Dr. Laura Hanson, D.C., MS, D.I.C.C.P., NDT, is a board-certified pediatric and chiropractic diplomate and a neuro-developmental therapist. She has a Master’s of Sports Science, with a concentration in nutrition, and has held faculty positions at both Palmer College and Life University from 2003 until 2012. She founded Connect My Brain to offer state-of-the-art, non-invasive therapies that allow children and adults to reconnect with their brain by leveraging neurofeedback, biofeedback, and nutrition. Dr. Hanson is recognized domestically and internationally through her teachings to health care professionals, educators, and parents on the topic of pediatric development. Neurofeedback is an area of particular interest for Dr. Hanson as a way of treating various health concerns, such as AD(H)D, Aggression, Anxiety, Developmental Delay, Mental Sluggishness, OCD, ODD, PDD, and others.

Please note: The Friday session, put on by the Interdisciplinary Association of Functional Neurosciences and Rehabilitation (IAFNR), offers four (4) hours of credit through Northwestern University of Health Sciences (NUHS) that are approved by the Commission for the Accreditation of Graduate Education in Neurology (CAGEN). These hours can be used toward advanced neuroscience-designated programs, Diplomate status, and/or Fellowship and Masters’ level credentialing.

These hours are not approved continuing education hours for license renewal in any state through the BrainWave program. However, this program is great for all DCs to attend!

The speaker for this course will address the impact of chronic stress, both real and imagined, on the developing child. Pediatric developmental progression is just that, a progression. Chronic stress will change the outcomes during pregnancy and during developmental windows. Chiropractors are uniquely positioned to educate their communities on the impact of chronic stress and support parental groups in their mission to gain control of their child’s health. Topics of discussion include the impact of chronic stress, changing the anatomical terrain, physiological symptoms, the change on the developing brain, brain cell health, breaking the pattern of chronic stress, and more.

Bharon Hoag is currently serving the profession as the Executive Director of OneChiropractic, chiropractic’s advocacy organization that is driven to challenge the status quo in the profession. OneChiropractic’s mission is to create cultural authority, increase access and increase the value of the adjustment. Achieving these goals will make chiropractic the #1 healthcare choice in the world. He considers himself chiropractic’s biggest groupie, having served in the profession for 21 years. He has developed a unique “non‐doctor” approach through ownership and management of numerous clinics. As a former consultant specializing in coding, documentation, and compliance, Bharon has counseled many healthcare facilities and employers, evolving a profound understanding of the professional environment. His onsite method of consulting gave him the ability to develop systems that most consultants miss. His management and consulting experience, coupled with a strong background in psychology and communications, has made him a compelling speaker, addressing many major events and earning accolades as “the most entertaining but educational speaker in the profession.” Not only has he become known for his speaking style but also his ability to work with all factions of the profession to bring unity and clarity of purpose. He served as the Executive Director of The Ohio State Chiropractic Association for six years, enabling him to facilitate a new model of State Association management. At the end of his tenure, the association saw a significant increase in membership, revenue, and influence in the state of Ohio.

What is becoming clear from scientific studies is that spinal dysfunction negatively impacts brain function, and that chiropractic adjustments can reverse this. Major shifts are occurring in neuroscience, including a new understanding about the impacts of stress and emotional trauma on the brain, body, and health and a new understanding about the major role of the brain in maintaining chronic musculoskeletal pain (the brain learns to be in pain!).  

This new understanding is congruent with the latest research showing how important the spine is for proper brain function. One particular part of the brain that we now know we impact when we adjust the spine is the prefrontal cortex. This literally is the Chiropractor’s Dream, because the prefrontal cortex is vital for one’s intelligence, movement control, pain processing, mental health, immune system, endocrine system and inflammation (thus most chronic diseases)!  

Dr. Haavik will explain all of this in easy-to-understand language. She will share with you a summary of where we are at today with the neurophysiological understanding of the impact of spinal function on brain function and will discuss what future implications this has for us as a profession. Don’t miss this dynamic presentation! 

