HOW THIS WORKS
We Use Detailed Neurodiagnostic Diagnostic Testing
And Targeted Therapies
To Understand Your Challenges and Guide Your Care.
Our team works together on every part of your care, so you never have to figure it out alone.
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In your NeuroRescue Intensive Program, we pack about two months of outpatient care into one week. Think of it as a boot camp for your brain.Several sessions a day let us adjust your care in real time, instead of waiting weeks between visits.
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In our Outpatient NeuroRescue Program, we schedule a month of care, with visits three times a week. We adjust your program along the way based on how you respond, then repeat your diagnostic testing at the end of the month. We look at what has changed and what still needs work, and we update your plan from there.
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We design a rehabilitation program tailored to your brain and your condition. It uses a multisensory approach that combines visual, vestibular and motor exercises with targeted cognitive exercises.
NEURODIAGNOSTIC TESTING
Our detailed testing measures how different parts of your nervous system are working, which areas could work better, and how well they work together. This gives us a clearer picture of what may be behind your symptoms and helps guide your care. Because we test many systems in depth, we can often uncover details that a shorter evaluation might not reveal.
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The NeuroRescue exam is where your NeuroRescue Program begins. It’s a thorough evaluation of your condition from every angle we can measure. We review your health history to understand the factors that may have brought you to where you are now, and we test how the relevant parts of your brain, spinal cord and nerves are working.
Your exam helps us understand what may be driving your symptoms, not just what the symptoms are. That lets us focus your care on improving how your nervous system functions, with the goal of easing your symptoms along the way.
Your exam guides every part of your personal NeuroRescue Program. It’s the most important first step we take together toward helping you feel better and do more of what matters to you.
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Video oculography (VOG)
Video oculography, or VOG, uses infrared cameras to record and measure your eye movements in detail. It’s the same type of technology used in hospital balance clinics and in published neuroscience research.
Eye movements are controlled by many different parts of the brain, so problems with them can offer important clues about how your nervous system is working. Eye movement changes are common in concussions and brain injuries, dizziness and vertigo, movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease, headaches and migraines, neurodevelopmental disorders and many other neurological conditions.
VOG testing gives us objective information about which systems may be working well and which may be struggling. We use what we learn to help design your personal NeuroRescue Program, with the goal of improving how those systems work, both on their own and together.
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Video head impulse test (vHIT)
The video head impulse test, or vHIT, measures how well the inner ear’s six balance canals and their reflexes are working.
Your inner ear’s balance system creates automatic eye movements whenever your head moves. These are called vestibulo-ocular reflexes, and they keep your vision steady so you know where things are as you move. When these reflexes don’t work properly, dizziness and vertigo often follow. Problems with these reflexes are common after concussions and brain injuries, and they can also play a role in balance problems, movement disorders and other neurological conditions.
If you’ve been dealing with dizziness, vertigo, balance or walking problems, headaches or brain fog, problems with these reflexes may be part of the picture. vHIT gives us objective information about how your inner ear reflexes are working, which helps guide the design of your personal NeuroRescue Program.
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Computerized posturography (CAPS)
Computerized posturography gives us an objective measure of your balance and stability. You stand on a sensitive force platform, our CAPS system, which measures how your body sways under different conditions, such as with your eyes open or closed or on a softer surface. It meets international research standards for balance measurement.
By changing what your eyes, inner ear and body can sense, the test shows how much you rely on each of these systems to stay balanced and how well they work together. That helps us see where your balance may be breaking down and guides how we design your care.
Balance testing helps guide care for many conditions, from brain injuries and stroke to movement disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. It’s an important part of your exam, and it helps us start you on your path forward.
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How your brain knows where you are
To move and respond to the world around you, your brain first needs to know where your body is in space. It figures this out by combining three kinds of input: what your eyes see, what your inner ear senses about motion and balance, and what your muscles and joints report about your body’s position.
When these systems don’t work well, or don’t work well together, a wide range of symptoms can follow, including dizziness, balance problems, headaches and some chronic pain. Problems with how these systems work together can also play a role in trouble with attention and concentration, and in movement disorders. Rehabilitation aimed at these systems can often help improve function.
We use several hardware and software platforms to measure how well these systems are working and how well they work together. We also use many of the same tools during therapy, as part of your personal NeuroRescue Program, with the goal of helping these systems work better together in daily life.
