Northern Scottsdale chiropractic neurologist Dr. Mark B. Burdorf is a self-proclaimed history nerd.

So, it comes as no surprise the southern Scottsdale resident is always in search of continuing his education in his line of work.

“I’m well over 2,000 hours of post-grad for neurology,” said Burdorf, who has been in practice for 32 years and is one of only seven board-certified chiropractic neurologists in the state.

And the most recent course he completed combined his love for both history and education: an intensive Functional Neuro-Orthopedic Rehabilitation (FNOR) course taught at the Quest NewQuay Center in Melbourne, Australia.

The 25-hour continuing education course is approved by the American Chiropractic Association Council of Neurology.

The FNOR course blended orthopedic testing with functional neurology treatments such as eye exercises to strengthen the core – important in the treatment of whiplash, migraines, vertigo and other movement disorders.

“Basically, it had to do with rehabilitation of injuries of the cervical spine, which is your neck, your upper back and your shoulder,” Burdorf explained.

Burdorf said the benefit his patients get from this is the ability to offer therapy that is faster and more efficient in the healing process.

“We see changes in symptoms and objective measures in weeks rather than months, compared to traditional therapies currently being offered,” he added.

Plus, the therapies do not include injections of any kind.

“None of it’s drug-related,” Burdorf said. “What we’re doing is we’re trying to activate nerve pathways with different types of physical exercises – that may be a balance exercise – and a lot of stuff we do with eye exercises. It’s all about trying to create stability into an area that’s injured.”

Burdorf was one of 60 physicians in attendance, with most of them based out of Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand.

The course was taught by the top physical therapist Stuart Fife, sports chiropractor Nicholas Studholme, and chiropractic neurologist Brett Jarosz.

“To give a sense of how unique this is, consider that the top doctors in physical medicine rehabilitation join together to share more efficient person-centered rehabilitation,” Burdorf said.

The people who largely benefit from this type of therapy are those injured in car accidents and injured athletes.

“I have five new patients this week: two are from high school sports and three from car accidents. They’re all concussions,” Burdorf said. “These are the people I see.”

Burdorf’s practice, which was established in Scottsdale in 1991, emphasizes on migraine, vertigo, soft tissue and pain-related conditions.

What sets his practice apart is his use of modern technology – laser – for acute and chronic pain management, inflammation and natural healing.

This low-level laser therapy, which has been FDA-approved in the United States since 2002, not only expedites the healing process, but it also reduces pain, swelling, and spasms in patients.

“It’s a light frequency that helps anything injured to heal, and I’ve got several different types of lasers in my office. I’ve got lasers for pain, I got lasers for dealing with inflammation,” Burdorf said. “It’s cutting-edge therapy.”

Burdorf was one of 10 doctors who took part in the pilot study program in Phoenix four years ago, and now the 4-Module FNOR course is taught in Melbourne and Chicago.

He has taken part in the ongoing course since – and he has no plans on slowing down.

“I do a lot of different seminar work,” he said. “We need 12 hours of continued education a year; I, on average, do 50 to 100 a year.”

Information: drburdorf.com