Dr. Ayla Wolf DAOM, L.Ac. (MN, WI, NY, FL), Dipl. OM (NCBAHM)

 

Ayla Wolf, a doctor of acupuncture and Oriental medicine, is a leading specialist in neurological rehabilitation and author of the books, The Concussion Breakthrough: Discover the Missing Pieces to Recovery and The Art of Concussion Recovery. She hosts Life After Impact: The Concussion Recovery Podcast. With over 20 years of clinical experience, she is known for her integrative approach to treating complex conditions like post-concussion syndrome, dizziness, vertigo, chronic migraine, and dysautonomia.

She is an Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine at the Carrick Institute and speaks internationally on the art of the neurological exam, functional neuroanatomy, concussion recovery and other neurological disorders. She is involved in ongoing clinical research on post-traumatic headaches. In her private practice in Stillwater Minnesota, Dr. Wolf combines applied clinical neuroscience with holistic therapies to deliver highly personalized care. Prior to living in Minnesota she served as the team acupuncturist for UFC and Legacy fighters at Fortis MMA in Dallas, Texas.

Learn more at www.acupunctureneurology.com.

EVENTS

Dao Collective Clinical Neurology Examination Series with Dr. Ayla Wolf DAOM

Program Concept

This five-course educational series is designed to give acupuncturists a practical, clinically relevant framework for evaluating neurological function and applying examination findings to inform treatment planning.

The program begins with a three-part examination series covering the peripheral and central nervous systems, cranial nerves, and autonomic nervous system. These foundational courses teach practitioners how to perform and interpret neurological examinations within an acupuncture practice. They do not need to be taken in order.

Two advanced courses then apply these examination skills to two commonly encountered and clinically complex neurological conditions: migraine and concussion.

The overarching goal is not to turn acupuncturists into neurologists, but to give them greater confidence in recognizing neurological patterns, ask more precise questions, identify red flags, make appropriate referrals, track clinical change and effectiveness of treatments, and develop more precise acupuncture and integrative treatment strategies.

PART I — THREE-COURSE NEUROLOGICAL EXAMINATION PROGRAM

Course 1 — Peripheral & Central Nervous System Examination

2-Day Intensive

This foundational course introduces the neurological examination from both peripheral and central nervous system perspectives.

Practitioners learn how to move beyond symptom-based assessment and systematically examine sensory, motor, reflex, cerebellar, gait, balance, and other neurological functions. These skills can become useful for patients experiencing peripheral nerve injuries, peripheral nerve dysfunction, changes in gait, motor deficits, chronic pain conditions and central nervous system disorders such as stroke, TBI, concussion, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, dementia, migraine, vestibular disorders, dizziness, and dysautonomia.

Key areas include:

  • Organization of the peripheral and central nervous systems

  • Sensory examination

  • Dermatomes and peripheral nerve distributions

  • Deep tendon reflexes

  • Upper vs. lower motor neuron findings

  • Motor examination

  • Pathological reflexes

  • Coordination and cerebellar testing

  • Gait examination

  • Balance and postural control

  • Proprioception

  • Frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital lobe function

  • Clinical localization: peripheral nerve, nerve root, spinal cord, brainstem, cerebellum, or cortex

  • Recognizing findings requiring medical referral

  • Translating examination findings into acupuncture treatment strategies

Clinical objective: Give practitioners a repeatable neurological examination framework that can be incorporated into an acupuncture evaluation to provide a greater level of understanding and care for patients with nervous system dysfunction and disease.

Course 2 — Cranial Nerve Examination

Clinical Assessment of the 12 Cranial Nerves

This course provides an in-depth exploration of the cranial nerves, emphasizing examination, functional neuroanatomy, clinical interpretation, and relevance to acupuncture practice.

Rather than simply memorizing cranial nerve functions, practitioners learn how to test the cranial nerves and interpret what abnormal findings may mean, and how cranial nerves interact with the central nervous system. This knowledge is then meaningfully translated into clinical practice through relevant case study and applications.

Key areas may include:

  • Functional neuroanatomy of CN I–XII

  • Olfaction

  • Visual fields and optic nerve function

  • Pupillary responses

  • Accommodation and convergence

  • Extraocular movements

  • Oculomotor, trochlear, and abducens examination

  • Trigeminal sensory and motor examination

  • Facial motor function

  • Hearing and vestibular assessment

  • Glossopharyngeal and vagal function

  • Accessory nerve examination

  • Tongue movement and hypoglossal function

  • Brainstem localization

  • Eye movement abnormalities

  • Dizziness and vestibular findings

  • Clinical implications for headache, migraine, concussion, facial pain, dizziness, and other neurological presentations

  • Red flags and appropriate referral

Clinical objective: Enable practitioners to perform a structured cranial nerve examination and recognize patterns relevant to common neurological complaints seen in acupuncture practice.

