Quickest source to find Live Q&A (Podcast):
How Dr. Andres Rosales Uses Direct Current
If you’ve ever walked into a chiropractic office expecting a quick crack-and-go appointment, you already know the script: a few minutes on the table, a couple pops, and you’re back in your car—sometimes feeling better, sometimes feeling the exact same, and almost always wondering why the problem keeps coming back.
Dr. Andres Rosales runs a different kind of practice in Los Angeles. He still adjusts when it’s necessary, but he calls himself a rehab chiropractor for a reason: the real changes happen when the patient stands up, moves, and trains the pattern their body has been avoiding. He builds sessions around movement-based chiropractic, and he uses NerveOTX direct current neuro therapy to speed up the part most people struggle with—getting the nervous system to reconnect to the right muscles at the right time.
The result is a model that feels less like “treatment” and more like a reset-and-rebuild system. People leave with less pain, better range, and a clearer understanding of what their body is doing; and what it needs to do next.
Why movement-based chiropractic is becoming the new standard
Traditional chiropractic can help a lot of people. But it has a ceiling. If the only tool is an adjustment, you’re relying on the joint to hold position while the rest of the system stays the same. And if the rest of the system stays the same—weakness, compensation, poor mechanics—the joint often ends up restricted again.
Dr. Rosales has watched that cycle for years, which is why he leans hard into movement-based chiropractic. Adjustments are still part of the plan, but the bigger, longer-term wins come from “the movement rehab part” of the journey—building resiliency and strengthening the body so people can stay pain-free.
That philosophy shows up immediately in his intake. Instead of chasing symptoms, he starts with a movement assessment that matches the complaint and then expands outward to the rest of the chain. He’s looking for the culprit, not just the loudest pain signal.
The first appointment: movement assessment before assumptions
Here’s what most new patients don’t expect: a movement assessment isn’t a warm-up—it’s the roadmap.
Dr. Rosales uses a movement assessment because the root cause is often not where symptoms are felt. A knee can hurt because of the hip or foot. A shoulder can hurt because the ribcage and thoracic spine aren’t doing their job. A back can ache because gait mechanics are off. He wants to see the whole picture before he chooses the solution.
Depending on the complaint, he may run:
- a squat assessment
- active ranges of motion
- a push-up pattern check
- controlled articular rotations (CARs)
Then he follows with a physical exam to rule out red flags and ensure adjustments and loading progressions are safe.
This is movement assessment done with intent: not just “can you move,” but “how do you move,” “what do you avoid,” and “where does your body cheat to protect itself.”
Why “knee pain” is rarely only a knee problem
One of the clearest examples Dr. Rosales gives is knee pain. Most people come in pointing to the knee. He looks down and up the chain.
He wants to see foot and ankle mechanics. He wants to know whether the hip or low back is contributing to compensation. He’s looking for muscle imbalances, weakness and timing issues that increase stress at the joint.
That’s why movement-based chiropractic works so well for “mystery pain” patients. Many of them have already tried treating the symptom. The symptom is the final destination of a compensation pattern that may have been building for years.
And that’s where NerveOTX direct current neuro therapy becomes a multiplier.
NerveOTX direct current neuro therapy: not just stimulation, but a nervous-system teaching tool
Dr. Rosales first met direct current technology during chiropractic school while interning with a Los Angeles doctor, Dr. Ryan Pendon. He learned about different currents (like Russian stim and other modalities) in a school setting, but direct current didn’t click as a practical daily tool until he saw it in action.
Now he uses NerveOTX direct current neuro therapy inside an hour-long session structure:
- first 20–30 minutes: adjustments if needed, plus soft tissue work
- remainder: NerveOTX direct current neuro therapy on the RX100 while the patient moves through mobility or strengthening on the gym floor
That structure matters. It keeps the “hands-on” work from being the whole story and turns each visit into a training session for the nervous system.
NerveOTX direct current neuro therapy helps him solve a common rehab problem: people often know what they should do, but their body can’t access the pattern. The device helps strengthen the signal and improve the mind–muscle connection so patients can engage the areas they’ve been compensating away from.
The mind–muscle connection: where most rehab plans stall
A surprising number of people can’t “feel” key muscle groups doing their job—glutes, deep rotator cuff, lower traps, quads, or even the foot intrinsic muscles that stabilize gait.
Dr. Rosales sees this daily. He said NerveOTX direct current neuro therapy is especially helpful for patients who struggle with body awareness, because it helps them connect mind to muscle and perform more complicated movements while actually targeting what needs to be targeted.
