The Cranial Doc | A Chiropractic & Cranial Mastery Show for Pediatric, Family, and Neurologically-based Chiropractors

Welcome to The Cranial Doc Podcast — the place where mission-driven chiropractors come to sharpen their craft, master communication, upgrade their systems, and stop running their practices like high-income hobbies. I’m Dr. Anthony Pellegrino — ADHD-fueled pediatric chiro, craniopath, tech nerd, and unapologetic subluxation-slayer. For the last decade, I’ve been obsessed with one thing: How do we deliver insane clinical outcomes, build emotionally connected teams, scale without selling out… and still be home in time for bedtime? Here’s what you’ll get inside this show: Cranial & Pediatric Mastery — the stuff that actually moves cases forward, fills your practice with raving parents, and builds the kind of clinical certainty you can feel in your hands. Mechanism-rich breakdowns — airway, CSF, vagus nerve, sympathetic overdrive, palate + facial development… explained in a way your team (and your patients) can finally understand. Leadership & Culture — how to build a team that actually thinks, solves problems, and moves the mission without you babysitting them. Marketing that doesn’t suck — honest, data-driven strategy in a world drowning in ‘guru’ nonsense. Systems, automations & AI — everything I’m doing to run a $7-figure pediatric practice while freeing up my brain for creativity, content, and cranials. The wins, the fails, the “I can’t believe I used to do that” confessions — because we learn faster when we stop pretending we’ve always had it together. If you’re a chiropractor who wants deeper clinical mastery, a practice that actually runs, and messaging that finally lands with the parents you serve… This is your show. No fluff. No gimmicks. No mixers vs straights drama. Just the real-world conversations more chiropractors need to be having — delivered with reckless, mechanism-obsessed abandon. Let’s build the future of chiropractic. One cranial, one kid, one system, one truth bomb at a time. —Dr. Anthony The Cranial Doc™

The Genius With A Thousand Helpers - Episode 10 01/26/2026

Why Babies Gag, Kids Refuse Toothbrushing, and Adults Clench: Same Mechanism - Episode 9 01/19/2026

Why Babies Gag, Kids Refuse Toothbrushing, and Adults Clench: Same Mechanism - Episode 9 Most people think the gag reflex is a “mouth thing.” It’s not. It’s a brainstem survival reflex — and it shows up in different outfits depending on age: Babies gag, cough, fatigue, pop off the breast/bottle Toddlers melt down during oral care Adults “don’t gag”… they just clench their jaw like they’re trying to crack walnuts in their sleep The dentist? That’s where the whole system gets exposed In this episode, I break down the actual neuroanatomy of the gag reflex (CN IX → brainstem → NTS → CN X + friends), and why the real clinical issue isn’t the reflex itself… It’s how early it fires. We’re talking: Why airway protection always wins How stress, illness, inflammation, and sympathetic bias crank the system up Why clenching is the nervous system’s “quiet” long-term gag strategy Why upper cervical + cranial base + posterior palate mechanics change the whole game How to stay in scope, be ethical, and still sound like the quarterback in co-management This isn’t a “tolerance” problem. It’s a threshold problem. And if you understand this framework, you’ll stop chasing symptoms and start changing the environment that determines how the brainstem responds. Subscribe, rate, review — and share this with the doc who still thinks TMJ is a “jaw issue.” 00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview 00:23 Patient Case Study: Gag Reflex in Infants 02:47 Professional Criticism and Personal Growth 05:12 Collaborative Care Approach 06:42 Understanding the Gag Reflex Mechanism 13:32 Anatomy of the Gag Reflex 19:55 Sensitization and Reflex Pathways 24:19 Understanding Motor Patterns in Adults and Babies 25:03 The Role of Sensitization and Autonomic Bias 25:39 TMJ Care and Clenching Mechanisms 29:27 Impact of Dental Procedures on Jaw Stability 31:48 Cranial Base and Posterior Palate Mechanics 37:00 Upper Cervical Spine and Brainstem Processing 41:04 Autonomic Tone and Reflex Thresholds 43:57 Integrating Care for Holistic Health 46:34 Conclusion and Call to Action /episode/index/show/4953a2bd-8989-4823-ada5-6af84509e9a0/id/39735535

