The Functional Neurology Center: Concussion Brain Injury Minnetonka, MN.

12/15/2025

🧠⚡ The Body Talks to the Brain: Peripheral Electrical Stimulation, Neuroplasticity, and How We Use ARPwave at theFNC

For decades, electrical stimulation was viewed as a muscle or pain tool.

Something you used after surgery.
Something you used for sore backs or weak muscles.
Something peripheral.

But modern neuroscience is now confirming something functional neurologists have understood for years:

➡️ The fastest way to change the brain is often through the body.

A recent peer-reviewed review published in Clinical Neurophysiology examined how peripheral transcutaneous electrical stimulation influences not just pain — but cognition, attention, memory, and higher-order brain function.

And what this research shows aligns directly with how we approach neurological rehabilitation at The Functional Neurology Center.

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🔬 What This Research Reviewed

This article analyzed a wide range of studies examining non-invasive electrical stimulation applied to the body (not the head) and its effects on brain performance in:

• Healthy individuals
• Aging populations
• Individuals with mild cognitive impairment
• Neurological and pain-related conditions

The key focus was peripheral nerve stimulation, meaning stimulation delivered through the skin to sensory and motor nerves — similar in category to therapies like TENS, but broader in concept.

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🧠 What the Science Found

Across multiple studies, the authors identified consistent trends:

1️⃣ Memory Is the Most Affected Cognitive Domain

Peripheral electrical stimulation showed the strongest evidence for improving:
• Working memory
• Verbal memory
• Short-term recall

This suggests that sensory input from the body can influence memory circuits in the brain, even without direct brain stimulation.

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2️⃣ Attention & Executive Function Are Also Impacted

Several studies demonstrated improvements in:
• Sustained attention
• Cognitive flexibility
• Processing efficiency

These functions rely heavily on fronto-parietal networks, which are highly sensitive to incoming sensory information.

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3️⃣ The Brain Changes Even When the Stimulation Is Peripheral

One of the most important findings:

➡️ Brain networks reorganize in response to peripheral stimulation.

The authors describe changes likely driven by:
• Ascending sensory pathways
• Thalamic gating
• Cortical network modulation
• Neuroplastic adaptation

This means the brain is not passive — it actively responds to the quality of input it receives from the body.

⸻

🔁 Why This Matters Clinically

Many patients struggling with:
• Post-concussion symptoms
• Chronic pain
• Brain fog
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Poor coordination
• Cognitive slowing

are not dealing with brain damage — they are dealing with disrupted input.

When sensory input is noisy, inconsistent, or suppressed, the brain adapts in maladaptive ways.

And this is where functional neurology differs from traditional approaches.

⸻

🧠 Functional Neurology Perspective

At theFNC, we don’t ask:
❌ “Where does it hurt?”

We ask:
✔️ “What information is the brain receiving — and how well is it processing it?”

The nervous system is an input-dependent system.

Change the input → change the output.

Peripheral electrical stimulation is powerful because it:
• Amplifies sensory signaling
• Improves timing and coordination
• Enhances motor-sensory integration
• Drives neuroplastic change

⸻

⚡ Where ARPwave Fits In

ARPwave is a direct-current electrical stimulation system designed to influence both the muscular system and the nervous system simultaneously.

At theFNC, ARPwave is not used as a passive modality.

It is used as a neurological training tool.

ARPwave Helps Us:

• Improve motor unit recruitment
• Reduce protective inhibition
• Restore normal movement patterns
• Increase proprioceptive accuracy
• Improve circulation and tissue health
• Reduce aberrant pain signaling
• Drive active neuroplastic change

Unlike traditional stimulation, ARPwave is often paired with:
• Movement
• Postural challenges
• Gait tasks
• Cervical and vestibular integration
• Visual-motor coordination

This is critical — because the brain learns best during movement.

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🧠 How ARPwave Supports Brain Function

The article highlights mechanisms that align directly with ARPwave-based rehab:

🔹 Ascending Sensory Activation

Electrical stimulation activates peripheral afferents that project into:
• Spinal cord
• Brainstem
• Thalamus
• Cortex

This creates global brain engagement, not isolated muscle activation.

