Inspirational Therapies

06/01/2026

16/12/2025

For those of you that work with me. You’ll often hear me talking about homeopathic remedies. This one’s for the mamas. Reach out if you’d like more information x

14/12/2025

I love working with and learning more about the meridian points in the body.

Female hormones work in a highly sensitive rhythm. Even small changes in estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol can have a significant impact on the menstrual cycle, energy levels, and emotional stability. This is why menstrual disorders often occur alongside PMS, persistent fatigue, hormonal migraines, and extreme mood swings. In meridian or neuro-point therapy approaches, the Gallbladder (GB) channel plays an important role in supporting hormonal balance, relieving pain, and calming the nervous system.

One key point along this pathway is GB26 (Daimai), known as the “belt vessel” because it encircles the waist and has a close relationship with the pelvis and uterus. Stimulation of this point helps stabilize the uterus, drain Damp-Heat from the lower abdomen, and relieve pain in the hips and pelvic region. GB26 also supports the harmonization of the menstrual cycle and vaginal secretions. Clinically, it is commonly used for irregular menstruation, leucorrhea, and uterine prolapse, as well as abdominal and lower back pain caused by Qi stagnation or Dampness. Sensations of pelvic distension or bloating, postpartum weakness, and tension related to stagnated Qi may also improve with stimulation of GB26.

10/12/2025

THE HIDDEN LINK BETWEEN YOUR NECK, CSF FLOW, HEADACHES, DIZZINESS & BRAIN FOG — AND HOW WE ADDRESS IT AT theFNC

Most people think of brain health as purely neurological — chemistry, neurons, neurotransmitters.

But modern research is revealing something much bigger:

👉 Your neck mechanics and head movement patterns directly influence cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow.
👉 Your deep suboccipital muscles connect to your spinal dura through a structure called the Myodural Bridge (MDB).
👉 And impaired CSF flow may contribute to headaches, dizziness, pressure sensations, brain fog, post-concussion symptoms, and chronic autonomic problems.

This is one of the most important, overlooked areas in all of neurology — and it’s something we assess and treat every single day at The Functional Neurology Center.

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🔍 WHAT THE NEW RESEARCH SHOWS

A 2021 paper published in Nature Scientific Reports (s41598-021-93767-8) demonstrated something powerful:

Simple head-nodding movements change CSF flow patterns in real time.

Researchers used advanced cine MRI to measure CSF movement at the cranio-cervical junction. After just one minute of gentle head nodding, they found:
• Significant changes in maximum and average CSF flow velocities
• Measurable shifts in direction of CSF flow
• Increased CSF pressure (confirmed through lumbar puncture in a separate group)
• Altered cranial ↔ caudal flow balance

This means that CSF flow is not only driven by heart rate and breathing…

Movement matters.
Neck mechanics matter.
Head posture matters.

And this is where the Myodural Bridge becomes clinically important.

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🔗 THE MYODURAL BRIDGE: THE NECK–BRAIN CONNECTION NO ONE TALKS ABOUT

Deep under your skull, the small suboccipital muscles attach directly to the spinal dura — the protective sheath around your brainstem and spinal cord.

This connective-tissue linkage is called the Myodural Bridge.

Its role?

To transmit mechanical forces from your neck muscles to your dura — influencing CSF flow, pressure, and stability.

When these muscles function normally, the MDB helps:
• Maintain healthy CSF circulation
• Support brainstem mechanics
• Stabilize the cranio-cervical junction
• Assist with movement-driven CSF “pumping”

But when there is dysfunction — such as:
• Whiplash
• Concussion
• Forward-head posture
• Chronic neck tension
• Cervical instability
• Postural collapse
• Muscle hypertonicity
• Poor proprioception
• Trauma at C0–C1–C2

— the MDB may pull unevenly on the dura or fail to assist CSF movement properly.

And symptoms often follow.

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⚠️ WHEN THE NECK–CSF SYSTEM FAILS, YOU MAY FEEL…

These are EXACTLY the patients who show up at theFNC every week:
• Head pressure or “internal swelling”
• Worsening headaches with movement
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Visual motion sensitivity
• Neck tightness with “pulling” into the head
• Post-concussion symptoms that never resolve
• Difficulty tolerating upright posture
• Brain fog and cognitive slowing
• Sleep difficulty or “wired but tired” states
• Autonomic symptoms (heart racing, temperature issues, anxiety-like sensations)
• Feeling “full,” “pressurized,” or “floating”

Many of these patients have “normal” MRI results — because standard imaging does not assess functional CSF dynamics, dural tension, MDB mechanics, or vestibulo-cervical integration.

