Dr Carrie (chiropractor) and the method to her madness [aka magic]
Grab a cup of tea, it’s a long page!
Meet Dr Carrie
Hi, I’m Carrie! I’m a chiropractor, applied kinesiologist and vagus nerve educator with a special interest in treating the vagus nerve in children. I’ve been practising chiropractic for over 15 years, and am Perth’s only integrative neuroimmunology trained practitioner.
I was raised in Perth but moved to Melbourne to do my postgraduate training in paediatrics (birth to school-age children), and then worked in a paediatric-only clinic.
Every year, I threatened it would be my last Melbourne winter. And in 2019, I finally cracked! Trust me, Victorians are not lying about the weather!
It was my own health crisis that revealed the healing power of applied kinesiology, brain rehabilitation and nutrition. I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome at 23 and spent most of my 20s trying to find something to help.
Integrative Neuroimmunology was what helped me heal. So I got a fire in my belly to support others through their health journey and share everything I had learnt. I now create online resources to make holistic health easy to understand and implement.
Why am I drawn to mothers, children and babies?
Children’s brains develop more between the ages of 0-5 than at any other time in their life, and these early years set the tone for years to come. So it makes sense to invest in wellness early. I’m also a mother of 3 amazing kids and know how hard motherhood can be!
When I’m not meeting beautiful families in my one-on-one-consults, I’m playing with my kids at the beach, getting down at family dance parties, and watching my kids spread crumbs through my house (fun for me!)
Think we’re a good fit? It’s never too late to improve your health. Let’s start your wellness journey together.
My Interests
The vagus nerve (if you stick around, you’ll come to learn this is my FAVE nerve)
Babies - breastfeeding, colic, reflux, sleep
Toddlers and kids - sleep, behaviour, nutrition
Autism, developmental delays, learning difficulties
Pregnancy - from conception to birth and beyond
The vagus nerve - oh, did I mention that already?!
Maternal burn out and chronic health conditions
My approach
Brain-focused assessments
Improving brain function for body health
Applied kinesiology (functional manual muscle testing)
Tailored to your individual goals, physiology and brain health
No ‘cracking or crunching’
All ages - infancy through to elderly!
My Qualifications
BSc (chiro), BChiro - Murdoch University
Postgraduate Chiropractic Paediatrics
Certified Applied Kinesiology (ICAK)
Integrative Neuroimmunology
Retained Neonatal Reflexes
HeartMath Certified Practitioner
ACNEM Functional Medicine and Nutrition
Dr Carrie’s Method
Dr Carrie is a chiropractor in Perth WA. She has undertaken many postgraduate certifications to be able to bring Integrative Neuroimmunology to Perth. This uses a combination of Applied Kinesiology, Functional Neurology, and Paediatrics (for the children patients).
Currently, Dr Carrie is the only chiropractor to be practicing Integrative Neuroimmunology in Perth.
While she is only available in person at this time, she is creating some online offerings for those who are not in Perth.
Want to know more? Read about each technique below.
What is Applied Kinesiology?
Applied Kinesiology™ (AK) is a unique health care system because it recognises that appropriate body mechanics, biochemistry and emotional health are fundamental to optimal health.
Your nervous system monitors and coordinates all your body interactions. On that basis, the Applied Kinesiology™ practitioner uses muscle testing to assess your nervous system function and find a solution to your health concerns.
In Australia, Applied Kinesiology™ is trademarked so the Australian public can identify accredited practitioners who are holistic primary health care professionals highly skilled in the assessment and application of structural correction, nutrition, cranio-sacral therapy, meridian therapy, visceral (organ) therapy, immune system function, Retained Neonatal Reflexes® and many other health aspects.
Dr Carrie Rigoni (chiropractor) is certified in Applied Kinesiology.
What is Chiropractic Paediatrics?
Chiropractic paediatrics is a 3 year postgraduate certification which focuses on the health and development of children.
The course covers birth, infancy, toddlerhood, school-aged children and teenagers. Each age group has its own issues and common injuries so it’s important to understand the differences.
The course also covers neurodevelopment, and what can be done to improve a child’s development. This information can be applied to children whether they are expressing symptoms of delay, or if parents want to ensure their child has the best start to life.
Dr Carrie (chiro) is has undertaken years of study programs in chiropractic paediatrics.
What is Functional Neurology?
The practice of Functional Neurology is based in neuroscience and explores how the latest research can be applied to patient care. After determining the efficiency at which an individual's nervous system is functioning, a Functional Neurology practitioner may create a treatment program to assist in improving the capabilities of the patient's nervous system. Functional Neurology practitioners, unlike medical Neurologists, do not use drugs or surgery to achieve this.