⸻

🔹 Neuroplastic Reinforcement

When stimulation is paired with movement:
• Motor maps reorganize
• Sensory prediction improves
• Efficiency increases
• Cognitive load decreases

This helps explain why patients often report:
• Clearer thinking
• Better coordination
• Reduced fatigue
• Improved tolerance to activity

⸻

🔹 Pain as a Brain Problem

Pain is not just tissue damage — it is a perception created by the brain.

By improving:
• Input quality
• Movement confidence
• Neural efficiency

ARPwave can help down-regulate pain without suppressing the nervous system.

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🧩 Clinical Conditions Where This Matters Most

This approach is especially powerful for individuals with:

• Post-concussion syndrome
• Chronic pain syndromes
• Cervicogenic dizziness
• Vestibular disorders
• Brain fog and fatigue
• Poor balance or coordination
• Post-surgical neurological inhibition
• Athletes with performance plateaus

In many of these cases, the brain is protecting, not broken.

⸻

🧠 The Bigger Picture

This research reinforces a core truth:

🧠 The brain is shaped by the signals it receives.

Peripheral electrical stimulation — when applied strategically and paired with movement — can influence:
• Brain networks
• Cognitive efficiency
• Motor control
• Pain perception
• Recovery capacity

At The Functional Neurology Center, ARPwave is one of several tools we use to restore better input, allowing the brain to reorganize itself more effectively.

⸻

🌟 Final Takeaway

You don’t always need to stimulate the brain directly to change it.

Sometimes, the most powerful path to brain recovery is:

➡️ Through the body.

⸻

📍 The Functional Neurology Center – Minnesota
🌐 theFNC.com
🧠 There Is Hope.

DC DACNB

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278584625000442

12/14/2025

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12/14/2025

⭐️ UNDERSTANDING THE MYODURAL BRIDGE

How an Overlooked Connection Between Your Neck, Dura & CSF Flow Can Trigger Severe Headaches —

And How We Address It at The Functional Neurology Center

Many people struggle with chronic headaches, neck pain, dizziness, pressure, visual strain, or post-concussion symptoms without realizing the root cause may lie in a powerful — but rarely discussed — anatomical structure at the base of the skull.

This structure is the Myodural Bridge (MDB).

Recent anatomical, histological, and imaging research (including Frontiers in Neuroscience, Journal of Anatomy, and multiple PMC studies) confirms that the MDB forms a direct physical connection between:
• Deep suboccipital muscles (RCP minor, RCP major, and OCI)
• The cervical spinal dura mater
• The posterior atlanto-occipital membrane and cranio-cervical junction structures
• The region responsible for cerebrospinal fluid movement and brainstem stability

This connection means that muscle tension in your upper cervical spine can literally pull on the dura, influence CSF flow mechanics, and alter pain and sensory processing in the brainstem.

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🔬 WHY THE MYODURAL BRIDGE MATTERS

(What Science Shows)

1️⃣ The MDB stabilizes the dura and prevents it from folding or buckling during movement.

Excessive tightness or asymmetry in the suboccipital muscles can create abnormal dural strain → resulting in headaches that radiate to the temples, eyes, or forehead.

2️⃣ The MDB assists cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation.

Studies using pressure measurements and anatomical modeling show that the MDB acts like a small but important “pump” for CSF.
When suboccipital muscles spasm or become dysfunctional, CSF flow can be reduced or become irregular.
Patients often describe:
• pressure at the base of the skull
• brain fog
• dizziness
• headaches when bending forward
• worsening symptoms with Valsalva or position changes

This exactly matches the dysfunction we see in MDB-related cases.

3️⃣ The MDB plays a role in proprioception and cervico-ocular integration.

This connection helps coordinate:
• head and eye movement
• balance and inner-ear reflexes
• cervical spine alignment
• brainstem sensory processing

Dysfunction in the MDB often accompanies:
✔️ chronic dizziness
✔️ motion intolerance
✔️ convergence strain
✔️ vestibular mismatch
✔️ autonomic symptoms
✔️ neck instability
✔️ headaches after concussion or whiplash

4️⃣ Trauma strongly affects the MDB.

Whiplash, sports impacts, repetitive strain, poor posture, or even long-term muscle guarding can overstress the MDB, leading to chronic recurring symptoms that do NOT respond to standard care.

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🧠 OUR ADVANCED APPROACH AT THE FNC

(Addressing the MDB, CSF Flow, Upper Cervical Mechanics & Neurological Integration)

At The Functional Neurology Center, we evaluate the full brain–eye–vestibular–neck connection and design a treatment plan specific to the patient’s neurological findings.

