At Optimus Injury Treatment Center, every patient who walks through our door has been hurt in an accident, injured on the job, or affected by a traumatic event. That is the entirety of what we do. No maintenance care. No general wellness. No commercial patients. Our practice exists at the intersection of serious injury and the advocacy that follows it — and we have built every clinical system around that single purpose.
We are a personal injury chiropractic and functional rehabilitation practice serving patients across Delaware and southeastern Pennsylvania, with our primary clinic in Dover, DE and satellite locations extending our reach statewide.
Your Brain and Nervous System Can Heal With the Right Treatment Behind Them
What Functional Neurological Rehabilitation Actually Treats
When a traumatic brain injury or upper cervical injury disrupts the nervous system, the damage isn't always visible on a standard MRI, but the functional consequences are real. Neural pathway communication breaks down. The vestibular system, which governs your sense of balance and spatial orientation, loses its calibration. Cognitive processing slows. Coordination and gaze stability suffer.
These are the symptoms patients describe when they say they "just don't feel right" after an accident. They are also the symptoms most commonly dismissed at ER discharge with a follow-up appointment that never addresses them directly. Functional neurological rehabilitation targets exactly this category of injury; the gap between "nothing showed up on imaging" and "something is clearly still wrong."
Conditions we treat through functional neurological rehabilitation include:
- Vestibular dysfunction: dizziness, vertigo, and balance disruption after TBI or whiplash
- Cognitive processing deficits: slowed thinking, difficulty concentrating, and mental fatigue
- Gaze instability: difficulty tracking moving objects or reading without discomfort
- Coordination and motor control deficits following upper cervical injury
- Post-concussion neurological symptoms that have not resolved with rest alone
- Neurological symptoms secondary to advanced soft tissue injury
How the Treatment Works: Neuroplasticity in Practice
The brain responds to structured stimulation the same way muscle responds to resistance training. Without the right input, it compensates poorly and plateaus. With targeted, progressive stimulation, it rewires, forming new neural connections and restoring function that was disrupted by the injury.
Functional neurological rehabilitation at Optimus is built on this principle. Treatment is exercise-based and precision-targeted, not passive. Every protocol is designed to produce a measurable neurological response.
The core components of our approach include:
- Vestibular rehabilitation: progressive exercises that recalibrate the inner ear and brainstem communication pathways responsible for balance and spatial orientation
- Gaze stabilization training: targeted eye movement protocols that restore the vestibulo-ocular reflex and reduce motion sensitivity
- Sensorimotor integration: coordinated movement exercises that rebuild the connection between sensory input and motor output
- Cognitive processing exercises: structured tasks designed to improve processing speed, working memory, and attentional control
- Functional movement re-patterning: restoring normal movement mechanics disrupted by protective compensation after injury
The Credential That Separates This Specialty From General Chiropractic Care
Functional neurological rehabilitation is not a technique any chiropractor can offer. It is a board-certified clinical specialty, and the credential that certifies it, the DACRB, or Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Rehabilitation Board, is held by very few practitioners in Delaware.
Dr. Robert Buckley, D.C., DACRB, holds this diplomate. It represents post-doctoral training and examination in functional rehabilitation, with specific competency in the neurological and musculoskeletal applications relevant to TBI and complex injury recovery. When you receive functional neurological rehabilitation at Optimus, it is delivered by one of the most credentialed injury-focused practitioners in the state, not adapted from a general wellness framework.
Who This Treatment Is For
Functional neurological rehabilitation at Optimus serves two primary patient populations.
The first is TBI patients; those who sustained a concussion or traumatic brain injury in an auto accident and continue to experience vestibular, cognitive, or neurological symptoms beyond the acute phase. Many of these patients were discharged from the ER without a TBI diagnosis. If that describes you, a formal TBI evaluation is the appropriate starting point, and neurological rehabilitation follows from there.
The second population is advanced soft tissue injury patients who present with neurological symptoms. Severe whiplash and upper cervical injury can disrupt the same neural pathways affected by TBI, producing dizziness, gaze instability, and coordination deficits that do not resolve with standard soft tissue treatment alone. Functional neurological rehabilitation addresses the neurological component directly.
Both populations benefit from the integrated model at Optimus: chiropractic, neuropsychological evaluation, and functional rehabilitation under one provider, with documentation structured for personal injury cases from the first visit.
What Happens When These Symptoms Go Untreated
Vestibular and cognitive symptoms after TBI or upper cervical injury do not reliably resolve on their own. Research consistently shows that patients who do not receive targeted neurological rehabilitation are more likely to develop chronic vestibular dysfunction, persistent post-concussion syndrome, and long-term cognitive deficits.
The window for neuroplastic recovery is not unlimited. The nervous system is most responsive to rehabilitation in the months following injury. Waiting (or continuing with treatment that does not address the neurological component) narrows that window and increases the likelihood of a permanent functional plateau. These symptoms don't go away because time passes. They improve because the right intervention is applied at the right time.
Frequently Asked Questions About Functional Neurological Rehabilitation
How is functional neurological rehabilitation different from regular physical therapy?
Standard physical therapy focuses primarily on musculoskeletal function; strength, range of motion, and pain reduction. Functional neurological rehabilitation targets the nervous system itself: vestibular pathways, neural communication, gaze control, and cognitive processing. The exercises are designed to stimulate neuroplasticity, not simply rebuild muscle or restore joint mobility.Do I need a TBI diagnosis to receive functional neurological rehabilitation?
Not necessarily. Patients with advanced soft tissue injuries (particularly upper cervical injuries from whiplash) can present with neurological symptoms that respond to this treatment. If you have not been evaluated for TBI and are experiencing dizziness, cognitive fog, or balance problems after an accident, we recommend starting with a TBI evaluation so your treatment plan is built on an accurate clinical picture.How long does functional neurological rehabilitation take?
Recovery timelines depend on the severity of the neurological disruption, how long symptoms have been present, and how consistently the patient engages with the prescribed protocol. Some patients see measurable improvement within several weeks. Others with more complex presentations require a longer course of care. Dr. Buckley will give you a realistic assessment after your initial evaluation.Is functional neurological rehabilitation covered under a personal injury claim?
In most cases, yes. Because Optimus operates exclusively in personal injury and workers' compensation, our clinical documentation is structured specifically for litigation. Treatment records, outcome measures, and neurological findings are formatted to support your attorney's case from the first visit. We work directly with your legal team to ensure nothing is missing from the record.What is the DACRB and why does it matter for this type of treatment?
The DACRB (Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Rehabilitation Board) is a post-doctoral credential that certifies clinical competency in functional rehabilitation, including neurological applications. It is not a certificate course or continuing education designation. It requires advanced training and board examination. Very few practitioners in Delaware hold it. When functional neurological rehabilitation is delivered by a DACRB diplomate, you are receiving care at the highest credentialed level available in this specialty.
Ready to Start Your Recovery?
Most patients can be seen within 24–48 hours of their first call. The sooner your injuries are evaluated and documented, the stronger your path forward — medically and legally.