A Canadian Chiropractic Master – Interview with Dr. Allan Oolo Austin
By Dr. Roger Turner DC
Features Leadership ProfessionWhen I was 13 years
old, my father was flat on his back; he hadn’t moved for three weeks.” Says Dr.
Allan Oolo Austin. Within ten minutes of
the chiropractor’s house call, he was up, walking around and feeling
better. I was in awe of this miraculous treatment.
“When I was 13 years
old, my father was flat on his back; he hadn’t moved for three weeks.” Says Dr.
Allan Oolo Austin. Within ten minutes of
the chiropractor’s house call, he was up, walking around and feeling
better. I was in awe of this miraculous
treatment.”
Dr. Allan Gary Oolo Austin is an
Estonian-Canadian doctor of chiropractic and, also, a doctor of osteopathy. Certified in
Chiropractic Rehabilitation and as a Chiropractic Sports Physician, with an
honorary Doctorate in Manual Medicine by EU academic charter, Dr. Oolo Austin
is the founder of the Trigenics® Functional Neurology assessment and treatment
system and the Trigenics Institute of Myoneural Medicine. He is an official
doctor travelling with the Estonian Olympic Team and president of The Estonian
Manual Medicine and Chiropractic Association. He is currently practices in Canada and Estonia
and teaches a Trigenics certification program in the United
States, Canada,
Europe and Australia.
Background
“My father was my
greatest mentor. It is my goal to emulate him. He said, “Become a chiropractor,
and you’ll always have food. You can always use your hands, anywhere.” There have been many times, when traveling
that I helped people in different countries.”
“I come from a family
of entertainers and I myself am a musician and actor. I’m equally right and left brain which
created a lot of confusion in the
battle for supremacy of my creative side or my scientific side. ‘Should
I go to chiropractic college or become a musician and actor?’ was the big
question for me.”
“At 13, my father gave
me the book titled Psycho Cybernetics,
by Dr. Maxwell Maltz. I realized the
power that our mind has to create our own reality. I call this “menergy” for
“mental-energy” and just like Maltz’s analogy of the heat-seeking missile,
menergy will keep shifting until it hits its target.”
Thoughts on “Menergy” and the origins of Trigenics
“If we program our
mind strongly enough to achieve something that we desire and we have the right
motives with enough menergy, then,
like the missile, our subconscious will always hit the target.”
“When we have a break and allow the mind to
flow, things come to us. I was singing and doing some acting in Los Angeles and was in a
relaxed frame of mind. I wasn’t
pressured by the normal responsibilities of everyday practice. I had treated patients regularly with
straight chiropractic manipulation but was seeing a lot of them coming back with
the same problems, in the same areas, year after year.”
“I’ve had two
epiphanies in my life. At 14, I got these thoughts that said ‘There are no
coincidences in life’ and suddenly I just started writing. It was akin to what they call ‘channeling’”
“The second epiphany
was while on sabbatical in California
in the 1990’s when, in a moment of inspiration, I got the concepts for
Trigenics®. I had practiced for many years in
the usual fashion and was seeing over 100 patients a day. “
“So, I thought,‘There’s got to be something
more than adjusting alone and the information which we were taught in college.’
Something that would benefit the adjustment and enable it to
hold better, as often there was no really sustainable changes.”
“I realized that it was
the neurological input to the intrinsic and global spinal muscles which control
or restrict vertebral movement that needed to be changed. Osseous manipulation
was falling short of realizing this objective and intervertebral dsykinesia
with its attendant dysfunctions were consequently returning.”
“I thought, ‘Use the body’s own neurologically programmed and innervated
hard-wiring to effect a desired change’. Everything that’s electronic is hard wired and there are
circuitries and pathways that have to function. The human body works the same way.”
