The Nervous System Approach: Decoding Your Body’s Pain Signals
As a Sports and Remedial Massage Therapist, I diligently worked to alleviate my clients’ pain. But sometimes, the results felt temporary, leaving me searching for a deeper understanding of why pain persisted. This quest led me down the fascinating “neuro rabbit hole” 12 years ago. There, I discovered a revolutionary approach – the nervous system approach – which has transformed my practice and helped countless clients reclaim a life free from chronic pain.
Imagine your body as a busy city. Your brain is the central control centre, constantly receiving information through a vast network of highways – your nervous system. This information, like traffic signals, dictates how your brain instructs your muscles, organs, and other systems to function.
Sometimes, glitches happen. But just like a city can experience disruptions – traffic jams, road closures – so too can your nervous system. Injuries, surgeries, and even stress can scramble these vital messages, leading to pain and dysfunction.
Scars can be a big culprit. Scars, those seemingly innocuous remnants of healed injuries, can be a major culprit. Even after the physical wound heals, scar tissue might send distorted or delayed signals to your brain. Your brain, mistaking this for a threat, can trigger pain, tightness, or even motor control issues.
Here’s where the nervous system approach comes in. This is where the nervous system approach shines. We move beyond simply treating the pain itself and delve into the “why” behind it. We become detectives, investigating why your nervous system might be sending these false alarms.
Think of pain as a warning light. It’s frustrating, yes, but it also indicates a problem requiring attention. In this case, your brain might be stuck in an overprotective “threat mode,” even though the initial danger has long passed.
The nervous system approach helps us reset that mode. We address factors like:
- Scar Tissue: By addressing scar tissue restrictions, we can prevent them from sending misleading signals to your nervous system.
- Breathing: Your breathing pattern is a key indicator of your nervous system’s state. We can teach you techniques to regulate your breath, promoting relaxation and reducing pain signals.
- Sensory Inputs: Certain inputs, including those relayed through the cranial nerves, can significantly influence pain perception. We work to optimize these inputs for improved nervous system function.
- Past Injuries: Old injuries or traumas can leave lingering imprints on your nervous system. Addressing these imprints helps your nervous system move out of a “threat” state.
By addressing these contributing factors, we can help your nervous system “relax” and significantly reduce your pain response. It’s like fixing a glitch in the system, allowing it to function optimally and interpret information accurately.
The nervous system approach isn’t just about addressing pain; it’s about empowering you to understand your body’s intricate communication network. By working collaboratively, we can equip you with the tools to manage your nervous system and prevent future pain episodes. This might involve techniques like:
- Self-massage techniques: Learning to release scar tissue restrictions and improve sensory input through self-massage empowers you to manage your pain between sessions.
- Breathwork exercises: Mastering specific breathing patterns can help regulate your nervous system and promote relaxation, reducing pain perception.
- Movement retraining: Through targeted exercises, we can help you retrain your movement patterns to improve function and reduce the risk of future injuries that might trigger the nervous system’s protective mechanisms.
The nervous system approach is a journey of self-discovery and empowerment. As we work together, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of your body and its remarkable ability to heal. With the right tools and strategies, you can move beyond pain and rediscover the freedom and joy of a body in motion.
Ready to embark on this journey of healing? Contact me today to discuss how the nervous system approach can help you reclaim a life free from chronic pain.
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Key takeaways:
- Your brain is constantly assessing threats.
- Pain is often a signal that your nervous system feels danger, even if there’s none.
- By addressing the root cause of the “threat” signals, we can reduce pain and improve your body’s function.
At My Bodyworks, we use this philosophy to help you move beyond pain and live a life without limitations!
About Nat
Nat is a Soft Tissue and Movement Rehab Therapist, specialising in Functional Neurology, Pain & Movement Rehab, Nervous System Regulation and Women’s Health.
Nat uses a multi-disciplinary approach to provide a ‘whole-istic’ approach to helping you understand and move more easily in your body, emotionally and physically. She uses a combination of manual bodywork, neuromuscular repatterning, movement, nervous system regulation and energy work to help you move beyond pain and emotional blocks and back to living life with joy and zest.
Nat helps with:
- Functional Movement repatterning
- Functional Breathing
- Relieving pain
- Reintroducing Stability to the system physically and emotionally
- Post-op rehab
- Scar care
- Nervous system regulation
- Postnatal recovery
- Diastasis Recti recovery
- C section recovery
- Hysterectomy Recovery
- Pelvic Floor Function
- Perimenopause and Menopause Lifestyle Coaching