To improve MDB function and reduce headache symptoms, we use a multi-system protocol including:

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🔵 1. Ciatrix CSF Flow Optimization Technology

Ciatrix technology allows us to influence:
• CSF circulation
• pressure gradients
• glymphatic clearance
• cervical-medullary motion
• neurovascular fluid dynamics

Many patients report:
• improved clarity
• reduced pressure
• better sleep
• less dizziness
• fewer “pressure headaches”

Ciatrix is especially effective in cases where MDB tightness is contributing to impaired CSF flow.

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🔵 2. ARPwave Direct-Current Neuromodulation

We use ARPwave to target deep cervical muscle tension and neuromuscular “protective loops” that lock the suboccipital muscles into chronic guarding.

ARPwave:
• reduces chronic muscle tone
• restores mobility
• decreases dural tension indirectly
• retrains cervical motor control
• supports neurological recovery after concussion or whiplash

The goal is to normalize the neuromuscular tone pulling on the MDB.

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🔵 3. Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT)

Using Erchonia Class 2 cold lasers, we support:
• tissue healing
• improved microcirculation
• anti-inflammatory signaling
• mitochondrial recovery of the deep cervical tissues

Laser therapy reduces swelling and irritation in the upper cervical region where MDB tension is most commonly found.

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🔵 4. Low-Force Upper Cervical Manual Therapies

We use precise, gentle techniques — NOT high-force manipulation — to restore proper upper-cervical biomechanics.

This helps:
• reduce strain on the MDB
• improve cranio-cervical alignment
• restore normal dural movement
• support healthy CSF flow
• reduce referral pain into head and face

Many patients describe an immediate sense of decompression or relief in the suboccipital region.

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🔵 5. PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) Therapy

PEMF helps regulate cellular repair, inflammation, and nervous system recovery.
For MDB-related dysfunction, PEMF supports:
• tissue regeneration
• improved circulation
• reduced nociceptive firing
• relaxation of hypertonic cervical tissues

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🔵 6. Visual–Vestibular–Cervical Rehabilitation (When Needed)

Some MDB cases involve downstream effects on:
• eye movements
• balance reflexes
• vestibulo-ocular pathways
• autonomic systems

We include targeted neuro-rehab when testing shows deeper sensory-motor integration deficits.

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⭐️ WHO BENEFITS FROM OUR MDB-FOCUSED APPROACH?

Patients with:
✔️ chronic cervicogenic headaches
✔️ “pressure headaches” at the skull base
✔️ migraines with neck tension
✔️ dizziness or motion sensitivity
✔️ post-concussion syndrome
✔️ brain fog
✔️ atlas/upper cervical instability
✔️ whiplash
✔️ visual strain
✔️ difficulty tolerating head movement
✔️ headaches made worse by posture or screens

If typical migraine medication hasn’t helped — the Myodural Bridge may be the missing link.

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📞 READY TO GET HELP?

The MDB is one of the most overlooked contributors to chronic headaches, dizziness, and persistent post-concussion symptoms.
At The Functional Neurology Center, we combine cutting-edge technology with high-level neurological assessment to address the root cause — not just manage symptoms.

📍 The Functional Neurology Center – Minnetonka, MN
📞 612-223-8590
📧 info@theFNC.com
🌐 theFNC.com

The suspensive myodural bridge complex at the cisterna magna. Posterolateral illustration of the craniocervical junction with magnified sagittal and axial views. The myodural bridges are seen connecting the cisterna magna dura to the suboccipital muscles (asterisk). (Original illustration by Kendall Lane, BFA, Department of Medical Illustration, Warren Albert Medical School, Brown University).

12/14/2025

🧠🦠 CONCUSSION, THE VAGUS NERVE & THE BRAIN–GUT AXIS:
WHY SEROTONIN, INFLAMMATION & AUTONOMIC BALANCE MATTER MORE THAN YOU’VE BEEN TOLD

When someone suffers a concussion or head injury, the focus is almost always on the brain itself — headaches, dizziness, memory problems, visual strain, brain fog.

But neuroscience is becoming increasingly clear:

👉 The brain does not heal in isolation.
👉 The vagus nerve and the brain–gut axis play a critical role in concussion recovery.