“When the CPU of a
computer sends a signal up to the screen, one sees something specific on the
screen. Our body is wired the same way
through the central nervous system with messages that go down from the brain to
the body. But, conversely, messages that
come up from the body to the brain tell the brain whether or not
the intention of the signal is occurring. This up-going, “afferent” part of the
nervous system enables the brain to modify down-going “efferent” signals
so that the intended target is attained. That’s the way that the
brain monitors what’s happening and coordinates movement.”
“This is the part that
DD and BJ missed. They only considered “above-down”. It is treatment of
the equally important “below-up” side that I developed and
brought to the forefront of neuromusculoskeletal treatment concepts with
Trigenics® Functional Neurology.”
More on Trigenics
“One of the
unique concepts that stemmed from this was using a multimodal approach to
accentuate the pathways and effect of reciprocal innervation.
How could we instantly
and sustainably change the tonicity and behavior of a muscle and the resultant biomechanics of a
joint? I realized that one could manipulate firing of the reflexes; such as the
inverse myotatic reflex, the stretch reflex and various forms of reciprocal
innervation. If the brain could be “tricked”, it
would fire differently. The real trick would be in getting it to fire in
exactly the desired way for beneficial results. I started to work with
neurological principles from as far back as Sherringtons in the 1950’s. I added new concepts and innovations in
neurology to accentuate reflex signals beyond their normal firing pattern in
order to bombard the lower brain with afferent activity which it was not
normally programmed to receive. I hypothesized that this, in turn, would force
the brain to reprogram the way that it sends down its efferent messages. This
is referred to in neurology as “amplitude summation and convergence projection”
and the change in efferent transmission following Trigenics®, I
coined as ‘resefferentation’.”
“There were three techniques or modalities (hence
the name TRIgenics® ) that I combined to create an entirely new
neurological system of treatment. This unique treatment proved to have a very powerful
and dramatic effect, unparalleled and unseen in any other treatments. This is the reason that Trigenics® is
referred to as a “multimodal” treatment system.”
“1. Enhanced Reflex Neurology:
The patient performs interactive exercise movements which are
resisted by the doctor in a measured and modulated manner in order to
accentuate reflexogenic afferent signal output and reciprocal innervation responses. Other neurological responses were attained by
overloading circuitry with heavy resisted loads applied during the exercise
movement. Our pilot studies indicated that providing a specific amount of light
resistance to movement of an agonist drops the millivolt potential of the
antagonist lower than that which would be created by simple non-resisted contractions.
We are able to use this accentuated response to make a change in brain response
and muscle behavior. We named this “the Resistance Loading Reflex” or simply “the
Austin Response”.
2. Mechanoreceptor Manipulation:
This is where the therapist further amplifies afferent reflex signals actual
physical deformative manipulation and stimulation of the nerve sensors or
mechanoreceptors themselves while accentuated reflex signals are already cumulatively being fired in
response to the resisted movement.
3. Cerebropulmonary Biofeedback: This is a focused breathing exercise with target
visualization designed to stimulate alpha brain wave patterns and the Benson
relaxation response, while the doctor directs and teaches the patient how to
assist in attaining maximum neurological response.”
“Visualization and
breathing are proven scientifically to be able to affect the physiology of the
body. I have two black belts in martial
arts, where breathing is critically important.”
“I combined the effect
of breathing with visualization with functional reflex neurology and mechanical
nerve stimulation in a very specific way and then started experimenting.
Synergistically
combining these modalities gives you the triad of techniques which essentially
make up the patented TRIGENICS ® treatment procedures.”
Taking Trigenics into practice
“In the mid-’90s,
while living in Los Angeles,
I got involved in covered options. I lost everything in the stock market. I came back to Canada, bankrupt and destitute.
This meant taking the bus to work in the mornings and living in a friend’s
basement that didn’t have a functioning toilet.
I had to start over and began reading Anthony Robbins fervently every day.”
“I was back in
practice again where I’d been for so many years but now there was this constant
force that was pushing me and saying, “Start experimenting with this new
treatment system.” I experimented on
my patients, kept notes and took Polaroid pictures of the different procedures
as they developed. I also worked every
Sunday for two years with different students. Eventually, I put together a
book. I did more research into current neurological concepts and also developed
my own and it started to come together.”