Course 3 — Autonomic Dysregulation & Disorders

Examination, Recognition and Clinical Management

The third component expands the neurological examination into the autonomic nervous system—an area particularly relevant to acupuncture and herbal medicine because autonomic symptoms frequently accompany chronic pain, migraine, concussion, post-viral illness, gastrointestinal disorders, fatigue, and complex multisystem conditions.

Key areas may include:

  • Sympathetic and parasympathetic neuroanatomy

  • Central autonomic network

  • Baroreflex physiology

  • Heart-rate and blood-pressure regulation

  • Orthostatic vital signs

  • Active stand testing

  • Heart-rate variability

  • Pupillary/autonomic findings

  • Respiratory influences on autonomic function

  • POTS and orthostatic intolerance

  • Neurogenic, hypovolemic, and hyperadrenergic presentations of POTS

  • Vasovagal syncope

  • Autonomic neuropathy

  • Gastrointestinal dysfunction, gastroparesis, cyclical vomiting

  • Mast-cell activation and overlapping presentations

  • Post-viral and post-concussion dysautonomia

  • Mapping COMPASS-31 and symptom quantification onto the five functions of Qi

  • Acupuncture and autonomic regulation

  • Tracking physiological and symptomatic change over time

  • Herbal considerations in dysautonomia patterns

Clinical objective: Give practitioners practical tools for identifying and documenting autonomic dysfunction and integrating those findings into clinical decision-making, acupuncture, and herbal practice.

PART II — ADVANCED CLINICAL APPLICATION COURSES

Once practitioners understand how to examine neurological function, the advanced courses teach them how to use those skills in specific patient populations.

Course 4 — Advanced Migraine

From Migraine Mechanisms to Clinical Examination and Treatment

Migraine is not simply a headache disorder. This advanced course examines migraine as a complex neurological condition involving sensory processing, trigeminovascular signaling, autonomic function, hormonal influences, vestibular pathways, and central nervous system excitability.

The course would integrate findings from the first three courses into a migraine-specific clinical examination and treatment framework.

Topics Include:

  • Modern migraine pathophysiology

  • Trigeminovascular system and CGRP

  • Trigeminocervical complex

  • Cortical spreading depolarization

  • Migraine phases and neurological symptoms

  • Migraine with and without aura

  • Vestibular migraine

  • Menstrual/hormonal migraine

  • Acute vs. Chronic migraine

  • Medications and Botox

  • Medication-overuse headache

  • Photophobia, phonophobia, and sensory hypersensitivity

  • Cervical contributions to headache

  • Autonomic features of migraine

  • Cranial nerve and oculomotor findings

  • Vestibular and balance assessment

  • Migraine triggers versus underlying susceptibility

  • Differential diagnosis and headache red flags

  • Acupuncture research for migraine

  • Evidence-informed acupuncture treatment strategies

  • Integrating examination findings with individualized treatment planning

  • Case study

Clinical objective: Move practitioners beyond treating “headache points” toward understanding and treating migraine as a neurological disorder.

Course 5 — Advanced Concussion

Post-Traumatic Headache, Migraine, Neck Pain, Dizziness & Vertigo

The concussion course serves as a capstone application of the entire examination series.

An injury to the brain can potentially affect any system in the body. Treating people with a history of concussion or TBI requires in-depth knowledge of neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, and neuroscience.

Persistent post-concussion symptoms rarely arise from a single mechanism. Patients may simultaneously present with headache, migraine, cervical dysfunction, vestibular impairment, oculomotor abnormalities, autonomic dysregulation, sleep disruption, sensory hypersensitivity, and cognitive symptoms. 

This course teaches practitioners how to begin separating those overlapping contributors.

Potential content:

  • Acute concussion pathophysiology

  • Neurometabolic cascade

  • Persistent post-concussion symptoms

  • Neurological examination following concussion

  • Cranial nerve examination

  • Oculomotor dysfunction and gaze-evoked orbital pain

  • Vestibular dysfunction

  • Balance and postural control

  • Autonomic dysregulation

  • Post-traumatic headache

  • Post-traumatic migraine

  • Cervicogenic headache and neck pain

  • Dizziness and vertigo

  • BPPV after head trauma

  • Visual motion sensitivity

  • Exercise intolerance

  • Sleep and circadian disruption

  • Cognitive and sensory symptom burden

  • Differentiating overlapping symptom generators

  • Red flags and indications for referral

  • Outcome measures and tracking recovery

  • Evidence for acupuncture in post-traumatic headache and concussion-related symptoms

  • Building individualized, examination-driven treatment plans

  • Interprofessional management and appropriate referral

  • Case study

Clinical objective: Give practitioners a systematic framework for answering a critical question in persistent concussion care: What is driving this patient's symptoms, and what findings can I objectively identify and track?

The Educational Progression

Course 1 — Examine the nervous system
Peripheral + Central Examination

Course 2 — Examine the brainstem and cranial nerves
Cranial Nerve Examination

Course 3 — Examine regulation
Autonomic Examination & Dysautonomia

Course 4 — Apply the system to migraine
Advanced Migraine

Course 5 — Apply the system to concussion
Advanced Concussion