Functional Neurology in Omaha & La Vista, NE
Specialized rehabilitation for post-concussion syndrome, vestibular dysfunction, dysautonomia (POTS), Long COVID, and hypermobility-related symptoms. Dr. John W. McClaren leads care. He is one of fewer than 1,000 chiropractors in North America who hold DACNB board certification, a FABBIR brain-injury fellowship, and an MS in Clinical Neuroscience.
You've Been Told Everything Looks Normal
Bloodwork came back clean. Imaging was unremarkable. Your primary care physician suggested rest, time, or stress management. The symptoms are still there. If any of these sound familiar, a functional neurology evaluation may identify what standard workup missed:
- Post-concussion symptoms that have lasted longer than 4 weeks
- Dizziness or lightheadedness when you stand up
- Brain fog, fatigue, or cognitive symptoms after COVID
- Heart racing for no apparent reason, exercise intolerance
- Joints that slip or hyperextend, plus widespread pain
- Vision or reading problems after a head injury
- Persistent headaches that started after trauma
- Symptoms that flare with motion, screens, or position changes
What Functional Neurology Is and Isn't
Functional neurology, also called chiropractic neurology, is a specialized chiropractic sub-discipline that rehabilitates the nervous system after injury or illness. It is distinct from medical neurology. A medical neurologist (MD or DO) diagnoses and treats neurological diseases such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and brain tumors. A functional neurologist evaluates how well your neurological pathways are working, including vestibular, oculomotor, autonomic, and cognitive systems, then applies targeted rehabilitation to improve function.
The two roles are different and complementary. We do not replace your neurologist or primary care physician. We co-manage your care and focus on rehabilitation.
The treatments are evidence-based. Vestibular rehabilitation, sub-symptom aerobic exercise for concussion recovery, cervicovestibular care, and oculomotor training all have peer-reviewed support. What varies between providers is how specifically they evaluate which pathways are impaired and how precisely they target rehabilitation to those findings.
Conditions We Evaluate and Rehabilitate
Our functional neurology focus covers four overlapping clusters of conditions. They share underlying neurological mechanisms, and standard workup often fails to characterize them. Each card below links to a deeper condition page with symptoms, causes, treatment, and FAQs.
Concussion & Traumatic Brain Injury
Headaches, brain fog, dizziness, fatigue, and visual or cognitive symptoms that have lingered for weeks or months after a head injury, even when standard imaging looks normal.
Read about concussion & traumatic brain injury treatment →Long COVID
Persistent neurological symptoms after COVID: brain fog, exercise intolerance, dizziness, autonomic dysregulation, neuropathy. Bloodwork and imaging come back normal.
Read about long covid treatment →Dysautonomia
Lightheadedness or rapid heart rate when standing, exercise intolerance, and unexplained fatigue. POTS and other autonomic dysfunction patterns that standard exams often miss.
Read about dysautonomia treatment →Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder
Joints that move beyond normal range, recurrent subluxations, chronic widespread pain, fatigue, and proprioceptive issues. Often co-occurring with dysautonomia or sensory symptoms.
Read about hypermobility spectrum disorder treatment →The Discovery Evaluation
Functional neurology starts with a comprehensive evaluation that examines systems most exams skip. The Discovery Evaluation maps which neurological pathways are impaired and how those impairments connect to your symptoms. Components match your presentation. Not every patient receives every test.
History & Symptom Mapping
A detailed review of your medical history, prior workup, current medications, and the timeline of your symptoms. We pay particular attention to triggers, position-dependent changes, and post-exertional patterns.
Vestibular Function Testing
Assessment of the inner ear and balance pathways using tools such as the Vestibular/Ocular-Motor Screening (VOMS) and the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI). Identifies whether dizziness, imbalance, or motion sensitivity has a vestibular component.
Oculomotor & Convergence Testing
Evaluation of eye movement control: pursuit, saccades, vergence, fixation. Many post-concussion and Long COVID patients have measurable oculomotor dysfunction that drives reading difficulty, headaches, and visual fatigue.
Autonomic & Orthostatic Assessment
Heart rate and blood pressure measured across positional changes (lying, sitting, standing) to screen for autonomic dysregulation patterns including POTS. We review heart rate variability and breathing patterns when indicated.
Cognitive Processing Screen
Brief, validated screening of attention, processing speed, and working memory. Establishes a baseline and identifies whether cognitive symptoms have a measurable component or reflect fatigue or affect.
Cervical Spine Examination
Cervical spine and upper-cervical evaluation. Neck injuries frequently accompany head trauma and contribute to headaches, dizziness, and autonomic symptoms. Cervicovestibular rehabilitation has evidence supporting its role in concussion recovery.
Evidence-Based Rehabilitation
Once the evaluation identifies which pathways are impaired, treatment is specific. The core modalities below are evidence-supported and delivered within chiropractic scope of practice. Your plan combines them based on your findings. We do not apply a template to every patient.
Vestibular Rehabilitation
Targeted exercises that retrain the inner ear and balance pathways. Effective for dizziness, imbalance, motion sensitivity, and BPPV. Cochrane review evidence supports vestibular rehabilitation for unilateral peripheral vestibular dysfunction.