A recent comprehensive review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences (MDPI) highlights how gut signaling, vagal pathways, serotonin, and neuroimmune responses directly influence brain health, inflammation, mood, cognition, and recovery after neurological injury.

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🔌 The Brain–Gut Axis: A Two-Way Neurological Highway

The brain–gut axis is a bidirectional communication network connecting:

• The brain and brainstem
• The autonomic nervous system
• The immune system
• The gut microbiome
• The endocrine (hormonal) system

At the center of this network sits the vagus nerve (cranial nerve X) — the primary sensory highway sending information from the gut to the brain.

💡 Up to 80–90% of vagal fibers are afferent, meaning they carry information from the body to the brain, not the other way around.

This makes the gut one of the most powerful sensory organs influencing brain function.

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🧠 What Happens to the Vagus Nerve After Concussion?

After concussion or head trauma, several things commonly occur:

🔻 Reduced vagal tone
🔻 Autonomic imbalance (sympathetic dominance / “fight-or-flight”)
🔻 Impaired heart rate variability
🔻 Increased neuroinflammation
🔻 Altered gut motility and permeability

This dysregulation can drive persistent post-concussion symptoms, including:

• Nausea and GI upset
• Anxiety and mood changes
• Poor sleep
• Fatigue
• Brain fog
• Head pressure
• Light and sound sensitivity
• Exercise intolerance

These symptoms are not psychological — they are neurophysiological.

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🦠 The Gut, Inflammation & Brain Injury

The MDPI review highlights that after brain injury:

⚠️ The gut microbiome can become disrupted
⚠️ Intestinal permeability (“leaky gut”) may increase
⚠️ Immune signaling from the gut can amplify brain inflammation

This is critical because neuroinflammation delays neural recovery and interferes with synaptic plasticity — the brain’s ability to rewire and heal.

The vagus nerve normally helps suppress excessive inflammation via what’s known as the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway.

When vagal signaling is impaired, inflammation can remain unchecked.

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🌟 SEROTONIN: THE MISSING LINK MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT

One of the most important — and misunderstood — pieces of the brain-gut axis is serotonin.

🧬 Over 90% of serotonin is produced in the gut, not the brain.

Serotonin plays a critical role in:

• Mood regulation
• Sleep–wake cycles
• Pain modulation
• Cognitive flexibility
• Autonomic balance
• Neuroplasticity

Gut-derived serotonin communicates with the brain primarily through the vagus nerve.

After concussion:

🔻 Serotonin signaling can become dysregulated
🔻 Vagal feedback to brainstem nuclei is altered
🔻 Mood changes, anxiety, irritability, and depression may emerge
🔻 Sleep and circadian rhythms are disrupted

This is one reason many post-concussion patients experience emotional and psychological symptoms — even without a prior history.

Again: this is biology, not weakness.

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🧠 Brainstem, Vagus & Higher Brain Centers

The vagus nerve projects directly into the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) in the brainstem — a key hub that connects to:

• The locus coeruleus
• The raphe nuclei (serotonin centers)
• The hypothalamus
• Limbic and emotional regulation circuits

This means vagal input from the gut can directly influence:

✔️ Arousal and alertness
✔️ Stress responses
✔️ Emotional regulation
✔️ Cognitive clarity
✔️ Recovery capacity

If this system is offline, the brain struggles to regulate itself.

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🩺 Why This Matters at The Functional Neurology Center (FNC)

At FNC, we recognize that persistent concussion symptoms are often driven by network dysfunction, not structural damage alone.

That’s why our approach looks at:

🔹 Autonomic nervous system balance
🔹 Vagal tone and brainstem integration
🔹 Gut–brain signaling
🔹 Inflammatory load
🔹 Neuroplastic recovery pathways

We don’t just ask “Where does it hurt?”
We ask “Which systems are failing to communicate?”

Because restoring communication is how healing happens.

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🧠✨ The Big Takeaway

Concussion is not just a brain injury.
It is a whole-system neurological event.

The vagus nerve and brain-gut axis — especially serotonin signaling — play a central role in:

• Persistent symptoms
• Mood and emotional changes
• Cognitive recovery
• Autonomic regulation
• Long-term brain health

Understanding and addressing these pathways can be the difference between stalled recovery and meaningful healing.