The speaker for this course will provide a look at how the new information in neuroscience fits into the Art, Science, and Philosophy of chiropractic. The primary program addresses brain function, the formation of compromised neural integrity, and the effect the adjustment has in returning balance to the system. This new knowledge has also helped to define the frequency, duration, and intensity of care based on the neurological needs of the patient. This course is full of information needed for the profession to shift away from the mechanical model and to move back to the neurological foundation of the profession. Neuroscience has exposed how stress damages neurological function, and research has established the role of chiropractic in normalizing that damage. Don’t miss this incredible presentation from the father of Neurologically Based Chiropractic, Dr. Richard Barwell. 

In this case study presentation, Dr. Steele will explore the case of 80-year-old Alice, who was recently diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease. Besides memory loss, Alice experienced such symptoms as anxiety, a “heavy” head, neck pain, arthritis, and high blood pressure. The common denominator? STRESS. Dr. Steele will show you the science behind these symptoms and how to conduct a brain-based assessment, proving the VALUE in what we do as brain-based chiropractors and the best way to care for our patients. Dr. Steele will share his brain-based assessment of Alice, his care plan for her, and the results to date. Don’t miss this enlightening presentation. 

What does poor posture tell us? Are uncoordinated movements related to uncoordinated emotions or thoughts? Neuroscience is starting to show some correlations in the assumptions that are changing our clinical understanding and improving patient outcomes across a spectrum of conditions. Topics of discussion include testing posture and movement, what the results of this testing tells us about brain health, testing for affect and what it tells us about the neurophysiological lesions in the brain, addressing changes in emotional state, the limbic brain, and case studies of neuropsychological cases on depression and bipolar disorder. Attendees will leave with an understanding of the current science that supports the chiropractic adjustment and the use of neuroscience to improve patient outcomes. 

The speaker for this course will delve into the world of neuroscience, discussing current trends that are expanding our understanding of the human body, chiropractic, and its applications in health care. He will explore the meaning of posture on the brain and how the eyes are a key to understanding posture and the subluxation. He will provide an introduction to the importance of looking at and understanding the metabolic systems of your patients and how that can alter neurophysiology. Topics of discussion include common metabolic conditions you should be concerned about, functional ranges vs. pathological ranges, and a hands-on demonstration on how to implement this new understanding in your office on Monday morning.  

Dr. Richard Barwell enjoyed more than 31 years of clinical practice, including practices in Canada and Australia. In 1995, he joined Dr. Guy Riekeman’s Quest International as Director of Seminars and Programs. He continued this work as Executive Director of Chiropractic Leadership Alliance from 1997 to 1999. During this time, he was involved in research with psychologists regarding the effect of chiropractic on cortical brain function. He continues to present internationally and as a guest lecturer at chiropractic colleges. He is the founder of the Neurologically Based Chiropractic (NBC) movement and has authored a book titled “Why You Get Sick and How Your Brain Can Fix It!” Dr. Barwell is also the developer of the NeuroInfiniti instrument, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the chiropractic adjustment to alter CNS neurological function.

Dr Heidi Haavik is a chiropractor who has also earned a PhD in human neurophysiology. She recently released the book “The Reality Check: A Quest to Understand Chiropractic from the Inside Out,” which describes in easy-to-understand language what happens in the brain when a chiropractor adjusts dysfunctional segments in the spine. The book is based on cutting edge neuroscience research performed over the past two decades (the book is available at www.heidihaavik.com). Dr Haavik also runs a company that enlightens the world about the science of chiropractic (www.therealitycheck.com). Dr Haavik has used her neurophysiology expertise to study the effects of adjusting subluxations on the function of the central nervous system. Specifically, she has utilized techniques such as somatosensory evoked electroencephalography and transcranial magnetic brain stimulation to investigate the effects of chiropractic adjustments of vertebral subluxations on somatosensory processing, sensorimotor integration and motor cortical output. A 1999 graduate from the New Zealand College of Chiropractic, Dr. Haavik has practiced chiropractic for more than 20 years. She was awarded her PhD degree by the University of Auckland in 2008. She is the Director of Research at her alma mater, where she established and runs the Centre for Chiropractic Research. She has received numerous research awards and has published numerous papers in chiropractic and neurophysiology journals. She has presented her work to both chiropractic and neuroscience communities around Australasia, Africa, North America, and Europe. She was named Chiropractor of the Year in 2007 by both the New Zealand Chiropractic Association and the New Zealand College of Chiropractic Alumni Association.

