Chiropractic Neuroscience Made Easy

Background: Musculoskeletal rehabilitative care and research have traditionally been guided by a structural pathology paradigm and directed their resources towards the structural, functional, and biological abnormalities located locally within the musculoskeletal system to understand and treat Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD).

However, the structural pathology model does not adequately explain many of the clinical and experimental findings in subjects with chronic MSD and, more importantly, treatment guided by this paradigm fails to effectively treat many of these conditions.

Increasing evidence reveals structural and functional changes within the Central Nervous System (CNS) of people with chronic MSD that appear to play a prominent role in the pathophysiology of these disorders. These neuroplastic changes are reflective of adaptive neurophysiological processes occurring as the result of altered afferent stimuli including nociceptive and neuropathic transmission to spinal, subcortical and cortical areas with MSD that are initially beneficial but may persist in a chronic state, may be part and parcel in the pathophysiology of the condition and the development and maintenance of chronic signs and symptoms. 

Recent findings suggest that a change in model and approach is required in the rehabilitation of chronic MSD that integrate the findings of neuroplastic changes across the CNS and are targeted by rehabilitative interventions. Effects of current interventions may be mediated through peripheral and central changes but may not specifically address all underlying neuroplastic changes in the CNS potentially associated with chronic MSD.

1 Video, 1 online article
6 Ceu's Package, Dr Heidi Haavik - PhD, PG Dip (Science), BSc (Chiro), BSc (Science)

1 hr 30 min.

What is becoming clear from scientific studies is that spinal dysfunction negatively impacts brain function, and that chiropractic adjustments can reverse this.  Major shifts are occurring in neuroscience, including a new understanding about the impacts of stress and emotional trauma on the brain, body and health and a new understanding about the major role of the brain in maintaining chronic musculoskeletal pain (the brain learns to be in pain!).

This new understanding is congruent with the latest research showing how important the spine is for proper brain function. One particular part of the brain that we now know we impact when we adjust the spine is the prefrontal cortex.  This literally is the Chiropractors Dream, because the prefrontal cortex is vital for one's intelligence, movement control, pain processing, mental health, immune system, endocrine system and inflammation (thus most chronic diseases)! 

Dr. Haavik will explain all of this to you in an easy-to-understand language.  She will share with you a summary of where we are at today with the neurophysiological understanding of the impact of spinal function on brain function and will discuss what future implications this has for us as a profession.

The current COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the need to find healthcare solutions that boost or support immunity. There is some evidence that high-velocity, low-amplitude (HVLA) controlled vertebral thrusts have the potential to modulate immune mediators.  This review aims to elucidate the underlying mechanisms that can explain the HVLA controlled vertebral thrust–neuroimmune link and discuss what this link implies for clinical practice.

This narrative review discusses the most likely mechanisms for how HVLA controlled vertebral thrusts could impact these immune markers. The mechanisms are most likely due to the known changes in proprioceptive processing that occur within the central nervous system (CNS), in particular within the prefrontal cortex, following HVLA spinal thrusts. The prefrontal cortex is involved in the regulation of the autonomic nervous system, the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and the immune system. Bi-directional neuro-immune interactions are affected by emotional or pain-related stress.

4 Videos, 1 online article
6 Ceu's Package, Dr Heidi Haavik - PhD, PG Dip (Science), BSc (Chiro), BSc (Science)

1 hr.

These videos covers the latest basic science research evidence that been done over the past two decades that has looked at what a vertebral subluxation is. It also looks at what evidence we have for one of the old theories about the chiropractic subluxation (the squashed nerve theory). And it covers how the latest science can easily be communicated with the public.  The new science is showing us that the subluxation is almost as DD Palmer originally described it, just with a subtle new twist.

1 Video
3 Ceu's Package, Dr Heidi Haavik - PhD, PG Dip (Science), BSc (Chiro), BSc (Science)

1 hr 20 min.

This video will cover the science about how stress and traumatic experiences negatively impacts our brain function and our health by causing most of the common chronic diseases of today.  It also covers the science that is showing us that spinal dysfunction negatively impacts brain function, and that chiropractic adjustments can reverse this. That fact that science is showing that chiropractic adjustments impact processing in the prefrontal cortex, this has major implications for how we may be impacting our patient's health.

This research literally is the Chiropractors Dream, because the prefrontal cortex is vital for one's intelligence, movement control, pain processing, mental health, immune system and inflammation (thus most chronic diseases)  

2 Videos
3 Ceu's Package, Dr Heidi Haavik - PhD, PG Dip (Science), BSc (Chiro), BSc (Science)

4 hrs.

These videos will cover the latest scientific understanding about pain, and how the feeling of pain is always created in the brain, due to either tissue damage, or even just the potential for tissue damage. The latest science tells us that pain is created in the brain to warn us about danger. However, this system can go wrong due to maladaptive neural plasticity and cause chronic pain. She will cover how pain can change and adapt over time depending on the persons experiences.

We now know that for a lot of chronic pain there may no longer be much tissue damage present at all it can become a learnt problem within the brain itself. Physiological and psychological stress also plays a major role in this maladaptive process, and Heidi will cover this as well. She will also cover the latest scientific understanding about the function of the spine and its impact on brain function. The way the brain controls spinal movement is altered by spinal injury, and this changes over time. Such spinal movement patterns are know to play a vital role in how spinal pain becomes a chronic problem.

Heidi will also, focus on the mechanisms of an adjustment, based on the latest relevant scientific research studies, and how this is likely altering the way a person's brain is feeling pain, and how the brain controls spinal movement patterns. The new basic science research tells a story that is similar to the old historic theories about the subluxation and mechanism of chiropractic care, but with a subtle and very important twist to it.

We use to think we were fixing problems locally in the spine, when it now turns out we are more likely to be fixing problems at the level of the brain, and here turning down or switching off the sensation of pain directly in the brain, in addition to improving the way the brain controls spinal movement patterns (improving spinal function).

Dr Heidi Haavik will also discuss what has been shown clearly in the literature to work when it comes to retraining the brain out of pain and give practical tips and advice on how best to train the pain out of the brain. Dr Heidi Haavik will clarify what we as chiropractors can and cannot claim to help you thrive in an evidence informed world.

We suggest that a key pathway through which chronic stress and depression influence health outcomes involves proinflammatory cytokines. We discuss the evidence for relationships between psychosocial factors and proinflammatory cytokines, and important health implications of these findings.

1 Video, 1 online article
6 Ceu's Package, Dr Heidi Haavik - PhD, PG Dip (Science), BSc (Chiro), BSc (Science)

1 hr 40 min.

This video covers what is known regarding interactions between the central nervous system (CNS) and the immune system, and it covers the way stress impacts the immune system according to the latest research evidence. It also covers all the known scientific evidence about the link between chiropractic care and the immune system. And it finishes off by going over what you can and cannot claim based on this research evidence.