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Functional Medicine 309: Autonomic Nervous System Regulation as Preventive Medicine
Earn 2 live PACE chiropractic CE hours with Dr. Howard Benedikt, DC, DCBCN, and leave with a defensible, evidence-anchored framework for assessing and supporting autonomic nervous system balance — vagal tone, HRV, stress-recovery markers, and the clinical nutrition levers chiropractors can apply ethically inside scope.
Live Webinar · Tuesday, June 9, 2026 · 7–9 PM CT
Reserve your seat — 2 live PACE CE hours
Enroll Now →CE auto-reported to CE Broker & State Boards · PACE Provider #34015544
| Course OverviewThe autonomic nervous system (ANS) sits upstream of inflammation, recovery, sleep, and metabolic regulation. This live webinar pulls the popular “vagal tone” conversation back to the peer-reviewed data so chiropractors leave with a defensible vocabulary — and a clear-eyed map of where clinical nutrition fits inside the ANS picture. The sympathetic / parasympathetic balance and what chronic dysregulation looks like clinically Vagal tone, HRV interpretation, and the autonomic markers worth tracking in chiropractic practice Inflammation markers (IL-6, TNF-α, CRP) and the ANS–inflammation axis Clinical nutrition levers: micronutrient status, blood sugar regulation, and ANS-supportive dietary patterns Lab interpretation patterns for autonomic and metabolic markers chiropractors commonly encounter Positioning ANS-supportive care inside a preventive-medicine framework — scope, consent, and defensible documentation |
Autonomic regulation sits upstream of inflammation, sleep, and metabolic health. This webinar reviews what the peer-reviewed data does — and does not — support.CE Recognition & Approval Snapshot
| Parameter | Detail | Verified Source |
|---|---|---|
| Course format | 2-hour live webinar, attendance required | CCEDseminars course record |
| PACE Provider # | 34015544 (CCEDseminars) | FCLB PACE Provider Search |
| US recognition | 37 states recognize PACE-approved chiropractic CE | FCLB PACE state-board reciprocity |
| Canadian recognition | 7 provinces recognize PACE-approved CE | Federation of Canadian Chiropractic |
| International recognition | 17 international regions recognize PACE | FCLB PACE |
| CE Broker auto-report | Yes — FL, GA | Propelus CE Broker |
| TX 16-hr renewal fit | Applies to 6-hr live/webinar portion of 16-hr annual requirement | Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners |
| Certificate delivery | Available in your CCED account immediately upon attendance verification | CCEDseminars |
State-specific recognition for this course is shown in the CMS-injected approvals list at the bottom of this page.
Your Instructor
Dr. Howard Benedikt, DC, DCBCN
Diplomate, Chiropractic Board of Clinical Nutrition · CCEDseminars functional-medicine faculty
Dr. Benedikt is a CCEDseminars functional-medicine faculty member with diplomate-level credentialing in chiropractic clinical nutrition and president of CBCN (DCBCN). His teaching style integrates the peer-reviewed literature on the autonomic nervous system with the practical clinical-nutrition workflows chiropractors can apply inside scope. Dr. Benedikt’s CCED catalog includes the Functional Medicine 30x live-webinar series — each session zeroing in on one upstream biological lever (autonomic regulation, inflammation, micronutrient status, blood-sugar regulation) with the same evidence-first, defensibility-focused posture.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion, participants will be able to:
- Describe the structural and functional anatomy of the autonomic nervous system and the clinical patterns of sympathetic/parasympathetic dysregulation.
- Interpret vagal tone, heart-rate-variability, and inflammation markers (IL-6, TNF-α, CRP) as upstream indicators of autonomic health.
- Apply clinical-nutrition levers — micronutrient status, blood-sugar regulation, ANS-supportive dietary patterns — inside chiropractic scope to support autonomic regulation.
- Communicate a defensible preventive-medicine framework for ANS-supportive care without overclaiming, including documentation and consent considerations.
Course Outline
Hour 1 — ANS Anatomy, Vagal Tone & the Inflammation Axis
- Sympathetic and parasympathetic anatomy — what chiropractors need to know clinically
- Vagal tone, heart-rate variability, and the peer-reviewed evidence base on autonomic measurement
- The ANS–inflammation axis: IL-6, TNF-α, CRP — what the data shows about cytokine response to autonomic state
- Clinical patterns of dysregulation: stress physiology, sleep disruption, recovery deficits
- Reading the literature honestly — what has been replicated and where the evidence stops
Hour 2 — Clinical Nutrition Levers & Defensible Workflows
- Micronutrient status patterns relevant to autonomic function (magnesium, B-complex, omega-3 fatty acids)
- Blood-sugar regulation and the autonomic feedback loop
- ANS-supportive dietary patterns: practical, evidence-anchored, defensible
- Lab interpretation patterns chiropractors encounter and what they actually tell you about ANS state
- Positioning ANS-supportive care inside a preventive-medicine framework — scope, consent, and documentation
- Case examples + live Q&A
Peer-Reviewed References Discussed
- Herman, J.P., McKlveen, J.M., Ghosal, S., Kopp, B., Wulsin, A., Makinson, R., Scheimann, J., & Myers, B. (2016). Regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical stress response. Comprehensive Physiology, 6(2), 603–621. https://doi.org/10.1002/cphy.c150015
- Capilupi, M.J., Kerath, S.M., & Becker, L.B. (2020). Vagus nerve stimulation and the cardiovascular system. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine, 10(2), a034173. https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a034173
- Kania, A.M., Weiler, K.N., Kurian, A.P., Opena, M.L., Orellana, J.N., & Stauss, H.M. (2024). Activation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory reflex by occipitoatlantal decompression and transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation. Physiological Reports, 12(6), e15981. https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.15981
- Tobaldini, E., Carandina, A., Toschi-Dias, E., Erba, L., Furlan, L., Sgoifo, A., & Montano, N. (2020). Depression and cardiovascular autonomic control: A matter of vagus and sex paradox. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 9(10), 3180. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9103180
Course Technology & Access
 Any Device Desktop, tablet, or phone |  Live Counts for CE credit |  Auto-Reported CE Broker & State Boards |
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Webinar
Do I need to attend live to earn the 2 CE hours?