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Metabolic and genetic factors
Metabolism is how your body turns food into the energy your cells need. Your brain uses a large share of that energy. When energy production is disrupted, whether by metabolic problems, nutrient deficiencies or genetic factors, it can affect how well your nervous system works.
When it’s appropriate for your case, we use laboratory testing and genetic testing to look for metabolic factors that may be affecting your neurological function. If we find something, we may recommend strategies such as changes to your diet, nutrition or supplements to help address it. When results point to a medical condition that needs a physician’s care, we’ll help connect you with the right provider.
Metabolic factors can play a role in many neurological conditions, including brain injuries, neurodegenerative disorders, cognitive problems, and headaches and migraines. For some patients, metabolic and genetic testing is an important part of their NeuroRescue Program.
Our Advanced Therapy Procedures
For more than 25 years, Dr. Glen Zielinski has carefully selected the tools and methods used in our clinic.
We design our therapies using current neuroscience research, with the goal of improving how your nervous system functions.
Our programs are designed to help your nervous system work better and to help you function better in daily life.
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Functional neurorehabilitation
Functional neurorehabilitation is the heart of your NeuroRescue Program. When you live with a neurological disorder or have had a neurological injury, some pathways in your nervous system may be damaged, and some nerve cells may be lost.
Functional neurorehabilitation focuses on supporting the pathways and nerve cells you still have and helping them work better. It’s based on neuroplasticity, your brain’s ability to change, grow and reorganize. We work with the healthy pathways you have and design targeted exercises and therapies to strengthen them.
Many neurological conditions have the potential to improve with rehabilitation. Our focus is on helping you regain and improve as much function as possible, with the goal of helping you do more of what matters to you.
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Vestibular rehabilitation
Your inner ear’s vestibular system is one of the foundations of how your brain senses motion, balance and where you are in space. When it isn’t working properly, everything from standing and walking to keeping your vision steady can become harder. Vestibular problems can be part of many neurological conditions.
Vestibular rehabilitation uses targeted exercises to help your brain adjust to and make better use of the signals from your inner ear. It’s a well-established approach for dizziness, vertigo and balance problems, and it’s commonly used in care after concussions and other brain injuries.
If you’ve been dealing with dizziness, vertigo, balance problems, a brain injury or headaches, or you’re living with a neurodevelopmental or neurodegenerative disorder that affects your balance, vestibular rehabilitation may help. For many of our patients, it’s a core part of their NeuroRescue Program, with the goal of helping them feel steadier, more confident and more comfortable in daily life.
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Neuromodulation
Neuromodulation uses gentle electrical stimulation, applied through the skin, to activate nerves that send signals to the spinal cord and brain. Nerve cells depend on regular activity to stay healthy, and neuromodulation is designed to provide targeted input to the pathways that need it.
Research on different forms of non-invasive neuromodulation has looked at a wide range of uses, including motor coordination, balance and walking, chronic pain, headaches, dizziness and vertigo, and autonomic functions like heart rate and blood pressure. Results vary by the type of stimulation, the condition and the person.
If you’re living with headaches, dizziness, a movement disorder, a brain injury or another neurological condition, neuromodulation may be a helpful part of your care. When it’s a good fit for you, we include it in your personal NeuroRescue Program, alongside your other therapies, with the goal of helping you function better day to day.
Before starting, we’ll review your health history to make sure neuromodulation is appropriate for you. For example, some forms aren’t recommended for people with pacemakers or other implanted devices, during pregnancy, or for some people with seizure disorders.
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Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
Transcranial magnetic stimulation uses a magnetic coil placed against the head to deliver gentle magnetic pulses to targeted areas of the brain. The pulses pass through the scalp without surgery or anesthesia and stimulate the brain pathways beneath the coil.
TMS is FDA-cleared for treating depression, including depression that hasn’t responded to medication, and for certain other conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder. Researchers are also studying TMS for neurological problems like concussion, chronic pain and cognitive difficulties. For those uses, the research is promising and still growing, and our psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner will help you understand whether TMS makes sense for your specific needs.
If you’re struggling with depression or another condition TMS may help with, our PMHNP Shauna Hahn will evaluate whether it’s a good fit for you. That includes a review of your health history to make sure TMS is safe for you, since it isn’t right for everyone, including people with certain metal implants or a history of seizures. TMS can be part of your broader care at our clinic, working alongside your other therapies and providers.
If you’re having thoughts of harming yourself or are in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call 911.