“It became clear that one of the missing elements in the
complete care of the neuromusculoskeletal system was the “below-up” part of the equation.
The main concept of chiropractic
is that it
opens up the communication
between the brain and the body by removing interference on a spinal level.”
“I posed a question to
the students of Palmer Davenport, ‘What
happens if we open up those channels of communication with an adjustment and
they’re not the correct signals? The
brain is sending
signals down but they are the
wrong signals?’
‘The
body wouldn’t work as well,’ was
the answer. This is what occurs when a state of “dysafferentation” occurs where
the upcoming afferent signals are disrupted and incorrect and this is the
reason that there is a missing element in chiropractic philosophy and care. DD
and BJ got half of it.
There’s above-down but
there’s also, the absolutely critical, “below-up”. Students are
taught about dysafferentation and Jana and Leibenson’s concepts that below-up
dysfunction causes neuromusculoskeletal conditions from the consequent weak-short
imbalance patterns, but they are not taught how to effectively correct it. This
was not discovered until Trigenics®. With Trigenics®, the above-down component of the neurological pathway is modified to begin firing its default signals
correctly by overloading the lower brain with an unnatural barrage of afferent information
causing it to ultimately “reset” itself.”
“When the circuitry of
the nervous system is corrected using Trigenics®, less
adjustments are needed and the
effect of the adjustment is also more sustainable as the correct channels of
communication are opened up properly. This is, of course, the chiropractor’s
goal.”
“Trigenics® requires tremendous focus and concentration by
the practitioner and the patient.
I teach the lateral atlas manipulation procedure in my spinal adjusting course
for chiropractic students, that a tremendous amount of focus is required. I
take my mind’s eye and I go right into where I’m going to adjust, including
depth of penetration. I see it before I do it. “
“That’s very similar
to martial arts techniques when you break a cement block or board. If your mind’s eye isn’t all the way through
it already before you do it, you’re going to hurt yourself. We don’t use that type of force to do
adjustments but you do have to use that much focus. A lot of the focus comes from the stance. The way you position yourself for adjusting
is so critically important to maximize the effect of the adjustment. Focus like this is also required when
performing Trigenics® “
“Trigenics® is a whole different approach and an entirely
new paradigm. Successful chiropractic practices are generally, high volume-
high income- high stress whereas a Trigenics® based practice is “low volume- high income-
low stress.”
“Trigenics® excites
doctors because they become
a Sherlock Holmes of the neuromusculoskeletal system. They are able to peel
back the layers and come up with a clear definitive assessment of what is
causing the problem, map that out and then follow procedures that enable them
to achieve incredible results, that’s exciting!”
“Ted Carrick, one of
my classmates, founded the American Neurology Diplomate program and he originally referred to
Trigenics® as
being neuroplastic. That means your nervous system has the ability
to instantly adapt to change.
The nervous system loses this ability when dysafferentation exists with
resultant neurokinetic dysfunction.”
“The Trigenics® effect is dramatic
and observable by the patients themselves in terms of the instantaneous
increased strength and/or length of the muscle and the decrease in pain.”
Practice affirmations and goals
“The affirmations that
I read to myself every day in practice are; ‘There are so many sick people,
people that are not well or are in pain in my area and I want to be able to
help as many as possible.’”
“My goals now are a
little bit different. I still have the
goal of continuing to help improve the quality of people’s lives and as many as
I’m comfortably able to do, but without the need to make a living from it. To be able to do that, just for the love of
it. I think that would ultimately be the
greatest thing.”
Recommended by Dr. Oolo-Austin
“Il recommend three
books my father gave me: Psycho
Cybernetics, Maxwell Maltz; 2. How
to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie; and, The Power of
Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peale.”
“Another book that I
was turned on to in the 90’s was Conversations with God, Neale Donald
Walsch.”