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📩 If you or someone you love is struggling with lingering concussion symptoms, know this:

👉 There is more to the story
👉 There is a physiological explanation
👉 And there is hope

TheFNC.com
612 223 8590



https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/26/3/1160

Interaction of the Vagus Nerve and Serotonin in the Gut–Brain Axis
by Young Keun Hwang 1ORCID and Jae Sang Oh 1,2,

12/14/2025

🧠 Migraines Are Not “Just Headaches” — New Research Shows the Role of Brain Fluid (CSF)

If you suffer from migraines, especially migraines with aura, new research from the University of Rochester has uncovered something extremely important:

👉 The fluid that surrounds your brain — cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) — plays a direct role in triggering migraine pain.

This helps explain why migraines feel the way they do and why they can be so difficult to treat.

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💧 What Is CSF and Why Does It Matter?

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a clear fluid that:
• Cushions and protects your brain and spinal cord
• Helps deliver nutrients and remove waste
• Moves in rhythm with breathing, posture, and nervous system activity

CSF isn’t just “plumbing.”
It is an active communication system inside the nervous system.

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⚡ What Happens During a Migraine (New Research Explained Simply)

🔹 Step 1: A wave of brain activity begins
Many migraines start with something called cortical spreading depression.
This is a slow-moving wave of altered electrical activity across the brain and is what causes aura symptoms like:
• Visual disturbances
• Tingling
• Light sensitivity
• Brain fog

🔹 Step 2: Brain cells release inflammatory signals
As this wave moves, brain cells release proteins and inflammatory signaling molecules into the surrounding CSF.

These include substances already known in migraine science (like CGRP) and others newly identified.

🔹 Step 3: CSF carries these signals to pain nerves
Here’s the breakthrough:

CSF physically transports these inflammatory signals from the brain to a cluster of pain-sensitive nerves at the base of the skull called the trigeminal ganglion.

There is a unique anatomical opening that allows CSF to reach these nerves directly.

🔹 Step 4: Pain nerves are activated
When these molecules reach the trigeminal ganglion, they activate pain-sensing neurons, which then send strong pain signals back into the brain and nervous system.

➡️ This is when the migraine headache phase begins.

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🤯 Why Migraines Are Often One-Sided

The study also showed that CSF signaling tends to stay on the same side of the brain where the migraine started.

This helps explain why many people experience:
• One-sided headaches
• Pain behind one eye
• Pain radiating into the face, jaw, or neck

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🔍 Why This Research Is So Important

This discovery changes how we think about migraines:

✔️ Migraines are not just “vascular”
✔️ They are not just “chemical imbalances”
✔️ They are brain–CSF–nerve communication disorders

It also opens the door for new treatment approaches that focus on:
• Improving CSF flow
• Reducing inflammatory signaling in CSF
• Calming trigeminal and autonomic nerve pathways
• Supporting brain–neck–vestibular integration

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🌟 Why This Matters at The Functional Neurology Center

At The Functional Neurology Center, we’ve long recognized that brain fluid dynamics, neck motion, posture, breathing, and nervous system regulation all influence symptoms like migraines, dizziness, pressure, and brain fog.

This research helps validate why a systems-based neurological approach matters — because migraines are not coming from one single structure, but from how the brain, CSF, and nervous system communicate.

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🧠 Bottom line:
Migraines are complex neurological events involving brain activity, inflammatory signaling, and cerebrospinal fluid movement. Understanding this helps move migraine care beyond symptom suppression — toward addressing the root neurological drivers.

💙 There is hope.

TheFNC.com
612 223 8590

https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/story/study-reveals-brain-fluid-dynamics-as-key-to-migraine-mysteries-new-therapies

12/13/2025

🧠🚗 WHIPLASH & THE TECTORIAL MEMBRANE

Why a “neck injury” can become a brain–body integration problem

Most people are told that whiplash is just a neck strain.
Modern neuroscience and craniocervical research tell a very different story.

Whiplash is an acceleration–deceleration injury that can disrupt:
• Deep craniocervical ligaments
• Brainstem-adjacent structures
• Central neural pathways involved in posture, balance, and autonomic regulation

One of the most critical—and most overlooked—structures involved is the tectorial membrane.

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🦴 THE TECTORIAL MEMBRANE: A CRITICAL STABILIZER AT THE BRAIN–NECK JUNCTION

The tectorial membrane (TM) is not just another ligament.

