What is neurotonal chiropractic?

We now live in a “Neuro Age,” that is, a time in which doctors, healthcare providers, and the public are starting to recognize and appreciate what chiropractors have been saying and studying for more than a century: the foundation of health is the tone of the nervous system.

A neurotonal approach starts with taking an in depth health history, listening and looking for where the signs and symptoms reported relate to systems of the body. Chiropractors focus on where stress and tension in the neuroskeleton is negatively affecting nerve signal to the other systems in the body. Neurotonal chiropractic leverages leading edge technology to measure autonomic nervous system function. Instruments to objectively assess where and how much physiological stress is present in the nervous system, include spinal thermography, surface electromyography, and heart rate variability.

The history, the scans, and the clinical chiropractic assessment on the first visit inform what recommendations for a care plan the chiropractor offers. We set an initial plan based on a certain number of visits over a focused period of time, and will have check points along the way (re-evaluations) track symptom progress, scan changes, and functional assessments.

Neurotonal chiropractic is not a technique. It reflects a blending of adjusting tools and techniques based on who and how the someone enters care. Scans and clinical interpretation help determine which kinds of chiropractic adjustments will promote more change more quickly, and this can change over time. Network Spinal is the foundation for how we offer neurotonal care at Mutter Chiropractic. In addition, we integrate cranial work and extremity adjusting, as well as instrument and manual adjustments when indicated.

Rocking to Rolling

Rolling to rocking, kicking to crawling unfolds in the order it does to keep time with the stages of development. As the perceptual field of the infant expands, the innate desire to explore the world drives the movements to do so. The way these movements express - their symmetry, their sequence, their coordination - reflects the way the central nervous system is able to adapt to the environment. Supporting this coordination between the brain and body is the primary aim of chiropractic care.

The cross-crawl pattern of hands and knees alternating in sync is the foundation for walking. This pattern weaves the circuitry between both sides of the brain, which is essential for walking, but also the capacity to dialogue. That is, to converse with, investigate, be curious about, and begin to shape the world we inhabit.

For more information about how and why I study, train, and recommend chiropractic for kids, click here.

A Balanced Tension

The first instrument I learned to play was the cello. I recall that the first lesson was how to tighten the bow. The “horsehair” threads that are drawn across the metal strings need to be not too tight and not too loose. It wasn’t until later that we learned to tune the strings. The seasoned ear and hand of the music teacher helped keep the violins, violas, cellos, and basses in tune. I can attest that the sawing serenades of 5th grade novices inflicted both physical and sonic trauma to those instruments. However, the generous encouragement of parents and teachers taught compassion, patience, and to trust the reward of diligent practice.

All stringed instruments require a balanced tension within and across the body to resonate their sound. It is this state of balanced tension that characterizes how the central nervous system feels when it is adaptive and resilient. In chiropractic, we refer to this as tone. 

We often consider tension a bad thing, relating it to stress. Out of proportion and balance, it is. In proportion, it expresses balance, potential, and creative energy.