to the bottom of what’s really causing your pain. 

This is done via effective (and customizable) methodologies and therapies that have been designed to pinpoint specific areas of the brain that need help with improvement. Functional Neurologists are experts when it comes to this condition, and are even trained to look for inflammatory causes that can include environmental toxins, hormone imbalances, or infections.

After identifying the cause of the cause of your migraine examining, we can formulate a comprehensive treatment plan to affect all the systems involved. This may include any combination of chiropractic care, neurological and vestibular rehabilitation, hyperbaric oxygen, and nutrient support.

FREEDOM from Dystonia

Dystonia is a neurological condition in which motor disorders prevent sustained contraction of the muscles or muscle groups and/or repeated movements. It’s pretty scary to those diagnosed with it, as it can spread over only a part of the body to almost the whole body and often starts by affecting control of the neck, eyelids, arms and hands, face, and vocal chords.

Not all dystonias begin as a genetic abnormality. There are other common causes including former muscle, tendon, and nerve injuries, other pathologies, and as the result of medications. There are strong indications that dystonia is related to disturbed activity and communication between nerve cells in the brainstem and the deep structures below the cerebral cortex.

Research has shown that there are different structures in the nervous system are constantly involved in forms of dystonia. The best known are the so-called Basal Nuclei that are deep in the brain. Also (small) errors in the balance system, the cerebellum and the brain stem play an important role in the development and maintenance of dystonia.

It is obvious to think that if the problem is in the nervous system, that treatment should be focused on that area. In any case, it will be important for balance, coordination, eye movements, gait and mapping autonomic functions. After all, these are features that provide insight into the affected areas (primitive brain, brainstem, balance system).

Our office has been able to support many people with this condition and our treatment often include eye exercises and vestibular training, though other therapies can also be used and tailored to each unique patient.