Functional Neurology
and the
Functional Neuro Health Approach
What is Functional Neurology?
Your brain is the control center of everything you do—how you move, think, feel, and even how you respond to stress. It communicates with the rest of your body through the nervous system, which acts like a network of electrical wires, sending signals back and forth to keep everything running smoothly.
But sometimes, this system doesn’t function as well as it should. If certain areas of the brain or nervous system aren’t working efficiently, signals can become delayed or misinterpreted, leading to issues like brain fog, dizziness, chronic pain, poor coordination, or fatigue.
Unlike traditional neurology, which looks for structural damage (like a tumor or nerve injury), functional neurology focuses on how well the nervous system is actually functioning. By identifying and improving weak areas in the brain and body’s communication system, it helps restore balance, improve performance, and reduce symptoms.
How Does Functional Neurology Work?
Your nervous system relies on three key sensory systems to process the world around you and coordinate movement:
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The Visual System (Eyes & Vision Processing) – Your brain uses visual input for balance, depth perception, and movement coordination. If your visual processing is off, it can cause headaches, dizziness, or trouble focusing.
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The Vestibular System (Inner Ear & Balance) – This system helps you stay balanced and oriented. When it’s not functioning properly, you might feel off-balance, lightheaded, or easily motion sick.
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The Proprioceptive System (Body Awareness & Movement Control) – This system tells your brain where your body is in space without needing to look. When it’s impaired, you may feel clumsy, stiff, or uncoordinated.
These three systems must work together seamlessly. When they don’t, the brain receives conflicting signals, leading to symptoms like chronic pain, postural issues, fatigue, or nervous system dysregulation (feeling stuck in fight-or-flight mode). Functional neurology helps retrain and optimize these systems, so your brain can process information more accurately.
How Functional Neurology Helps
Your brain has an incredible ability to adapt and change—this is called neuroplasticity. Functional neurology uses specific exercises to target and strengthen underperforming areas of the brain and nervous system, helping to restore proper function.
Some of the techniques used include:
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Targeted eye movement exercises to enhance focus, coordination, and reduce dizziness.
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Balance and vestibular training to improve stability and prevent motion-related discomfort.
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Proprioceptive and sensory stimulation (like light, sound, or movement exercises) to recalibrate brain-body communication.
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Motor retraining to improve posture, flexibility, and pain-free movement.
Unlike medications or passive treatments, functional neurology actively engages the nervous system to create lasting improvements. It’s like rewiring a faulty circuit in your brain, helping you function at your best.
Who Can Benefit from Functional Neurology?
Functional neurology can help if you’re dealing with:
✅ Post-concussion symptoms (brain fog, dizziness, memory issues)
✅ Chronic pain (back pain, neck tension, nerve-related pain)
✅ Balance or coordination issues (clumsiness, unsteady movements)
✅ Mental fatigue & focus problems (trouble concentrating, burnout)
✅ Nervous system dysregulation (anxiety, overactive fight-or-flight response)
Rather than just managing symptoms, functional neurology targets the root cause—helping your brain and body function more efficiently so you can feel and perform better.
Functional Neuro Health
Kinesiology
Kinesiology muscle testing, also known as applied kinesiology or manual muscle testing (MMT), is a technique used to assess the body's response to different stimuli, such as stressors, foods, emotions, or imbalances in the nervous system. It is based on the principle that the body's muscles react differently depending on whether something is beneficial or harmful to the individual.
How It Works
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Testing a Muscle – A practitioner applies light pressure to a specific muscle (often an arm or leg), asking the client to resist the pressure.
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Assessing the Response – If the muscle remains strong, it suggests balance or a positive response. If it weakens, it may indicate stress, imbalance, or an issue in the body's energy systems.
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Identifying Imbalances – The practitioner may introduce different stimuli (e.g., nutritional supplements, emotions, thoughts, or physical touch) to see how the muscle reacts.
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Finding Corrections – Once imbalances are identified, techniques such as acupressure, functional neurology, structural adjustments, or emotional processing may be used to restore balance.
What It’s Used For
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Identifying nutritional deficiencies or sensitivities
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Detecting stressors and emotional blocks
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Assessing neurological function and nervous system imbalances
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Supporting injury recovery and pain relief
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Balancing energy flow in the body
Why It’s Different from Conventional Muscle Testing
Unlike strength testing in physiotherapy, kinesiology muscle testing is not about physical strength but about how the nervous system communicates with muscles. It’s often used in holistic health to tap into the body’s innate intelligence and subconscious responses.