The Dumbest Way Chiropractors Lose New Patients - Episode 8 01/12/2026

The Dumbest Way Chiropractors Lose New Patients - Episode 8 If you’re paying for traffic… Paying for ads… Paying for SEO… …and your phone rings when the office is closed? There’s a very real chance you’re lighting money on fire. In this episode, I break down one of the highest-ROI automations we’ve ever implemented — and why most chiropractic offices are systemically designed to lose leads they already paid for. This isn’t theory. This is exactly how it runs in our practice. What we cover: Why missed calls are more dangerous than bad ads The simple text-back system that salvages after-hours leads How we separate active patients vs brand-new leads automatically Why follow-up should be automated — not “remembered” The exact timing that converts ghosts into booked appointments How trigger-based workflows outperform staff reminders every time Why most EHR / messaging systems can’t do this (and what actually can) The big takeaway: Marketing doesn’t fail nearly as often as follow-through does. If someone called your office, time already mattered. Speed beats perfection. Automation beats memory. This episode will make you rethink: Your front desk expectations Your tech stack And how many patients you should be seeing already 🎯 Action step: Audit how your office handles missed calls today. If the answer is “we call them back when we remember” — this is for you. 👉 Share this with a doc who’s running ads but still “slow.” 👉 Or reply and tell me how many leads you think you’re losing. Go slice some subluxations. 00:00 Introduction and Podcast Welcome 00:09 Driving Traffic to Your Website 01:14 Handling Missed Calls with Automation 02:14 Building Effective Workflows 04:23 Benefits of Automated Follow-Ups 05:29 Using Go High Level for Automation 06:15 Membership and Workflow Resources 07:52 Conclusion and Final Thoughts /episode/index/show/4953a2bd-8989-4823-ada5-6af84509e9a0/id/39665960

Why Your Practice Is Busy, Growing… and Still Strapped - Episode 7 01/05/2026

Airway, Anxiety, and Anterior Head Posture — The Unholy TMJ Trinity - Episode 6 12/29/2025

Airway, Anxiety, and Anterior Head Posture — The Unholy TMJ Trinity - Episode 6 Most TMJ cases aren’t jaw problems. They’re full-body stability problems that just happen to show up at the jaw first. And if you keep adjusting the same areas without accounting for pelvic stability, airway mechanics, and cranial strain patterns, the results won’t hold. This episode breaks down the actual mechanisms that make TMJ care succeed long-term — and why your sequence matters more than your technique. What We Cover: Bottom-up vs top-down TMJ mechanics Why pelvic instability drives clenching, rigid spines, sympathetic tone, and patients who feel like they “fall apart” without constant care. Airway mechanics that change everything Anterior head carriage, recessed mandibles, mouth breathing, snoring, and how airway dysfunction shapes jaw tone more than the jaw shapes the airway. SOT-style screenings that change your setups How pelvic findings should influence your adjusting choices so you aren’t reinforcing collapse with your own hands. Cranial pattern interpretation Temporal rotation, intermaxillary suture buckling, sagittal tension lines, and sphenoid strain patterns that predict whether your TMJ work will actually hold. Bruxism as a stabilizing strategy Why clenching happens when the body is trying to create structure — not because of stress alone or “bad habits.” Quarterbacking with dentists, myo, and pelvic floor providers How to collaborate confidently, lead the case, and protect outcomes without stepping out of your lane. Key Takeaways: Start with mechanism Stabilize the pelvis → normalize head carriage → free the airway → decompress the TMJ. The sequence is the adjustment. Airway tension = jaw tension Pay attention to snoring, mouth breathing, morning headaches, irritability, and kids with “perfect posture” that’s actually compensatory. Cranial findings that guide care Feel the intermaxillary suture for ridging, read temporal rotation patterns, and learn to spot sphenoid strain without second-guessing yourself. Adjust differently when instability is present Visit frequency, spinal setups, and cranial sequencing need to shift when the foundation beneath the jaw can’t support change. Show objective progress Motion films, T1 angle, palate shape, head shape metrics, neurotonal findings — these help parents and dental colleagues feel the progress you see. Lead the team Own the role of quarterback. When you guide the care plan, everyone benefits — especially the patient. Wins and Lessons From Practice A miss Upper cervical work plus a night guard gave a great result for 24 hours. Then the system collapsed again. The patient became dependent on frequent care. Nothing was actually wrong with the adjusting — the foundation was unstable from the start. A win You identify pelvic instability, adjust your sequence, add cranial work, track airway signs, and bring in myo and dental support. Suddenly care holds. Visit frequency drops. The patient gets durable change and your referral stream grows. That’s not luck. That’s mastery.If this episode clarified something you’ve been wrestling with, share it with a colleague who’s still chasing jaws in isolation. And if you’ve seen a TMJ mechanism that blew your mind, reply and tell me about it. I love hearing the weird cases. Timeline 00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview 00:26 Pediatric Focus and TMJ Disorders 01:36 Patient Consultation and Common Symptoms 04:21 Pelvic Stability and TMJ Mechanisms 11:43 Top-Down Mechanisms and Sympathetic Load 15:28 Cranial Assessments and Palate Distortions 20:43 Collaborative Care and Case Leadership 24:30 Conclusion and Call to Action /episode/index/show/4953a2bd-8989-4823-ada5-6af84509e9a0/id/39432400