But when we test them functionally, we find the root causes.

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🏥 HOW theFNC EVALUATES THIS SYSTEM

We use a comprehensive Functional Neurology approach to evaluate:

✔ CSF-related mechanics through
• Positional testing
• Eye–head–neck integration
• Dural tension indicators
• Motion-driven symptom mapping

✔ Deep neck flexor + suboccipital muscle function

(Where the MDB originates)

✔ C0–C1–C2 biomechanics

(neutral, flexion, extension, rotation)

✔ Cervical proprioception

(accurate or distorted?)

✔ Vestibular mapping

(VOR stress tests, gaze holding, cervical-ocular reflex)

✔ Posture and gait under load

(brainstem + CSF dynamics often show through)

We look at the whole system, not just the painful area.

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🌀 HOW WE TREAT IT AT theFNC

Treatment combines:

1️⃣ Correcting cranio-cervical mechanics

Gentle, precise mobilization + stabilization

2️⃣ Releasing and retraining suboccipital muscles

Normalizing MDB tension.

3️⃣ Movement-based CSF optimization

Inspired by the Nature study — controlled head-nodding, cervical patterning, rhythmic motion sequencing.

(This is also where Ciatrix-style movement and posture-driven fluid work fits beautifully.)

4️⃣ Vestibular and oculomotor integration

To restore brainstem and proprioceptive control over posture and head mechanics.

5️⃣ Dynamic balance and sensory-motor rehabilitation

Allowing the system to re-synchronize under real-world conditions.

6️⃣ Autonomic regulation

Breathwork, visual–vestibular drills, physiological sequencing to restore CNS balance.

7️⃣ Technology assisted therapies

Depending on the case:
• Laser therapy
• Neuro-modulation
• Motion platforms
• Proprioceptive training
• Cervical neuromuscular retraining
• VR vestibular integration
Ciatrix.com

This is how we restore flow, not just treat symptoms.

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🎯 WHY PATIENTS GET BETTER HERE

Because we look at something most clinics ignore:

👉 Your neck is part of your brain system.
👉 Your dura responds to movement.
👉 Your CSF responds to posture.
👉 Your symptoms often come from dysfunction in this system — not from the brain “mystically misfiring.”

When you restore healthy head–neck mechanics, normalize the MDB, and retrain CSF-related dynamics…

Patients often report:
• Clearer thinking
• Reduced headaches
• Better balance
• Less dizziness
• Improved sleep
• More stable energy
• Less anxiety-like autonomic symptoms
• A sense of being “grounded” and “in control” again

For many, this is life-changing.

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🙌 IF YOU STRUGGLE WITH HEAD PRESSURE, DIZZINESS, NECK PAIN, OR POST-CONCUSSION SYMPTOMS — YOU DO NOT HAVE TO LIVE THIS WAY.

At theFNC, we specialize in complex neurological cases where the mechanical + fluid + sensory systems need to be rebuilt.

There is always a reason.
There is always a mechanism.
And there is always HOPE.

👉 Learn more at theFNC.com
👉 Message us to speak with our team

Image source:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-93767-8

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-92506-7

10/12/2025

"As the energy of movement in the mind and body, Vata Dosha is associated with the Air Element. Vata is dry, cold, light, mobile, active, hard, fine, rough, erratic, changeable, and clear. On a subtle level, Vata relates to Pranic energy responsible for all psycho-physical functions in the body. Prana is carried in the body by the Five Prana Vayus, each playing a specific role in harmonizing the mind and body. Vata is considered the most powerful of the Three Doshas since it carries both Pitta and Kapha. Pitta is the energy of transformation and is therefore aligned with the Fire Element. Pitta is hot, oily, light, mobile, fluid, sharp, and sour-smelling. It governs digestion, absorption, and nutrition assimilation while regulating body heat, skin colouration, and visual perception. Pitta’s subtle form is Tejas or Agni, the Fire of the mind that is responsible for willpower, confidence, intelligence, understanding, reasoning, focus, and self-discipline. Pitta relates to the principle of metabolism that deals with converting food into useable energy that runs cellular functions. Metabolism is broken down into two processes—catabolism and anabolism, which are governed by Vata and Kapha Doshas. As the Archetypal Mother Earth energy, Kapha Dosha provides the material for physical existence, bringing solidity to the subtle Elements in the body. Kapha is cold, wet, oily, heavy, slow, dull, static, soft, dense, and cloudy. It relates to bodily water that gives our body resistance to the outside Elements to maintain longevity on a cellular level. Kapha provides skin moisture, joint lubrication, brain and nervous system protection, immunity to diseases, and wound healing." Excerpt and image (under copyright) from "Serpent Rising: The Kundalini Compendium" by Neven Paar

(From Part VI-The Science of Yoga/with Ayurveda)

10/12/2025

08/12/2025

The subtle power of fascia seems to finally be getting the media attention it deserves! Our skilled therapists will be able to feel and feedback on your body's 'holding patterns', helping you release aches and pains, even from injuries received decades earlier.

