Functional Neurology Treatment

Learn More About Brain-Based Treatment and Applications with Dr. Brian

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Neuroplasticity is an amazing thing! Many people suffer from neurological symptoms at some point during their life – the causes or triggers of neurological symptoms can range from physical injuries (car accidents, falls, brain injuries), metabolic injuries (post-viral symptoms, mold exposure, Lyme disease), mental/psychological injuries (stress!), and many more. There are many symptoms that are from neurological dysfunction; dizziness, brain fog, headaches, extreme fatigue, lightheadedness, light sensitivity, exercise/stress intolerance, concentration issues…just to name a few. While symptoms like these can stem from injuries from other body systems (cardiovascular system, autoimmunity, nutritional/metabolic issues, etc.), many times there are no significant findings on MRI imaging, blood work, heart tests, etc. As such, many people are left with no concrete reasoning or evidence for what is causing their symptoms. This is when a brain-based evaluation and treatment are recommended to get to the root cause of the symptoms.

When neurological symptoms become severe or do not show signs of improvement with extended time and rest (or other treatments), there is an urgency to find a proactive treatment approach to re-stabilize and heal the injuries to the nervous system. There are many ways to heal the brain and nervous system – my functional neurology approach usually involves both a “training” and “recovery” component. Functional neurology treatment is designed to heal the brain through specific activities for the brain – for example, doing inner ear exercises for dizziness caused by inner ear imbalance. My functional neurology therapies involve training different parts of the brain and nervous system – inner ear, autonomic, cerebellar, visual, cognitive, etc. Specificity is key – the more targeted and specific you can make the therapy and retraining, the better the results will be for the brain and symptoms. I describe this approach as “re-training” the brain because it involves specific adaption of the nervous system through progressive volume of treatment – the more sets, repetitions, and overall volume of treatment, the more the nervous system should stabilize and strengthen. Just like going to the gym and doing different workouts and exercises to make your muscles stronger over a period of time, you can apply the same principles to the nervous system (with some major differences – generally, you don’t want to over-fatigue or over-stimulate the nervous system when there is weakness because that usually triggers more symptoms and does not promote healing/stabilization – many times, you shouldn’t feel “worse” before you feel better). In a separate blog, I will describe more of the “recovery” treatment I offer – the hyperbaric oxygen chamber therapy.

My mission at Great Lakes Functional Neurology is to help you understand your symptoms and help you return back to a healthy, more functional lifestyle. I strive to equip you with the tools needed both in the clinic and at home for neurological recovery and optimal health. If you would like to know more, I would be happy to discuss my services in more detail with you! You can reach me at (616)-581-1558 or visit my website at www.greatlakesneurology.com and schedule a free phone consultation with Dr. Brian to learn more about my therapies and treatment options. Ask for Dr. Brian!

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MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: The content above is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. Great Lakes Functional Neurology does not take responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. We recommend readers that are taking prescription or over-the-counter medications consult their physicians before starting any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program.