When Dr. Steele graduated from Logan at the tender age of 23, he set out to change the world through chiropractic. He was quickly brought back to reality, however, by the misperception of chiropractic held by most of the public: “Just fix my back and neck pain, doc”. So, needing to pay his bills and raise a family, he fell into the trap. Seventeen stress-filled years later, he quit, never to practice again… or so he thought. His breaking point came a few years later, as he was selling Kirby vacuum cleaners door to door and he received a letter from his grandmother telling him to get his life together.

So, he did. He got back into chiropractic, but this time it was going to be done his way. Sharing the TRUTH of chiropractic with this community, he and his beautiful wife, Tina, built a practice, starting with only $1,000. Today Dr. Clint trains hundreds of chiropractors worldwide and works with thousands of individuals to help them restore their health naturally. His health text service currently goes out to more than 100,000 people each month and is growing rapidly. In addition, Dr. Clint helps chiropractors build lifetime wellness-based practices through very affordable, effective, unique products and services.

Dr. Steele and his wife Tina, live in Maine along with their 6 kids. They now have two offices, three doctors, and practice members who know the TRUTH of chiropractic and bring their families in for care regularly, symptoms or not! They are now on a mission to share this TRUTH with the world and help other chiropractors, using this same system, do what they did. Join him at www.truchiro.org.

Dr. Ryan Cedarmark is a chiropractor and nurse practitioner who practices in Georgia. He earned his Diplomate in Neurology from the American Chiropractic Neurology Board in 2013. Passionate about a multidisciplinary approach to healthcare, Dr. Cedermark graduated Magna Cum Laude with his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Duke University and completed a Family Nurse Practitioner program at Georgia State University in 2018. Dr. Cedermark currently serves as adjunct faculty at National, teaching in the Master’s Program. Dr. Cedermark is also a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner and serves on the board of the International Association of Functional Neurology and Rehabilitation (IAFNR), as well as the Medical Advisory Board for SNA Biotech. Dr. Cedermark’s multidisciplinary educational background creates a unique approach in today’s healthcare environment.

Dr. Michael Longyear is a Diplomate of the American Clinical Board of Nutrition whose passion for helping others comes from a personal experience. Having gone through a traumatic football injury that left him paralyzed during his sophomore year in high school, he beat the odds and did what the doctors said wasn’t possible. After feeling defeated hearing that he would never walk again, he used their words as fuel to drive his rehab and he walked out of the hospital a month later. Since that time, he has dedicated himself to helping others defy the odds and never accept their new normal. In his own case, none of his doctors really had a consistent diagnosis. So, he started researching his case. His passion led him to Parker University to study chiropractic, where he graduated valedictorian and continued his studies in Applied Clinical NeuroScience. Still searching for answers, he continued to study many disciplines: Chiropractic, Neurology, Psychology, Functional Medicine, and Energy Medicine, just to name a few. These disciplines have all helped him design his unique brand of health care. Dr. Longyear has a private practice in Jacksonville, Florida, and is still the clinical director of NeuroLIFE Institute at LIFE University, where he specializes in complex neurological conditions that other health care practitioners have given up on. He also conducts research on concussion and depression. In addition to clinically treating patients and participating in research, he has designed and teaches programs for doctors around the world in the cutting-edge field of Applied Clinical Neuroscience and Functional Neurology.