The Premier Integrative Applied Neurology and Therapeutic Laser Center of Arizona

Medical Neurology vs Chiropractic Neurology

Functional Neurology vs Conventional Neurology

The Difference between Functional Neurology and Conventional Medical Neurologist

Although its applications have been practiced for generations, ‘Functional Neurology’ as a healthcare discipline is a relatively new concept gaining wide acceptance as a powerful treatment option for disorders of the nervous system as well as a proactive brain performance strategy. The practice of functional neurology spans multiple disciplines including chiropractic, psychology, medicine, optometry, audiology, nutrition and physical and occupational therapies.

 

The key difference between a Functional Neurologist and a Conventional Medical Neurologist lies primarily in the treatment applications available to each of them.  The Conventional Neurologist is classically focused on the diagnosis of structural pathology and utilizes pharmaceutical and surgical interventions to treat disease; the Functional Neurologist views the nervous system as a moldable, changeable entity that can be affected in its function through virtually unlimited types of environmental or receptor stimulation he or she can deliver.  This concept of the brain being able to change its function throughout life via environmental stimulation is termed “neuroplasticity” and is at the very core of a Functional Neurologist’s clinical methodology.

As defined:

Neuroplasticity:

The ability of the brain and nervous system to change structurally and functionally throughout life, for better or for worse, as a result of input from the environment.

The Chiropractic Neurologist is in fact the embodiment of a Functional Neurologist at the highest of levels as their extensive training and rigorous certification processes ensure a higher level of clinical efficacy and public safety with their functional therapeutic interventions. They are the clinical neurologists of tomorrow and their services are needed now more than ever as many conditions of the nervous system have little, if any, effective long term clinical success with conventional interventions; and humans are now living longer than ever due to advances in medicine allowing for increased incidence of neurodegenerative disorders where the safety of long term medication usage is highly questionable.

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Janine Crifasi, DC, CCST

Dr. Janine Crifasi, our newest team member at AZ Chiropractic Neurology, is originally from New York – which explains the accent. She attended Life Chiropractic College West and was the Centennial class’s Most Outstanding Graduate. She practiced in the Bay Area until moving closer to family to raise her son who is attending college.

Dr. Janine is committed to learning and educating people to change their awareness about their bodies’ potential and empowering them with unique methods of retraining their brains to maximize their quality of life through neuroplasticity. Her passion to help others puts her patients at ease and makes her a highly sought-after community speaker. Prior to coming to Chandler, she owned a center specializing in kids with learning disabilities and served as the northeast clinical director of a functional neurology practice, overseeing several functional neurology clinics. 

She has completed her post-doctoral clinical neuroscience studies in Functional Neurology through the Carrick Institute for Graduate Studies and has successfully completed the clinical exam and is now board eligible for the written portion. She is a Board Certified Doctor of Chiropractic for over 26 years. She has received additional extensive training in Spinal Trauma, and the Activator Method, and has a certification in Postural Neurology. 

In an effort to better serve her patients, Dr. Crifasi completed postdoctoral specialty training in blood chemistry, thyroid chemistry, brain chemistry, neuro-immune, and neuro-endocrine functional medicine. This knowledge of the brain-gut axis, and the mechanisms that impact our health, allow her to provide patients with easily implemented modifications enhancing improved lifestyle and nutraceutical recommendations as needed.