Building upon the core premise of neuroplasticity – the ability of the brain and nervous system to adapt and change in response to stimulus – Functional Neurology practitioners are able to engage in the rehabilitation of a significant range of conditions. These include movement disorders, vestibular conditions, neurodegenerative and demyelinating diseases, traumatic brain injury, neurodevelopmental disorders, pain complexes and more. Care programs may involve specific exercises, stimulation with sound, light or touch among a range of ways to stimulate the brain and nervous system.
Dr Carrie Rigoni has postgraduate training in functional neurology, and continues to further her studies in this area.
Retained Neonatal Reflexes™
Also referred to as retained primitive reflexes, RNR is a revolutionary approach to treating children (and adults) with learning difficulties, behavioural issues or chronic health conditions.
What are retained neonatal reflexes?
Retained neonatal reflexes™ is a specific assessment and treatment protocol to support integration of reflexes and promote brain development.
To explain why these reflexes get retained, first let’s cover what neonatal reflexes are in the first place.
What are primitive reflexes?
Primitive reflexes are neurologically derived reflexes that appear in utero. They are important for survival and development of the baby during the pregnancy, and a number of reflexes are required for the baby to be actively involved in the birth process.
Primitive reflexes are essential for a baby’s survival in the first few weeks of life, helping them to establish breastfeeding and communicate in times of stress or discomfort.
These reflexes are referred to as primitive reflexes because they are controlled by the primitive part of the brain. The primitive brain is completely automatic, and responds to the environment around it.
In a normally developing nervous system, these reflexes begin to integrate and are basically inhibited by ‘higher centres’ of the brain. They should not be present in a child beyond infancy, and definitely not in an adult.
What are neonatal reflexes?
Neonatal reflexes are those which appear through a child’s development. They are not primitive because they are not associated with their in utero life or the birth.
Neonatal reflexes are important because they assist in the baby meeting their milestones. They are essential for a baby to learn to roll, sit, crawl and walk.
Many parents are surprised to hear that movement is the base of brain development - and if your baby hasn’t achieved their milestones within an appropriate age (and is therefore moving correctly), this can flow on to other learning and behavioural difficulties.
Primitive and neonatal reflexes are supposed to integrate at appropriate times.
These reflexes serve a purpose in your baby’s brain and body development.
When they are not integrated at the appropriate time, they are retained. This means that reflexes that aren’t meant to be triggered can still stimulate a response in a child.
Retained neonatal reflexes™
The RNR treatment assesses the body for any reflexes that may have been retained during the development process.
Neonatal reflexes can be retained for many reasons, but the underlying mechanism is the same. Reflexes that integrate never go away.What happens is the brain develops, and as the more mature parts of the brain develop they INHIBIT the reflexes.
Underlying all retained reflexes is a lack of inhibition from higher centres of the brain. Once the rest of the brain kicks into gear, the reflexes begin to integrate and their effects disappear.
The concern with children who retain their neonatal reflexes is that their higher centres are not developing adequately, and cannot trigger the inhibition and therefore integration of the reflexes.
The higher centres of the brain are associated with almost everything that isn’t automatic - learning, memory, language, vision, behavioural control, motor development (fine and gross motor), and balance and coordination.
Therefore, the biggest issue with a child showing signs of retained neonatal reflexes is that their higher centres haven’t adequately developed, leading to their behavioural and/or learning difficulties.
How are retained neonatal reflexes resolved?
Resolving retained neonatal reflexes involves a specific protocol.
Firstly, a full assessment is required to see if you or your child is a candidate for RNR™. (There are alternative options if you or your child are showing signs that other systems and organs need to be addressed before reassessing for RNR).
Once it has been confirmed that some reflexes are retained, a plan can be created around each individual presentation (we are all individual, after all).
Once reflexes have been integrated, it is unlikely they will return unless a significant stress or trauma occurs.
Treatment involves working with neurology and movement, and is a gentle approach for babies through to adults.
Each case will be closely monitored for progress, to ensure any RNR treatment is the best option for you and your family.
Trusting your intuition and leading you towards holistic health
You know your children like nobody else. When your intuition tells you something is not quite right, you listen to it. But how do you find the answers?
Googling only gets you so far. It’s better to see someone who has waded through the research and has come out the other side. A health practitioner who has dedicated their life to finding answers.
Have you gone down the traditional medicine route and still have questions? I can help. Through chiropractic, applied kinesiology and vagus nerve education, I explore your family’s health alongside you.
Building trusting relationships with my clients is important to me. I trust your intuition and honour it. My goal is to set you and your family on a path to wellness through compassionate care.