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Photobiomodulation (light therapy)
Photobiomodulation uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and low-level lasers to deliver specific wavelengths of light to the body. The light is absorbed by cells and can trigger changes in how they function, including how they produce energy.
Light therapy has been studied extensively for pain and tissue healing. Research suggests it can help reduce both short-term and long-term pain, ease inflammation, and support the healing of injured tissue. It may also improve blood flow and help cells produce energy more efficiently.
Researchers are also studying photobiomodulation for brain health, including its potential to support repair after brain injury and to protect nerve cells. That research is promising and still growing.
When it’s a good fit for you, light therapy may be included in your personal NeuroRescue Program, alongside your other therapies.
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Visual integration therapy
Your eyes do much more than see. Eye movements and visual reflexes help your brain keep track of where you are, keep your vision steady as you move, and coordinate your balance. When they aren’t working well, the world can feel unstable, confusing or exhausting to take in.
Problems with eye movements and visual reflexes are common in many neurological conditions, including concussions and brain injuries, headaches, dizziness and vertigo, and neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Visual integration therapy uses targeted eye-movement and visual exercises to help these systems work better and work together with your inner ear and body. For many of our patients, it’s an important part of their NeuroRescue Program, with the goal of helping them feel steadier and more comfortable moving through the world.
Visual integration therapy focuses on how your brain controls eye movements. It doesn’t replace care from an eye doctor. If we find signs of an eye or vision problem, we’ll help connect you with one of the optometrists or ophthalmologists we work closely with.
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Virtual reality therapy
Virtual reality (VR) therapy places you inside realistic, computer-generated environments. It lets us challenge your visual, vestibular and body-position systems with tasks that feel like real life, such as walking through a busy store, crossing a street or riding in a moving vehicle.
Because these situations happen in a safe, controlled setting, you can practice handling them at your own pace, and we can adjust the difficulty as you go. VR works as a bridge between the clinic and the outside world.
Research has explored VR-based exercises for several neurological conditions, including concussions and brain injuries, dizziness and vertigo, movement disorders and stroke. When it’s a good fit for you, VR therapy is part of your personal NeuroRescue Program, with the goal of helping the progress you make in the clinic carry over into your everyday life.
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Neuromuscular control
Many neurological injuries and conditions also affect the muscles and joints. Some people continue to struggle with pain, weakness or instability even after trying several kinds of therapy.
In many of the patients we see, part of the problem is neuromuscular control: how well the brain and nervous system coordinate the muscles that stabilize your body. When the pathways controlling those stabilizing muscles aren’t working well, other muscles may work harder to compensate, which can lead to strain, fatigue and pain, and it can be harder to make progress.
During your Discovery Day, we evaluate how your brain, nerves and muscles work together, along with the sensory systems that help guide your movement and stability. This helps us understand where control may be breaking down.
We then design your personal NeuroRescue Program to strengthen stability from the ground up. Your program may include exercises that retrain how your stabilizing muscles activate and coordinate, along with balance and movement drills that build control in real-world positions. When appropriate, it may also include joint manipulation or other manual therapies. Our goal is to help you move with more control, less pain and more confidence in daily life.
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Mild hyperbaric therapy
Mild hyperbaric therapy takes place in a soft, comfortable chamber that is gently pressurized to about 1.3 times normal atmospheric pressure while you breathe regular air. The added pressure increases the amount of oxygen that dissolves into your blood. Every cell in your body, including your nerve cells, depends on oxygen to produce energy.
Many people find their sessions relaxing, and they can be a calm complement to the more active parts of their care. Research on mild hyperbaric therapy for neurological conditions is promising and growing, so we’ll talk with you about whether it makes sense for your needs.
Before starting, we review your health history to make sure it’s appropriate for you. Mild hyperbaric therapy isn’t recommended for everyone, including people with certain ear, sinus or lung conditions. You may feel pressure in your ears, similar to flying in an airplane.
In your NeuroRescue Program, mild hyperbaric therapy serves as a structured recovery option between demanding therapy sessions. Much like elite athletes build recovery into their training, it’s part of how we manage fatigue, so we can keep your program challenging and productive from start to finish. It’s one more way we design every part of your program to help you show up ready to do your best work.
What could your life look like with the right support?
t’s time to get clear answers and take the next step toward feeling better.
See The Results
Hear Heather's story about her experience with NWFN.