“These books offer
many different methodologies for overcoming obstacles, such as meditating,
visualizing, praying, connecting with universal intelligence, the higher good,
or with the God within you. I recently
made a reconnection with Universal intelligence or God. I’ve started praying
again and it has helped my life.”
“I strongly recommend
that everyone attend a technique seminar at least once a year. Because, it really broadens your horizons and
there are a lot of good technique seminars.”
My father said ‘Money
is not the greatest satisfier in life, but that not having money can be the
greatest dissatisfier.’ Not having enough funding to do what you really
want to do can be an obstacle. There
have been moments where underfunding has been that type of an obstacle.”
“Have faith that you
can create the best in life and that you deserve to receive the best. Repeating
affirmations such as: “I’m perfectly healthy, I’m abundantly wealthy, I am
totally successful, everything I do prospers,” is helpful.”
“My father also said ‘I
can be happy anyway. There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.’”
“How do I stay
healthy? I read the ingredients on what
I eat. I don’t eat chemicals or
preservatives. I like to eat a lot of
fish, with raw vegetables.”
“I stay away from all
the whites – absolutely totally stay away from refined sugar, and I don’t get
vaccinations. I don’t agree with injecting those toxins into the human body and
believe it to be more harmful than helpful.”
“I take supplements. Dr.
Jim Maschino, has made me aware that we need to take our supplements.”
“Dr. Meschino also
turned me on to “MediTropin”
which makes me feel tremendous. It’s a combination
of amino acids taken before bed. It is also a secretagogue which causes your
pituitary to secrete increased amounts of HGH. I found that it
has helped me to feel good and…yes..younger.”
“Actually, I’m ‘ageless’. No age attached – as there’s
only two ages: dead and alive.”
“I run twice a week
and lift weights twice a week to keep my body in shape. Trigenics®, is very interactive with a lot of
isometric and isotonic contraction movements so this also keeps me in shape.”
“Chiropractic is
absolutely miraculous and it was straight manipulation that got my father out
of bed after three weeks. But, it is not
everything. There is more still to the chiropractic profession, more for us to
discover and more for us to grow into.”
“I don’t have any
regrets in life. I don’t believe in
regretting the dead past or worrying about the
imagined future. What we have right now
is a gift. That’s why I call it the
present. So I live in the present. “
Thoughts on the
profession
“The chiropractic profession has not taken enough steps to
protect itself from other professions and other individuals. We either need to
get the sole right to manipulate or we need to push hard enough to create a
controlled act for performing osseous manipulations just like prescribing drugs
is a controlled act. There should be
defined educational standards that must be met to enable anyone to perform
this, especially cervical manipulation.”
How Oolo-Austin
is making this happen
“From the viewpoint of bringing chiropractic to people
throughout the world, my greatest success was as the founding father of chiropractic
medicine in Estonia.”
“In the early 1990s I went to Estonia
just after the Soviet Union had collapsed and
the Russian occupation ended. I made
presentations that were attended by all of the government organizations, top
medical doctors the media. It was in all
of the newspapers. They had never heard
of chiropractic. The headlines read, What
is Chiropractic? in huge, gigantic letters.
Chiropractic was introduced to the country of Estonia. Since then, I’ve formed the Estonian Manual
Medicine Chiropractic Association. I’m
the President of that association.” ( )
“My mandate is to regulate and set specific educational
standards to be able to practice chiropractic and to claim the designation as a
doctor of cChiropractic and to perform osseous manipulations in Estonia.”
“I was featured on the cover of the American Chiropractor
magazine in the January 2006 issue. This is a feather in my cap of which I’m
proud.”
Recommended by Dr. Oolo-Austin
“Il recommend three
books my father gave me: Psycho
Cybernetics, Maxwell Maltz; 2. How
to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie; and, The Power of
Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peale.”
“Another book that I
was turned on to in the 90’s was Conversations with God, Neale Donald
Walsch.”
