referred to as “brain based” therapy, although they are rolling out a new program akin to the “best of” the Car-rick Institute called Receptor Based Essentials (RBE), focusing on how the brain responds to dys-afferentiation. The pros: The traditional Carrick Institute is compre-hensive and technically savvy. The consensus from people is it’s very didactic and academically challenging while ahead of the curve on how technology can influence neurological healing. The cons: The practical application for the average doc is steep. Beyond the cost of education, travel, hotels, and time invested away from family for over 300 hours of education, the equipment costs can be staggering. You have to be fully in to make this work for you and dedicate your life to this trade. Assessment: If you’re 100% in, and ready for the time and financial commitment, go for it. However, the addi-tion of the RBE will likely mitigate this for the future and provide docs with a more reasonable starting point for this technique. Created by a Mexican orthopedic surgeon, Dr. José Palomar, P-DTR is the practical confluence of neuro-anatomy, orthopedics, and manual therapy. The focus is on identifying dysfunctional receptors, be it propriocep-tors (golgi tendon organs), nociceptors (neospinotha-lamic track/paleospinothalamic track), and the autonomic cndoctor.ca Proprioceptive-Deep Tendon Reflex (P-DTR) ® system amongst others. Identifying these dysfunctional receptors and applying it to improve improper move-ment patterns, stability, coordination or simply pain can rectify the abnormal compensations created by the brain to cope with the problem. The program includes a foundation program of four, four-day modules, which provides practitioners with the methodology, and practical tools to apply it. The two module inter-mediate program is heavily focused on the application of the technique to various orthopedic and move-ment-based problems. The two module advanced program discusses strategies surrounding peripheral nerve entrapment, influencing cranial nerves, and metabolic systems. The pros: Of the functional neurology techniques, this one is likely the best balance between training, practical application, and cost. Mastering even the basics of this technique can make you a “wizard,” enhancing changes to your technique that no one else can touch, and solving problems that many had given up on. You also do the majority of the work with your hands, so no extra costs are necessary. Neurophysio-logical modelling also helps the practitioner make sense of what they are seeing. The cons: This technique, to the independent ob-server, looks strange. To stimulate various receptors, you are swiping, slapping, or poking your patient. If your patient is a simple chiropractic case, used to getting your great care in the office, and doesn’t re-quire a deep dive for a complicated problem, this technique is likely to raise eyebrows to the point some-one might walk away and call you crazy. However, with proper education, and taking the time to demonstrate how this works, and “dialling down the weird,” you can largely mitigate this effect. Most patients call it voodoo, but they do so in a positive way after seeing dramatic changes. As for the program itself, it could use better clarity on patient flow, and how to use which strategy to apply to which problem. Assessment: In full disclosure, the author of this article has taken this program in its entirety, although there are no financial ties to the organization. The results have been astounding and they work fast. How-ever, the ability to properly assess and treat a patient using this technique within 15 minutes or less is very challenging. Most practitioners operate in 30-to 60-minute blocks, which can make it difficult from a financial perspective. The author blends traditional chiropractic care, manual therapy and P-DTR con-cepts in specific applications to avoid loss of time and reduce redundancy. Each practitioner needs to figure out how to apply the right technique at the right time. Purely from a results perspective and practical appli-cation, this technique is one to look at. Neurokinetic Therapy (NKT) Neurokinetic therapy is the brainchild of David Wein-stock, a massage therapist from California who devel-oped an interesting concept. According to David May 2020 Chiropractic and Naturopathic Doctor 23
Chiropractic + Naturopathic Doctor May 2020: Page 23
