Graduated in 1979 from AECC and was awarded the ECU’s Research Prize for student thesis on cine-radiography of vertebral relationships. Holds an honours degree in Education and with support from the ECU, gained a PhD at Exeter University with research focussed on neurophysiology of body symmetry as a health predictor. Awarded Diploma of the American Chiropractic Neurology Board, (DACNB) and has been granted professional consultancy status for treating neurological problems.

Lecture:

The spine controls the brain, - an exploration of the clinical neurophysiological relationships between functional systems

Preliminary abstract 150

Chiropractic Neurology offers a practical approach to diagnosis by using specific methods to establish the level of the lesion from subluxation to higher cortical dysfunction. Applying chiropractic treatment modalities with neurophysiological adjuncts, clinical applications are designed to promote plastic changes throughout the nervous system.

Functional homologous relationships are traced from embryological development to cerebral dominance. Exploring the effects of emergent behaviour (innate intelligence) on neural systems, and employing fMRI and cineradiographic studies, it is suggested that the Chiropractic Subluxation may produce aberrancies both locally and in other neural systems promoting changes in the brain.

Neurophysiological clinical applications support many chiropractic treatment modalities by promoting plasticity and neural ‘wind-up’. Through these chiropractic modalities, coordination of joint performance and stability are promoted by harnessing the capacities the central and peripheral nervous system, the somatic, autonomic and enteric nervous systems to promote rehabilitation and the restoration of function.

Workshop:

Applications of neuro-physiological diagnostic methods that can be employed in chiropractic practices.

Standard diagnostic tests allow assessment of the longitudinal level of the lesion from subluxation to spinal cord, ponto-medullary area, midbrain, cerebellum and cerebral cortex.
A detailed medical history is a primary diagnostic tool, neurological tests rule out the possibility of an ablative lesion and observation of symmetry in neural systems, levels of fatigue and plasticity, all allow the practitioner to estimate the extent of the problem.
Motor and sensory tests give quantifiable scores. Determining cerebellar dominance and using blind-spot mapping, optico-kinetics, fundoscopy, cortical, midbrain and pontomedulary appraisal, pupil reflexes, convergence, symmetrical blood pressure, muscle tone, will give parasympathetic and sympathetic assessment. Also Rhomberg’s heel-to-toe, march test, finger-to-nose test and other kinetic body awareness tests allow assessment of muscle tone and the fragility of the patient’s nervous system enable a diagnosis.
After the neurological diagnosis, specific treatment modality can be selected to suit the patient’s level of neural plasticity.