“These books offer
many different methodologies for overcoming obstacles, such as meditating,
visualizing, praying, connecting with universal intelligence, the higher good,
or with the God within you. I recently
made a reconnection with Universal intelligence or God. I’ve started praying
again and it has helped my life.”
“I strongly recommend
that everyone attend a technique seminar at least once a year. Because, it really broadens your horizons and
there are a lot of good technique seminars.”
My father said ‘Money
is not the greatest satisfier in life, but that not having money can be the
greatest dissatisfier.’ Not having enough funding to do what you really
want to do can be an obstacle. There
have been moments where underfunding has been that type of an obstacle.”
“Have faith that you
can create the best in life and that you deserve to receive the best. Repeating
affirmations such as: “I’m perfectly healthy, I’m abundantly wealthy, I am
totally successful, everything I do prospers,” is helpful.”
“My father also said ‘I
can be happy anyway. There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.’”
“How do I stay
healthy? I read the ingredients on what
I eat. I don’t eat chemicals or
preservatives. I like to eat a lot of
fish, with raw vegetables.”
“I stay away from all
the whites – absolutely totally stay away from refined sugar, and I don’t get
vaccinations. I don’t agree with injecting those toxins into the human body and
believe it to be more harmful than helpful.”
“I take supplements. Dr.
Jim Maschino, has made me aware that we need to take our supplements.”
“Dr. Meschino also
turned me on to “MediTropin”
which makes me feel tremendous. It’s a combination
of amino acids taken before bed. It is also a secretagogue which causes your
pituitary to secrete increased amounts of HGH. I found that it
has helped me to feel good and…yes..younger.”
“Actually, I’m ‘ageless’. No age attached – as there’s
only two ages: dead and alive.”
“I run twice a week
and lift weights twice a week to keep my body in shape. Trigenics®, is very interactive with a lot of
isometric and isotonic contraction movements so this also keeps me in shape.”
“Chiropractic is
absolutely miraculous and it was straight manipulation that got my father out
of bed after three weeks. But, it is not
everything. There is more still to the chiropractic profession, more for us to
discover and more for us to grow into.”
“I don’t have any
regrets in life. I don’t believe in
regretting the dead past or worrying about the
imagined future. What we have right now
is a gift. That’s why I call it the
present. So I live in the present. “
Thoughts on the
profession
“The chiropractic profession has not taken enough steps to
protect itself from other professions and other individuals. We either need to
get the sole right to manipulate or we need to push hard enough to create a
controlled act for performing osseous manipulations just like prescribing drugs
is a controlled act. There should be
defined educational standards that must be met to enable anyone to perform
this, especially cervical manipulation.”
How Oolo-Austin
is making this happen
“From the viewpoint of bringing chiropractic to people
throughout the world, my greatest success was as the founding father of chiropractic
medicine in Estonia.”
“In the early 1990s I went to Estonia
just after the Soviet Union had collapsed and
the Russian occupation ended. I made
presentations that were attended by all of the government organizations, top
medical doctors the media. It was in all
of the newspapers. They had never heard
of chiropractic. The headlines read, What
is Chiropractic? in huge, gigantic letters.
Chiropractic was introduced to the country of Estonia. Since then, I’ve formed the Estonian Manual
Medicine Chiropractic Association. I’m
the President of that association.” ( )
“My mandate is to regulate and set specific educational
standards to be able to practice chiropractic and to claim the designation as a
doctor of cChiropractic and to perform osseous manipulations in Estonia.”
“I was featured on the cover of the American Chiropractor
magazine in the January 2006 issue. This is a feather in my cap of which I’m
proud.”
Dr. Roger Turner has
been a pioneer chiropractor for 34 years. He is an accomplished speaker
with appearances at Parker Seminars, Parker College, Palmer College,
several state and provincial associations, and at independent
consultant seminars. Ask Dr.T any questions at
\n
\n drt@catsworkshop.com
.
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