🔹 It is the superior continuation of the posterior longitudinal ligament (PLL)
🔹 It runs from C2 (axis) to the clivus at the base of the skull
🔹 It lies directly in front of the spinal cord and brainstem, blending with intracranial dura

🧠 Why this matters:

The tectorial membrane acts as a protective barrier that:
• Limits excessive flexion/extension and translation at the craniocervical junction
• Helps prevent the dens (odontoid process) from migrating toward the brainstem
• Plays a role in brainstem stability, dural tension, and CSF dynamics

When this structure is stressed or injured, the consequences are neurological, not just mechanical.

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🚗 WHAT WHIPLASH DOES TO THE TECTORIAL MEMBRANE

During whiplash, the head moves violently relative to the torso. This places enormous shear and tensile forces on the upper cervical ligaments—especially the tectorial membrane.

📌 A Cureus study demonstrated that:
• Tectorial membrane injury is frequently present in adult trauma patients
• TM disruption is commonly found in cases requiring occipital–cervical fusion
• Injury may exist even without obvious fractures or gross instability on initial imaging

👉 This means ligamentous failure can occur silently, but still destabilize the brain–neck interface.

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🧠 WHIPLASH IS ALSO A NEUROLOGICAL INJURY

Research published in Frontiers in Neurology (2019) adds another layer:

Key findings:
• Patients with mTBI + whiplash had worse postural control than mTBI alone
• Advanced diffusion imaging showed greater injury to the corticoreticulospinal tract (CRT)
• CRT is a central pathway controlling posture, axial tone, and balance
• These changes occurred even when standard MRI looked normal

🧠 Translation:
Whiplash can simultaneously injure:
• Peripheral sensory systems (neck proprioceptors)
• Central neural pathways
• Craniocervical stabilizing ligaments

⸻

🔄 THE SENSORIMOTOR CASCADE AFTER WHIPLASH

When the tectorial membrane and upper cervical structures are compromised, the brain receives distorted information from multiple systems:

1️⃣ Cervical Proprioception

Damaged neck receptors send inaccurate head-position data, creating sensory mismatch.

2️⃣ Vestibular System

The inner ear depends on stable cervical input. Distortion here leads to:
• Dizziness
• Motion sensitivity
• Balance loss

3️⃣ Visual System

Eye movements rely on neck–vestibular coordination. Disruption causes:
• Visual motion intolerance
• Tracking difficulty
• Visual dizziness

4️⃣ Brainstem & Central Pathways

TM injury and abnormal motion at the craniocervical junction can:
• Alter brainstem signaling
• Increase autonomic dysregulation
• Stress pathways like the CRT

⸻

🌀 WHY SYMPTOMS PERSIST

When these systems fail to reintegrate, the nervous system stays in a state of uncertainty.

Common symptoms include:
• Dizziness & imbalance
• Head pressure and headaches
• Brain fog & poor concentration
• Neck tension that never “lets go”
• Fatigue & stress intolerance
• Heightened fight-or-flight responses

These symptoms are not psychological.
They are the brain’s response to conflicting and unreliable sensory input.

⸻

🧠 A FUNCTIONAL NEUROLOGY INTERPRETATION

From a functional neurology perspective:

✴ The upper cervical spine is a neurological gateway, not just a hinge
✴ The tectorial membrane plays a role in brainstem protection and sensory integration
✴ Whiplash can disrupt ligaments, sensory receptors, and central pathways simultaneously
✴ Symptoms reflect integration failure, not just tissue damage

This explains why:
• Imaging can look “normal”
• Pain-focused care alone often fails
• Patients feel dismissed despite real dysfunction

⸻

📌 KEY TAKEAWAY

Whiplash is not simply a neck strain.

It can involve:
🔹 Injury to the tectorial membrane
🔹 Craniocervical instability at a micro level
🔹 Altered brainstem and sensory processing
🔹 Central pathway disruption (e.g., CRT)
🔹 Long-term neurological adaptation

Understanding this shifts care from pain suppression to restoring brain–body integration—the foundation of true neurological recovery.

