09/12/2018

Fall 2018 Convention Preview | Monika Buerger, DC

Understanding the BIGGER Picture: The Chiropractic-Gut-Immune-Sensory Axis

Dr. Monika Buerger will be speaking at the MAC Fall 2018 Convention & Exhibition, October 5-7, 2018, at the Renaissance Center in Detroit. Her presentation, “Balancing the Brain, Chiropractic Style,” will be on Saturday from 8a-12p, for 4hours of continuing education, including two hours in the performance and ordering of tests and one hour in pain and symptom management. She will also be presenting a class for CAs, “Raw and Real,” on Friday from 4-7p.

Currently in the United States, one in five children are said to have a mental disorder, and one in six a neurodevelopmental disorder. The rates of suicide have skyrocketed in the last fifteen years, and by 2025 it is estimated that Alzheimer’s Disease will increase by 40 percent.

The chiropractic profession is best positioned to be the leaders in the functional wellness movement and help turn the tide on these numbers. But in order to do so, understanding the “Chiropractic-Gut-Brain-Sensory Axis” is imperative.

The Impact of Sensory-Motor Function on Health

Stress and anxiety are pervasive in modern life. No matter what the cause, getting to the root of the problem is essential for making lasting change. One overlooked underlying cause of stress and anxiety is poor sensory-motor function. 

The chief regulator of all sensory information and processing is the vestibular system. It may seem like a strange connection, but the vestibular system has effects that reach far beyond balance. In fact, it is central to regulating our sensorimotor systems, which are at the core of how we take in information and respond to our environment. Mood, cognition, immune system function and overall health all rely on proper sensorimotor processing. When the sensory-motor systems are impaired, there’s a misfire between our experiences and how our brain interprets these experiences. The result is a chronic state of unease and a triggering of the fight-or-flight stress response. This response leads to chronic firing of the HPA axis and too much of the stress hormone cortisol. When cortisol production is ramped up for too long, it can lead not only to stress and anxiety, but also depression, thyroid dysfunction, immune dysfunction, and blood sugar elevation. Not only that, but a prolonged stress response also interferes with the function of frontal lobe of the brain, the area that governs executive functioning. 

Chronic stress and cortisol upregulation will also lead to irritation of the mucosal barrier and ultimately to a “leaky gut” and vagal tone dysfunction. Over the last decade, science has shown the important connection between gut health and brain health and nearly all modern day diseases.  Chronic upregulation of cortisol will also have a negative effect on our DNA methylation and cause “road blocks” in many key biochemical pathways. 

From “Tech Neck” to Trauma

Whether it be from “tech neck” or trauma, the cervical spine is a core component of vestibular and proprioceptive sensory input into the brain. Biomechanical dysfunction of the cervical spine will lead to poor neurological integrity of the sensory-motor systems. This is WHY chiropractic care is so essential to the fundamental health of every human being!

In conjunction with chiropractic adjustments, Precision NeuroIntegrative ™ and “gut rehab” protocols will help enhance neurological integrity, help regulate the HPA axis and lead to optimal physical and mental health. 

To learn more about Dr. Buerger and Intersect4Life visit: www.intersect4life.com

A 1991 Life Chiropractic College-West graduate, Dr. Monika Buerger is an author and national and international lecturer in the field of functional neurology and functional medicine. She is part of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association’s seminar program, where she offers a course on Neurosensory Integration and Sensory Processing Disorder. Due to large demand, she now offers advanced courses on the topic for chiropractors interested in caring for children with neurodevelopmental disorders. She is a certified DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) practitioner and is the founder of the Intersect4kids program, a Neurodevelopmental Certification Program for doctors. She has been in family wellness practice since 1992, first in Northern California and currently in a thriving practice in Southeastern Idaho, where she helps both children and adults regain their health through natural alternatives.

Fall 2018 Convention & Exhibition

Quick Links

• SPEAKERS & SESSIONS
• SCHEDULE
• EVENTS 
• EXHIBITOR INFORMATION 
• ACCOMMODATIONS
• REGISTRATION INFORMATION

The MAC returns to the Beautiful Marriott at the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit for the 2018 Fall Convention & Exhibition. Located on Detroit’s world-famous RiverWalk, join your chiropractic colleagues, our dynamic lineup of speakers, and representatives from dozens of exhibitors for this incredible three-day showcase of the best that chiropractic has to offer. Don’t miss this amazing event!