This is why movement assessment and direct current pair so well. A movement assessment shows you where the body is cheating; NerveOTX direct current neuro therapy helps the body stop cheating by giving it stronger input and a clearer path to activation.
Mapping: the next level of the movement assessment
Dr. Rosales is already getting strong results, but he’s also excited about incorporating the mapping feature into his initial assessment. He called it a game changer because it creates objective findings; patients can feel the difference between one area and another, and it becomes obvious where “normal” sensation ends and “hot spot” sensation begins.
Mapping supports the same theme he repeats constantly: the pain site is not always the problem site. When a patient is skeptical, “why are you working on my ankle if my back hurts?”, objective mapping gives them a physical experience that explains the logic without a long lecture.
For a rehab chiropractor, that’s powerful. It turns education into sensation, and sensation into buy-in.
The foot bath protocol: the easiest sell once people try it
If mapping is the “aha” tool, the foot bath protocol is the “you’ll be back for this” tool.
Dr. Rosales named the foot bath protocol as his favorite RX100 protocol and said he uses it heavily with runners, his runners love it. And if you’ve ever tried to convince a runner to do recovery work, you know how big of a statement that is.
The first reaction most people have is the same: water plus electricity sounds insane. Dr. Rosales addresses it directly, reassuring patients that it’s safe. The foot bath protocol uses water as a magnifier while the person’s body is the ground reference, which is why it feels so unique without being dangerous when done correctly.
From a movement-based chiropractic perspective, the foot bath protocol is also strategic: the feet are the start of most movement chains. If you can improve sensory input, circulation, and tissue response at the feet, you often improve how the entire body organizes itself above.
That’s why the foot bath protocol isn’t just a “recovery hack.” It’s a nervous-system reset.
Why patients come in for an adjustment and leave as a training client
Dr. Rosales is honest: many new patients show up saying, “I’m just looking for an adjustment.”
His response is equally honest: they might be in the wrong place; because while he does adjust, it isn’t the only thing he does. He emphasizes long-term solutions: building muscle mass, strengthening the body, and increasing resilience so pain doesn’t keep returning.
That message lands because it’s true. Adjustments can create a window. But strength and control keep the window open.
It’s also why he’s seen something interesting in his practice: the more patients use NerveOTX direct current neuro therapy and improve movement quality, the less they need frequent adjustments because joint restrictions show up less often.
That’s a major selling point for skeptical patients. They don’t want to live in a cycle of weekly cracks. They want an exit plan.
Movement-based chiropractic plus NerveOTX direct current neuro therapy offers an exit plan.
The shoulder case that made the value obvious
If you want a real-world picture of what this looks like, the shoulder case is the cleanest example.
A patient with a partial shoulder labrum tear came in reporting instability and a “catching” sensation when reaching back. After only two sessions using direct current neuro therapy, he saw significant improvements. His shoulder range of motion increased by about 10 degrees, and he felt more stable and confident in daily activities. Even the “catching” pattern that kept showing up in life stopped showing up.
Those are the outcomes people care about:
- more range
- less catching
- more stability
- more confidence
And they happened quickly enough that the patient noticed, not just in the clinic, but in the movement that used to trigger symptoms.
That’s the difference between temporary relief and real change.
Why this model works for runners, desk workers, and everyone in between
Runners love the foot bath protocol. Desk workers love that the plan isn’t “rest forever.” Strength athletes love that they can train again without guessing.
The common denominator is simple: people want function.
Movement assessment identifies the breakdown.
Movement-based chiropractic restores joint options.
NerveOTX direct current neuro therapy improves activation and helps the nervous system relearn patterns.
The foot bath protocol supports recovery and gives the lower body a fast reset.
It’s not one magic thing. It’s a system.
And systems are what win long-term.
What to look for when choosing a movement-based chiropractor
If you’re searching for care, the label isn’t everything. Some clinics say “sports rehab” and still deliver the same old plan.
A few green flags that match Dr. Rosales’s model:
- a movement assessment that happens early, not as an afterthought
- a plan that targets the chain, not just the symptom site
- time: hour-long sessions or enough time to progress beyond passive care
- movement on the gym floor, not only time on the table
- tools like NerveOTX direct current neuro therapy used with movement, not just passive “sit and stim”
When those elements show up together, you’re more likely to get durable change instead of a short-term reset.
Ready to stop chasing symptoms and start building real resilience? Work with a movement-based chiropractic provider who uses NerveOTX direct current neuro therapy, starts with a movement assessment, and has a repeatable recovery tool like the foot bath protocol—so you don’t just feel better for a day, you move better for the long haul.
