(Part VI) Neurofunctional Electroacupuncture Treatment Approaches of Pain from Movement

In this final session (Advanced Clinical Integration) of his six-part series, Dr. Alejandro Elorriaga brings together three decades of clinical experience to offer a high-level, clinically focused synthesis of the neurofunctional approach to pain and movement disorders.
Dr. Elorriaga revisits the key concepts from earlier parts—force management, biotensegrity, neuromapping, and the neurofunctional operating system—and then extends them into a coherent clinical framework for target selection, segmental diagnosis, and treatment strategy using acupuncture needles, electrostimulation, and manual procedures.

Core clinical messages

1. Pain and movement disorders are multidimensional
Treating structure alone, without addressing neuromechanical and metabolic context, is usually insufficient.

2. Neuromapping is non-negotiable
Effective target selection requires systematic neuromapping

3. Force management and biotensegrity are central clinical lenses
The body must constantly dissipate kinetic energy generated by gravity and movement.
Positive adaptations improve load distribution; negative adaptations arise with energy deficits, hypoperfusion, and neuromotor inhibition—particularly of deep stabilizing muscles.

4. Strategy first, tactics second
Needling, electrostimulation, and manual techniques are tactical tools. They become powerful only when embedded in a strategic framework.

5. “Remove before you add” – the primary treatment principle
Clinically, the first priority is to remove roadblocks that prevent the system from self-regulating.

Dr. Elorriaga challenges practitioners to abandon linear thinking and quick formulas and to commit to deliberate practice. Systematically seek feedback and mentorship to refine both clinical reasoning and technical skills. Re-watch complex teachings multiple times, take notes, and pursue additional reading on key topics (neuroanatomy, biomechanics, fascial science, psychoneuroimmunology).
Be precise in clinical vocabulary, because language shapes thinking, and thinking shapes clinical decisions.

If you find this useful, consider revisiting Parts 1–5 of the series to build the full neurofunctional framework, discuss the material with colleagues, and integrate these concepts into your own assessment and treatment pathways. The power is in the knowledge—and in the disciplined, ongoing refinement of how you apply it in real patients.