Beyond the Synapse: Receptors to Spinal Cord

To investigate and define the various reflexes that exist from body receptors and within the spinal cord. However, due to the multitude of reflexes that exist throughout the nervous system, this lecture will be limited to the primary reflexes that pertain to the cord's segmental control and how it concerns us as chiropractors.

Receptors:

• Receptors are the internal and external link between the nervous system and its environment. Do you remember how many types of receptors are encased within the body and where they are located? Do you understand why a stimulus may excite one receptor and fail to activate another? What is the difference between a Ruffini end organ and a Merkel's disc? How can we as chiropractors utilize our knowledge of receptors to create a rehabilitative change to the nervous system.
• The purpose of this section is to remind you of the functional differences and overlaps that exist between receptors. It is to remind you that receptors are the first or primary effector of neuronal activation from environmental stimuli. Thus through an understanding of their function, chiropractors can use them to enhance the quality of our treatments and afford our patients a higher quality of life.    

Axons:

• Axons are often considered to be the wires that link the nervous system together. Do you remember the different classifications of   axons? What is the significance between a large and small diameter axon and how does an axon transmit a neuronal signal?
• The purpose is to review the structures that make up the various types of axons and their functional dynamics, including ion channel selectivity during resting and action potential states. To observe the axon's capacity to cycle and recycle neurotransmitter vesicles too and from the axon's synaptic terminal and review the natural processes of axonal destruction and rejuvenation as it pertains to chiropractic.

Synaptic Terminals:

• What is a synapse and how does it work? What determines whether a synapse is excitatory of inhibitory?  What actually activates a synapse to release its transmitter substances and how can we as chiropractors select the type of synaptic transmission that will most likely support our patient's neuronal survivability.
• The purpose is to describe the various types of synaptic terminals and to investigate the chain of events that activate the synapse to discharge and recycle its transmitter substances. An impulse's active transfer from the presynaptic bouton to the postsynaptic terminal, with a complete description of the various ion channels involved, will be presented and the functional differences between direct and indirect methods of transmission reviewed.

The Neuron:

• Why is it imperative that we understand the concepts of neuron function? Did you know that a strong stable neuron and a weak degenerated neuron may appear clinically the same when fired? Do you know the physiological differences that distinguish the strong from the weak? Do you know the neuron's basic physiological activities during excitation, inhibition, degeneration, destruction, and rehabilitation? Can you distinguish between a neuron that is too inhibited to fire and one that is dead? As chiropractors, we are the change agents to the nervous system. Our role is to insure our patient's survivability at their optimum level of genetic expression. Neuronal theory unmasks the secrets of normal and abnormal neuron behavior.
• The purpose of this is to offer you an easy review of the neuron's basic anatomical composition and its physiological activities during excitation, inhibition, degeneration, destruction and rehabilitation.

The Spinal Cord:

• The spinal cord is encased within the bony canal of the vertebral system. It is enveloped within three layers of meninges and fed segmentally from aortic vascular branches through the intervertebral foramen and the superior vascular branches of the vertebral arteries. The cord contains vast pools of neurons and nerve tracts. Similar to electrical wiring, each neuron and tract is positioned in an architectural orientation to insure maximum impulse delivery and associated functional expression throughout the neural axis. Do you remember the architectural blueprint of the spinal cord? Did you know that a meningeal tumor or ruptured disc in the cervical spine may elicit symptoms in the perineal floor or legs instead of the neck or arms? Do you remember why? Do you remember how to distinguish a cord lesion from that of a peripheral or brain lesion? Can you distinguish the different characteristics between vascular accidents and tumor development?
• The purpose of this is to answer the above questions by reviewing the cord's anatomical  osteo-meningeal association, vascular supplies, structural characteristics and architectural distribution of neurons and tracts.

Reflexogenic Systems of the Cord:

• A reflex is an involuntary and immediate response to a stimulus. Do you remember the difference between a positive feedback loop and a disynaptic-postsynaptic inhibitory reflex. How does the body reflexively supply increased segmental blood flow to a particular region upon demand? What is the segmental inhibitory reflex mechanism that protects a motor neuron from an over reactive response to stimuli and how does it apply to chiropractic? What is the segmental cord reflex theory of pain and how can chiropractic control its presence? 

Renaissance Los Angeles Airport Hotel
9620 Airport Blvd., Los Angeles, CA  90045
Five min. from LAX- Airport
(Shuttle service available every 15-20 min and stops outside the baggage claim area)

Seminar Dates: Currently Unavailable

Check-in & Orientation Time: TBA

Class Hours: 

Saturday: 8:00 am to 6:30 pm 

Sunday: 8:00 am to 3:45 pm 

Applied for 15 hours/4 technique through Carrick Institute for Graduate Studies
Some states require 90 days advance notice. Please contact us to verify your state. 

Registration costs include CD of seminar notes in read-only PDF format compatible with both Mac & PC computers.

Early registration prices: 

    Doctors/Practicing Health Care Professionals: $475   Students: $225
Registration prices after early period:

    Doctors/Practicing Health Care Professionals: $525   Students:  $275

Repeat Doctors: receive discount of $75 off current price

Relicensure Credits Add: $100.00 per state 
Cancellation fee of $100 per seminar or transfer registration to a future seminar