'Fascia, the connective tissue that holds together the body’s internal structure, really hasn’t spent all that long in the limelight. Anatomists have known about its existence since before the Hippocratic oath was a thing, but until the 1980s it was routinely tossed in the bin during human dissections, regarded as little more than the wrapping that gets in the way of studying everything else. - Physically, it’s made up of collagen, though 70% of it is actually water – and it hydrates through compressive movement, which pumps fluid through the fascial layers, keeping them supple and gliding smoothly. It also contains nerve endings that allow it to sense movement, pressure and temperature – and can influence posture, movement and proprioception. “It’s constantly talking to the brain about what the body feels,” says Kilian. “It’s not a thin layer – it’s a massive, functional sensory organ system that holds us together.”
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/nov/24/secrets-of-the-body-what-is-fascia-health-foam-roller

05/12/2025

By Donnie Yance - The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in the human body, providing afferent information about visceral sensation, integrity and somatic sensations. The convergence of ancient wisdom and modern science in vagus nerve optimization represents a paradigm shift in healthcare, allowing fo...

03/12/2025

🌐 The Suboccipital Region: Where Your Neck, Eyes, and Balance Systems Meet

At The Functional Neurology Center, we often talk about how the neck, eyes, and vestibular system (inner ear balance system) must work together for you to feel stable, coordinated, and symptom-free.
One of the most important—but most overlooked—areas involved in this integration is the suboccipital region, located just beneath the base of your skull.

📍 What Lives in the Suboccipital Region?
This small but powerful area includes:
▪ Re**us capitis muscles (major & minor)
▪ Obliquus capitis muscles (superior & inferior)
▪ The suboccipital nerve
▪ Critical blood supply such as the vertebral artery
▪ Deep cervical veins and arteries
▪ Attachments to the atlas (C1) and axis (C2)

These muscles have dense proprioceptive receptors—meaning they constantly send information to your brain about head position and movement.

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👁️ How This Area Connects to Your Eyes

Your eye movements are directly linked to activity in the upper cervical spine through pathways that help stabilize your vision when your head moves.
When these deep neck muscles become tight, injured, or dysfunctional, they can disrupt:
• Smooth pursuit eye movements
• Gaze stability
• Visual focus
• Eye-neck coordination

This is why patients with upper neck dysfunction often report:
✔ Blurry vision
✔ Trouble focusing
✔ Eye strain
✔ “Motion sensitivity” or dizziness when moving their eyes

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🌀 How This Area Connects to Your Vestibular (Balance) System

The suboccipital region communicates directly with your vestibular nuclei in the brainstem.
If there is irritation, weakness, or compensation in these muscles, you may experience:
• Vertigo
• Disequilibrium
• Difficulty walking in busy environments
• Feeling “off balance”
• Sensitivity to bending, turning, or looking up
• Cervical dizziness or cervicogenic headache

This is one reason why chronic dizziness patients often don’t improve until both the vestibular system and the upper cervical system are rehabilitated together.

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💡 Why We Focus on This Area at The FNC

During your exam and rehabilitation program, we assess:
🔹 Suboccipital muscle tone and activation
🔹 Cervical joint position error
🔹 Eye tracking and gaze stability
🔹 Vestibular reflexes
🔹 How your neck muscles respond to movement, balance tasks, and visual demand

Our treatment may include:
▪ Vestibular-ocular rehabilitation
▪ Cervical proprioceptive training
▪ Targeted strengthening of the suboccipital muscles
▪ Manual therapies
▪ Neuro-visual integration
▪ Customized vestibular rehab using VR, GyroStim, and motion platforms
▪ Laser, ARPwave, and neuromuscular re-education

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⭐ Why This Matters

Your upper neck is not just “neck muscles.”
It is a neurological control center that influences your:
✨ balance
✨ vision
✨ posture
✨ spatial awareness
✨ dizziness
✨ headaches
✨ even your autonomic nervous system

When this system is out of sync, daily life can feel overwhelming.
When it’s restored, patients often feel grounded, steady, and clear.
Doctor of physical therapy