Functional Neurology
What is a Functional Neurologist?
Functional Neurologists are highly trained and qualified experts of the brain, spine and nervous system.
Typically, a functional neurologist serves in the same consulting manner as a medical neurologist. The difference is that the therapies or applications of a functional neurologist do not include drugs or surgery. As a result, certain conditions are more customarily seen by a functional neurologist as opposed to a medical neurologist, and vice versa. Specifically, our people see patients with a variety of movement disorders, dystonia, post-stroke rehabilitation, and radiculopathy or nerve entrapment syndromes that are consequences of peripheral or central types of lesions. Functional 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. (Carrick, 1998)
How is a functional neurologist different than a medical neurologist or a neurosurgeon?
Functional neurologists, medical neurologists and neurosurgeons differ greatly in their methods of treatment.
The medical neurologist will prescribe medications or injections. The neurosurgeon uses surgery to correct a condition. The functional neurologist uses medication free and non-surgical treatment methods to reactivate damaged or malfunctioning nerve pathways.
Many conditions of the brain and nervous system do not respond well to aggressive interventions such as drug therapy or surgery. Additionally, the drug therapies used by medical neurologists, and the surgical interventions of the neurosurgeon often carry increased risks for serious complications or dangerous side effects.
For this reason, functional neurologists fill a unique and significant role in treating brain and nervous system disorders using safe and effective methods producing lasting health benefits.
What conditions do functional neurologists treat?
All the conditions normally seen by chiropractors/physiotherapists/osteopaths etc... like pains from injuries caused by lifting, falls, sports injuries, auto accidents, etc plus:
- Headaches and chronic pain
- Learning and attention disorders
- Vertigo
- Developmental disorders
- Head injury or stroke
- Spinal cord and nerve injuries
- Movement disorders
What special diagnostics do chiropractic neurologists use?
In addition to physical examination methods, functional neurologists may use:
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MRI -magnetic resonance imaging
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CT -computerized tomography
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X-ray
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Ultrasound
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Blood work
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And others as necessary or appropriate.
What treatment methods do functional neurologists use?
Functional neurology treatment methods are safe, effective and can include a wide variety of tools such as:
- Functional adjustments by hand or by instrument to the spine and/or extremities
- Eye exercises
- Balance and coordination activities(Dr Billing has a sub-specialty in Vestibular Rehabilitation)
- Cognitive exercises and activities
- Sensory training that may include light, sound, smell, or touch
- Physical exercises
- Breathing exercises
- Biofeedback/neurofeedback
- Nutritional modification
- And many others…
What makes a functional neurologist so special?
Because functional neurologists often have great success treating patients for whom all other treatment methods have failed, people often ask, “What makes a functional neurologist so special?”
The distinguishing factor is the paradigm, or approach that a functional neurologist uses toward diagnosis and treatment. In addition to evaluating for pathologies as medical doctors do; a functional neurologist evaluates for subtle changes in the function of the nervous system. It is this expertise in detecting subtle changes in function that sets a functional neurologist apart from other specialists.
Dr Stefan Billing is a board eligible Functional Neurologist with 10 years experience and has a sub-specialty in Vestibular Rehabilitation.