Evidence: Hillier & McDonnell, Cochrane Database (2015, reaffirmed 2022)
Sub-Symptom Aerobic Exercise
Progressive, threshold-based exercise prescribed using the Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test. Speeds recovery from sport-related concussion and post-concussion symptoms when started after the acute phase.
Evidence: Leddy et al., JAMA Pediatrics (2019)
Cervicovestibular Rehabilitation
Combined cervical spine treatment and vestibular rehabilitation. Particularly important when neck injury accompanies head trauma, which is common in concussion, whiplash, and post-injury headache presentations.
Evidence: Schneider et al., British Journal of Sports Medicine (2014)
Oculomotor & Vision Therapy
Office-based exercises for convergence, accommodation, and saccadic dysfunction. Convergence insufficiency is common after head injury and in Long COVID. It responds to in-office vision therapy with home reinforcement.
Evidence: Convergence Insufficiency Treatment Trial, Archives of Ophthalmology (2008)
Autonomic Nervous System Rehabilitation
Graded exercise protocols for patients with exercise intolerance, vagal tone training (paced breathing, vagal nerve stimulation exercises), positional tolerance progressions, and cervical care addressing structural contributors to autonomic dysfunction.
Evidence: Aligned with Patricios et al., 6th International Concussion Consensus, BJSM (2023)
Targeted Neurocognitive Exercises
Attention, working memory, and processing-speed exercises prescribed when cognitive screening identifies measurable deficits. We reassess at intervals to confirm progress is real and quantifiable.
Evidence: Aligned with concussion consensus rehabilitation principles
Care Led by Dr. John W. McClaren
Dr. McClaren holds a credential stack that is rare in this field. He carries board certification in chiropractic neurology (DACNB), a fellowship in brain injury rehabilitation (FABBIR), and a master's degree in clinical neuroscience. The FABBIR is a multidisciplinary fellowship that admits MDs, neuropsychologists, and chiropractors on the same standards. Fewer than approximately 1,000 chiropractors in North America hold this combination.
DACNB
Diplomate, American Chiropractic Neurology Board. Board certification in chiropractic neurology.
FABBIR
Fellow, American Board of Brain Injury and Rehabilitation. Multidisciplinary brain injury credentialing.
MS-ClinNeuroSci
Master of Science in Clinical Neuroscience. Graduate training in neurological assessment and rehabilitation.
Scope of Practice
Functional neurology is a rehabilitation discipline. Patients deserve clear answers about what we do and what we do not do.
What we do
- Evaluate vestibular, oculomotor, autonomic, and cognitive function
- Rehabilitate patients with post-concussion, vestibular, autonomic, and cervicovestibular dysfunction
- Co-manage care with your neurologist, primary care physician, cardiologist, or specialist
- Refer for medical evaluation when red-flag symptoms appear
- Use evidence-supported modalities within chiropractic scope of practice
What we don't do
- Diagnose or treat stroke, multiple sclerosis, brain tumors, seizure disorders, dementia, or ALS
- Replace your medical neurologist or primary care physician
- Treat autism, ADHD, or developmental disorders as primary indications
- Prescribe medication or order advanced imaging directly
- Make claims of cure or guaranteed outcomes
What to Expect
- 1
Schedule the Discovery Evaluation
Submit the appointment request or call 402-597-2869. Our team verifies insurance benefits and confirms your visit.
- 2
Bring records to your first visit
Prior imaging, neurology notes, cardiology workup, medications list, symptom timeline. The more we have, the more efficient your evaluation.
- 3
Comprehensive examination
Vestibular, oculomotor, autonomic, cognitive, and cervical spine assessment. Components matched to your presentation.
- 4
Findings review
Dr. McClaren walks through what was found, what those findings mean for your symptoms, and what is treatable.
- 5
Personalized rehabilitation plan
Specific modalities, expected timeline, frequency of visits, and what success will look like at each reassessment point.
- 6
Coordinate with your existing care team
If you are working with a neurologist, cardiologist, or primary care physician, we communicate findings and coordinate care so nothing is duplicated and nothing is missed.
Functional Neurology FAQ
Related Articles
Understanding Post-Concussion Syndrome: When Symptoms Linger After a Head Injury
Most concussions resolve within weeks, but for some patients, symptoms persist for months or years. Learn how functional neurology offers a path to recovery.
Long COVID Neurological Symptoms: What They Are and What You Can Do About Them
Brain fog, fatigue, dizziness, and autonomic dysfunction are among the most common Long COVID symptoms. Learn how functional neurology addresses them.
Why Your Dizziness Might Be Dysautonomia
Dizzy when you stand up? Heart racing for no reason? These could be signs of dysautonomia, a condition affecting the autonomic nervous system.
Signs You Might Have Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder
Chronic joint pain, frequent subluxations, and fatigue could point to hypermobility. Learn what HSD is and how chiropractic care can help,with the right approach.
Functional Neurology Care Across the Omaha Metro
Our office is located at 8825 S 117th Street in La Vista, NE 68128, minutes from I-80 and accessible from across the greater Omaha metro area. We see functional neurology patients from across the region and coordinate with referring providers throughout Nebraska and western Iowa.
Schedule Your Discovery Evaluation
If you have been searching for an explanation that fits your symptoms and a treatment plan that targets them, start with a comprehensive functional neurology evaluation.