⸻

🧠 Knowledge changes outcomes.
At The Functional Neurology Center, we evaluate whiplash through the lens of neurology, not just orthopedics.

https://www.cureus.com/articles/53894-tectorial-membrane-injury-frequently-identified-in-adult-trauma-patients-who-undergo-occipital-cervical-fusion-for-craniocervical-instability #!/

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Coronal-illustration-of-the-craniocervcial-junction-from-a-posterior-orientation-with-cut_fig1_358874140

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2019.01199/full

TheFNC.com
📞 612-223-8590
DC DACNB

12/13/2025

🧠 The Trigeminal System: The Most Overlooked Link Between Head Injury, Headaches, Facial Pain, Autonomics & Brain Recovery

Most people have heard of the trigeminal nerve because of “trigeminal neuralgia” or sinus pain…
…but almost no one understands how MASSIVELY important the trigeminal system is for:
• Headaches & migraines
• Concussion & post-traumatic symptoms
• Facial and jaw pain
• TMJ dysfunction
• Sinus pressure
• Neck pain & cervicogenic headaches
• Autonomic dysregulation (light sensitivity, nausea, dizziness)
• Cerebral blood flow
• Neuroinflammation
• Cognitive fatigue
• Brain recovery

At The Functional Neurology Center, we evaluate the trigeminal system in every complex case — because it is one of the most influential and interconnected systems in the human nervous system.

This system is NOT just a facial nerve.
It is a brainstem, vascular, sensory, autonomic, and pain-modulating superhighway.

Let’s break down why it matters.

⸻

🔍 What Is the Trigeminal System?

The trigeminal nerve (cranial nerve V) is the largest cranial nerve, with three major branches:
• V1 Ophthalmic – forehead, scalp, eye, dura, sinuses
• V2 Maxillary – cheeks, upper teeth, sinuses
• V3 Mandibular – jaw, lower teeth, TMJ, chewing muscles

It carries:

✔ Sensory input

Touch, pressure, pain, temperature, vibration, and proprioception from the head, face, jaw, sinuses, teeth, tongue, meninges, and blood vessels.

✔ Motor control

Muscles of chewing (masseter, temporalis, pterygoids), tensor tympani, and more.

✔ Autonomic & reflex connections

Deep links to parasympathetic nuclei, pupillary responses, salivation, tear production, and brainstem autonomics.

✔ Vascular & meningeal innervation

The trigeminal system innervates the meninges, dura, and cerebral blood vessels — making it a direct controller of brain vascular tone and blood flow dynamics.

The trigeminal ganglion and brainstem nuclei then relay information to:
• Thalamus
• Hypothalamus
• Insular cortex
• Somatosensory cortex
• Limbic/emotional centers
• Cerebellum
• Vestibular nuclei
• Autonomic brainstem nuclei
• Pain modulation systems (like PAG – periaqueductal gray)

This is why trigeminal input affects head pain, emotion, dizziness, visual comfort, sensory tolerance, and autonomic stability.

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🔥 The Trigeminovascular System: The Source of Most Headaches

One of the most important sub-systems is the Trigeminovascular System (TVS) — the network connecting trigeminal nerve endings to the dura + cranial blood vessels.

When activated by:
• Trauma
• Whiplash
• Concussion
• Stress
• TMJ strain
• Sinus inflammation
• Neck dysfunction
• Vascular irritation

…the TVS releases inflammatory neuropeptides like:
• CGRP
• Substance P
• Neurokinin A

This causes:

✔ Blood vessel dilation

✔ Neurogenic inflammation

✔ Increased pain sensitivity

✔ Facial & head pain

✔ Migraine-like symptoms

✔ Autonomic symptoms (nausea, light sensitivity)

This is the core mechanism behind:
• Migraines
• Tension headaches
• Sinus headaches
• Post-traumatic headaches
• Occipital headaches that radiate behind the eye
• TMJ-driven head pain
• Concussion headaches

If you irritate the trigeminal system, you can trigger headache physiology — even without a direct head injury.

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🧠 Concussion & the Trigeminal System: The Missing Link

Here’s the part most providers miss:

The trigeminal system is DIRECTLY affected after concussion.

Concussion creates:
• Shearing forces on the brainstem
• Irritation of the meninges (innervated by V1)
• Neuroinflammation → activates trigeminovascular endings
• Altered cerebral blood flow → sensed by trigeminal fibers
• TMJ/mandible compression from impact
• Whiplash → cervical inflammation → trigeminal-cervical convergence

All of these increase firing of trigeminal pathways.