Stop Blaming the Gut — Start Looking at the Brainstem - Episode 5 12/22/2025

Stop Blaming the Gut — Start Looking at the Brainstem - Episode 5 Let’s cut the crap — most chiropractors are still explaining colic like it’s a gas bubble with an attitude problem. But if you’ve actually looked at these kids, you know the truth: this isn’t a tummy issue… it’s a brainstem issue hiding in plain sight. Today we’re diving into the mechanism behind colic that almost no one in pediatrics is talking about — vestibular dysregulation — and why it perfectly explains every single symptom you’re seeing in practice. Inside this episode, we break down: The 2021 Høve study that changes the entire colic conversation Why “benign crying” is the worst medical cop-out of all time How the vestibular system wires posture, tone & autonomic balance before the cortex even forms The brainstem connections between the suboccipitals, temporal bones, dura, and autonomic output The 5-question vestibular screening tool you should add to your intake TODAY Why motion intolerance, gravitational sensitivity, and startle patterns are brainstem outputs, not behaviors The exact mechanism: suboccipital strain → distorted vestibular input → Perkinje disinhibition → baby perceives gravity as a threat Why gentle cranial + upper cervical work normalizes vestibular firing faster than anything else How to talk about this with parents without sounding like a neuroscience textbook Big Takeaways: Colic isn’t random crying — it’s sensory dysregulation. These babies aren’t “fussy.” Their brainstem is processing gravity like it’s a bear attack. The vestibular nuclei, vagal nuclei, and reticular formation sit shoulder-to-shoulder — fix one, you influence them all. Chiropractic results look “miraculous” because you’re restoring sensory regulation, not calming a stomach. Using the 5-step vestibular questionnaire gives you actual outcome measures instead of “trust me, the scan is red.” Real Talk Moment: I’ve been guilty of over-explaining colic as reflux or latch issues myself. It’s easy. It sounds good. But it’s not the whole picture. This study tightened up my understanding and honestly punched me in the clinical ego — in a good way. We should all be leveling up the way we explain colic, because parents deserve more than “gas” and “they’ll grow out of it.” They don’t grow out of it. They grow into something else. 00:00 Welcome to the Cranial Doc Podcast 00:35 Understanding Colic: A Common Challenge 01:38 Explaining Colic to Skeptical Parents 02:22 Reviewing Dr. Janho's 2021 Study 03:46 Connecting Colic to Vestibular Function 06:15 The Five-Step Questionnaire for Parents 09:43 Study Results and Clinical Implications 12:38 Reframing Colic as Nervous System Dysfunction 14:54 Conclusion and Call to Action /episode/index/show/4953a2bd-8989-4823-ada5-6af84509e9a0/id/39360025

Parents in Fight-or-Flight Don’t Buy; Predictability Does - Episode 4 12/15/2025

Parents in Fight-or-Flight Don’t Buy; Predictability Does - Episode 4 Let’s get brutally honest — your pediatric Day 1/Day 2 is probably stressing parents out more than their kid’s sleep regression. And stressed parents don’t buy. They freeze. They ghost. They “need to talk to their spouse” (even though the spouse is literally in the next room). That’s why today we’re ripping apart your pediatric intake flow and rebuilding it into something that actually works in 2025 — predictable, scalable, and parent-nervous-system–friendly. Inside this episode, I break down: Why every pediatric consultation should happen on Zoom (yes, every one) The real reason parents shut down during your in-office Day 1 How chronic fight-or-flight changes decision-making — and how to work with it, not against it Why “don’t talk about their kid’s struggles in front of them” is more than a nicety — it’s psychology The 3-appointment structure that eliminates drop-offs and builds momentum How deposits protect doctor time AND increase commitment The Watch & Wonder conversation framework (aka how to set expectations without overwhelming them) The exact moment you should start building the value stack — and why it’s not the ROF How reading back their exact language builds more trust than any scan, chart, or clever metaphor Why predictability is the #1 currency in pediatrics (not analytics, not charisma, not clinical flexing) Big Takeaways: Parents in chronic stress don’t need more information — they need predictability. Zoom consults remove distractions, create safety, and let you actually listen. When you build the “yes” from Day 0, the ROF becomes a confirmation, not a sales pitch. Repeating their language back is the most powerful clinical tool you’re not using. If your system creates uncertainty, your conversions will expose it — every time. 00:00 Introduction to the Cranial Doc Podcast 00:35 The Importance of Email Series 02:12 Transition to Podcasting 02:41 Focus on Pediatric Care 03:38 Implementing Zoom Consultations 05:11 Challenges and Solutions in Pediatric Consultations 07:29 Detailed Process for Pediatric Care 11:05 Building Predictability and Trust 18:20 Concluding Thoughts and Call to Action /episode/index/show/4953a2bd-8989-4823-ada5-6af84509e9a0/id/39258870

The Jaw-Dropping Truth About Pediatric Airway — And Why You're Missing It - Episode 3 12/08/2025

From Anxiety to Airway: Why We're Failing Our Kids - Episode 2 12/01/2025

The Introduction to The Return - Episode 0 11/24/2025

Stop Letting AI Sound Like a Robot: Here’s the Secret Sauce - Episode 1 11/24/2025

The Cranial Doc | A Chiropractic & Cranial Mastery Show for Pediatric, Family, and Neurologically-based Chiropractors

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