Yes. Live broadcast attendance is required for the full 2 CE hours. CCEDseminars does not offer replay credit for live webinars; the live format is what qualifies the credit under PACE and state-board live-CE rules.
What format is the webinar and what device do I need?
The webinar is delivered via secure live video stream. You can join from any modern desktop, tablet, or smartphone with a stable internet connection. No special software install is required — the link opens in your browser.
What do the 2 CE hours cover?
Two hours of live instruction split evenly: Hour 1 reviews autonomic anatomy, vagal tone, HRV interpretation, and the ANS–inflammation axis (IL-6, TNF-α, CRP); Hour 2 covers clinical-nutrition levers, lab-interpretation patterns, and defensible documentation for ANS-supportive preventive care. Chiropractors searching for these hours may call them CE, CEUs, continuing education, license renewal hours, post-graduate credits, or PACE-approved courses — all terms refer to the same recognized continuing education required for state-board renewal. Course materials are included in your post-course notes inside your CCED account.
How do I get my CE certificate after the webinar?
Your certificate is generated and available for immediate printing inside your CCEDseminars account once attendance is completed. CE Broker and applicable state boards are auto-reported on your behalf.
Functional Medicine CE & State Renewal
Does this count toward my chiropractic state license renewal?
Yes. The course is PACE-approved (Provider #34015544 — verifiable at the FCLB PACE Provider Search), which is the broadest credentialing pathway for chiropractic CE across U.S. state boards. The CMS-injected approvals list at the bottom of this page shows the full state-by-state recognition for this course. For Texas licensees, this 2-hour live webinar applies to the 6-hour live/webinar portion of the 16-hour annual renewal requirement under Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners rules.
How does this fit a functional-medicine or preventive-care CE plan?
FM 309 is the autonomic-axis anchor of CCED’s Functional Medicine 30x live-webinar series — the talk that addresses ANS regulation as the upstream lever for inflammation, sleep, and metabolic health. Pair it with CCED’s other functional-medicine sessions (inflammation, micronutrient status, blood-sugar regulation) to build a defensible preventive-care specialty offering inside chiropractic scope.
What is the difference between this course and other functional-medicine chiropractic content?
The field is nascent. Other functional-medicine programs for chiropractors tend to be supplement-stack-heavy and are often not PACE-approved for chiropractic state CE renewal. This webinar takes the opposite posture: it reviews what the peer-reviewed data actually shows on autonomic regulation, vagal tone, and the ANS–inflammation axis; applies clinical-nutrition levers inside chiropractic scope; and is explicit about where the data stops. The result is a defensible vocabulary you can use with patients and in documentation — with PACE-approved CE hours that count toward your renewal.
Is this course appropriate for chiropractors new to functional medicine?
Yes. The webinar assumes a working chiropractic clinical baseline but does not require prior functional-medicine or clinical-nutrition training. Dr. Benedikt’s teaching style is evidence-anchored and defensibility-focused, which makes this an accessible entry point even for chiropractors who are skeptical of how functional medicine is often marketed. You leave with language, lab-interpretation patterns, and documentation approaches you can apply Monday morning.
Related Functional Medicine & Preventive-Care CE
- Functional Medicine CE hub — full FM 30x live-webinar series
- Clinical Longevity & Healthspan Science (CLHS) hub — pairs ANS regulation with longevity-care framework
- All courses by Dr. Howard Benedikt, DC, DCBCN
- All live webinars
What Chiropractors Say About Dr. Benedikt’s Courses
“Dr. Benedikt’s clinical-nutrition framework finally gave me a defensible vocabulary for the autonomic side of the conversation with my patients. Evidence-anchored, practical, and respectful of my chiropractic scope.”
— Reon Bailey, DC
“Honest about what the data shows and what it doesn’t. That’s rare in functional-medicine CE. I left with patterns I’m using on Monday.”
— Rob Rosenbaum, DC
Approved & Recognized By
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PACE Provider #34015544 · Recognized across U.S. state boards for chiropractic continuing education
Reviewed by Monte Horne, DC · Founder, CCEDseminars (PACE Provider #34015544) · Last reviewed: May 28, 2026