This is why post-concussion patients develop:

✔ Head pressure

✔ Pain behind the eyes

✔ Facial pain or tingling

✔ Migraines

✔ Light & sound sensitivity

✔ TMJ pain

✔ Ear fullness or pressure

✔ Dizziness

✔ Nausea

✔ Cognitive fatigue

And even more importantly…

The trigeminal system helps regulate cerebral blood flow.

If this pathway is disrupted, the brain may struggle with:
• Autoregulation
• Neurovascular coupling
• Metabolic clearance
• Cognitive endurance

This explains WHY concussion symptoms get worse with:
• Bright lights
• Visual motion
• Thinking too hard
• Screen use
• Busy environments
• Neck movement
• Jaw clenching
• Increased stress

All of these stimulate trigeminal input.

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🔄 Cervical Spine → Trigeminal System → Pain & Dizziness

The upper cervical spine shares convergence pathways with the trigeminal system in the brainstem (trigeminal-cervical complex).

Inflammation or dysfunction in:
• C0–C1 joints
• C1–C2 joints
• Suboccipitals
• SCM
• Deep neck flexors
• Cervical proprioception

…can activate the same brainstem nuclei that process trigeminal pain.

This is why neck injuries cause:
• Headaches
• Facial pain
• Eye strain
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Trigeminal neuralgia-like symptoms

And why treating the cervical spine often reduces “facial pain” or “head pressure.”

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💥 The Trigeminal System & the Vestibular System

The trigeminal system links deeply with the vestibular nuclei, influencing:
• Balance perception
• Visual stability
• Head motion tolerance
• Cervico-ocular reflexes
• Spatial awareness

When trigeminal input becomes abnormal, patients experience:
• Dizziness
• Rocking or swaying
• Motion sensitivity
• “On a boat” sensation
• Feeling off-center
• Difficulty with head turns

This is why trigeminal modulation can help stabilize dizziness after concussion.

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🌡 Trigeminal System, Autonomics & Inflammation

The trigeminal system interfaces with:
• The vagus nerve
• Parasympathetic nuclei
• Sympathetic brainstem regions
• Hypothalamic stress circuits
• Pain modulation centers

Activation can produce:
• Nausea
• Temperature dysregulation
• Heart rate instability
• Anxiety or irritability
• Fatigue
• Sleep disturbance
• Digestive changes

And conversely — calming trigeminal input calms the autonomic system.

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⚡ Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation (TNS): A Breakthrough for Brain Recovery

Research shows that stimulating trigeminal pathways can:
• Boost cerebral blood flow
• Reduce neuroinflammation
• Improve autonomic regulation
• Support consciousness in severe brain injury
• Reduce migraine frequency
• Improve mood & cognition
• Help post-concussion symptoms
• Improve sleep and sensory tolerance

This is why trigeminal-focused neuromodulation is becoming a major tool in functional neurology.

At The FNC, we integrate:
• ARPwave trigeminal/vagal stimulation
• TMJ and cranio-cervical work
• Facial proprioceptive rehab
• Neuromuscular retraining
• Sensory desensitization
• Autonomic stabilization
• Pterygoid, masseter, temporalis functional work
• Cranial/dural release
• Vestibular + trigeminal integration
• Visual + trigeminal reflex retraining

When you rehab this system properly, symptoms begin to unwind fast.

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🌟 The Takeaway

The trigeminal system is:

✔ A brainstem regulator
✔ A vascular controller
✔ A pain amplifier — or pain reliever
✔ A balance + eye movement collaborator
✔ A major player in headaches, concussion, and TMJ
✔ A target for neuromodulation and rehabilitation

Most patients with:
• Post-concussion symptoms
• Chronic headaches
• TMJ pain
• Facial pain
• Light sensitivity
• Dizziness
• Neck pain
• Cognitive fatigue

…have trigeminal dysregulation at the root.

The good news:
This system is incredibly trainable.
With the right functional neurology approach, you can calm it, retrain it, and rebuild healthy sensory processing.

This often leads to some of the fastest and most dramatic breakthroughs we see in clinic.

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There is HOPE.

And the trigeminal system is one of the most powerful pathways we use to help patients get it back.

TheFNC.com
612 223 8590

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Image: https://biorender.com/

https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/11/9/2392 #