A chiropractic neurologist is a licensed chiropractor who has completed additional postgraduate training in how the nervous system functions and how to rehabilitate it without drugs or surgery. They hold the title DACNB (Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Neurology Board), which requires 300 hours of post-doctorate education in functional neurology plus passing both written and performance exams. Their core focus is using targeted physical exercises, sensory stimulation, and lifestyle changes to improve brain and nerve function.
Training and Certification
Every chiropractic neurologist starts as a Doctor of Chiropractic, completing a four-year doctoral program that covers anatomy, physiology, radiology, and hands-on clinical work. After that, they pursue an additional specialty in neurology through the American Chiropractic Neurology Board (ACNB), which is accredited under the international ISO/IEC 17024 standard for professional certification bodies. That accreditation runs through September 2026 and classifies these practitioners under the Health Professionals group in the International Standard Classification of Occupations.
The 300 hours of postgraduate coursework cover neuroanatomy, neurodiagnostics, vestibular rehabilitation, and clinical applications of functional neurology. Candidates must then pass oral and written board exams that test both their knowledge and their ability to perform neurological assessments. The result is a practitioner who can conduct detailed neurological examinations but operates within the chiropractic scope of practice.
How They Differ From Medical Neurologists
The simplest distinction: a medical neurologist is an MD or DO who completed a neurology residency and can prescribe medications, order brain surgeries, and manage complex neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis or epilepsy. A chiropractic neurologist cannot prescribe drugs or perform surgery. Their treatment covers three main areas: chiropractic care, nutrition, and exercise.
Both use many of the same diagnostic tools. Chiropractic neurologists rely on physical examination, lab values, X-rays, MRI, CT scans, and electromyography (EMG) to reach a diagnosis. They also commonly use videonystagmography (VNG), a test where you wear special goggles with a built-in camera that records involuntary eye movements while you follow lights, change head positions, and have warm or cool air directed into your ears. These eye movement patterns reveal how well your vestibular system (your inner-ear balance system) is functioning and whether one side is weaker than the other.
Where they diverge most is in the treatment itself. A medical neurologist might prescribe anti-seizure medication or refer you for neurosurgery. A chiropractic neurologist designs rehabilitation protocols built around physical and sensory exercises intended to strengthen specific neural pathways.
The Concept Behind Functional Neurology
Chiropractic neurology is rooted in neuroplasticity, your brain’s ability to physically rewire itself in response to new demands. When you learn a skill or recover from an injury, new connections form between neurons. This isn’t metaphorical. Structural changes occur inside the brain as synaptic connections multiply and strengthen with repeated use.
The practical principle is straightforward: targeted, repetitive stimulation of specific brain pathways can improve how those pathways perform. Researchers have found, for example, that retraining stroke patients to use a spoon improved not just that task but other motor skills as well. The key factors that drive neuroplastic change are specificity (focusing on the exact function you want to improve), repetition, and progressive challenge.
Chiropractic neurologists apply this by identifying which parts of the nervous system are underperforming and then designing exercises to activate those areas. If your balance system on the left side is weaker, for instance, you might receive targeted head-position exercises combined with visual tracking drills that preferentially engage that side.
Conditions They Commonly Address
Chiropractic neurologists work with a range of neurological and developmental conditions. Common reasons people seek them out include:
- Concussion and post-concussion syndrome: persistent headaches, brain fog, dizziness, or light sensitivity that linger after a head injury
- Vertigo and balance disorders: including benign positional vertigo and other vestibular dysfunction
- Chronic headaches and migraines
- Developmental disorders: including ADHD and learning difficulties in children
- Movement disorders: tremors, coordination problems, or gait instability
- Dysautonomia: conditions where the automatic functions of the nervous system (heart rate regulation, blood pressure, digestion) aren’t working properly
Vestibular rehabilitation in particular has a reasonable evidence base. A 2024 study published in Frontiers in Neurology tracked 64 patients with dizziness and balance problems through a customized vestibular rehabilitation program. After a median of six weeks, patients with both inner-ear and brain-related balance disorders showed significant improvements in their dizziness scores and their ability to perform daily activities. Seven of the 64 patients saw no benefit or worsened, mostly those with progressive cerebellar conditions or Meniere’s disease.
What Treatment Looks Like
A typical first visit involves an extensive neurological exam. You’ll likely perform eye-tracking tests, balance assessments, coordination tasks, and reflex checks. Some offices use VNG goggles or other computerized tools to measure exactly how your eyes move and how your balance system responds to different positions. The goal is to build a detailed map of which neural pathways are strong and which are struggling.
Based on that assessment, treatment usually involves a combination of in-office sessions and exercises you do at home. Sessions might include specific eye movement drills, balance challenges on unstable surfaces, joint manipulation, light or sound stimulation targeted at particular sensory pathways, and breathing exercises. Sensory stimulation sessions typically involve working through three to five sensory systems in a session lasting 10 to 45 minutes, followed by a rest period of 30 to 45 minutes to let the brain consolidate the input.
Nutritional recommendations often accompany the physical work. This might mean addressing inflammation through diet, supplementing specific nutrients that support nerve function, or adjusting blood sugar management to stabilize brain energy supply. The overall philosophy is that the nervous system responds to its total environment, so treatment tends to be broader than a single exercise prescription.
What the Evidence Supports
Vestibular rehabilitation is the area with the strongest published research, with multiple studies showing meaningful improvements in dizziness and functional ability over four to eight weeks. The broader claims of functional neurology, particularly around developmental disorders and complex chronic conditions, have less robust clinical trial evidence. Many of the reported outcomes are based on case studies and clinical observations rather than large controlled trials.
That doesn’t mean the treatments are ineffective. The underlying neuroscience of neuroplasticity is well established, and the individual components (balance training, eye movement exercises, sensory stimulation) each have independent research support. What’s less clear is whether the specific diagnostic framework chiropractic neurologists use to identify “weak” brain areas and target them with precision delivers better results than standard rehabilitation approaches.
For conditions like post-concussion syndrome, chronic dizziness, and certain movement disorders, many patients report meaningful improvement. For serious progressive neurological diseases, these approaches work best as a complement to medical management rather than a replacement for it.