What is the Nervous System?
The nervous system acts as the body's central communication network, controlling sensations, movements, thoughts, and emotions. It comprises the central nervous system (CNS)—the brain and spinal cord—and the peripheral nervous system (PNS), a network of nerves throughout your body. The autonomic nervous system, a part of the PNS, manages stress responses through two branches: the sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight response) and the parasympathetic nervous system (rest-and-digest state).
Chronic stress from today's busy lifestyles often disrupts this delicate balance, causing physical pain and emotional strain. Learning how to regulate your nervous system is key to enhancing physical health and emotional wellness.
Signs of a Dysregulated Nervous System
Recognizing signs of nervous system dysregulation helps you identify when to seek support. Common symptoms include:
Chronic anxiety or feeling overwhelmed
Persistent muscle tension, stiffness, or chronic pain
Digestive issues like IBS or frequent stomach discomfort
Sleep difficulties or ongoing fatigue
Feeling disconnected from your body or numbness
How Chronic Pain Relates to the Nervous System
Chronic pain is closely connected to nervous system function. Prolonged stress keeps the nervous system in high alert, making your body hypersensitive to pain. Persistent activation of the sympathetic nervous system causes chronic muscle tension, inflammation, and increased pain sensitivity, turning minor discomfort into significant distress.
Chiropractic Care for Nervous System Regulation
Chiropractic care supports nervous system regulation by addressing spinal misalignments or tension that interrupt nerve communication. These misalignments keep your body in fight-or-flight mode, amplifying stress and pain.
Chiropractic adjustments gently restore proper nerve function, helping your body shift into the calming parasympathetic state. Enhanced vagal tone achieved through chiropractic care reduces inflammation, improves digestion, enhances sleep quality, and lowers overall pain sensitivity.
Psychotherapy and the Mind-Body Connection
Psychotherapy complements chiropractic care by directly addressing emotional and psychological stress. Techniques such as breathwork, somatic experiencing, and cognitive reframing actively engage your nervous system, encouraging relaxation and emotional healing.
Breathwork: Regulates heart rate and reduces muscle tension, calming the brain.
Somatic Experiencing: Reconnects you to physical sensations, facilitating the release of stored emotional trauma.
Cognitive Reframing: Utilizes neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to reorganize—to change perceptions of stress and pain, easing emotional and physical symptoms.
Combining Chiropractic Care and Psychotherapy
Integrating chiropractic adjustments with psychotherapy offers a powerful, holistic approach to nervous system regulation. Chiropractic care improves physical alignment and nerve function, reducing tension and pain. Psychotherapy addresses emotional stress, builds resilience, and reinforces the mind-body connection.
Together, chiropractic care and psychotherapy create lasting improvements in nervous system health, enhancing your overall physical and emotional well-being.
This article is brought to you by Lindsey Thomson of Momentum Mindset and Joshua Kiely of Highlands Wellness & Sports Injury Clinic. For free resources and support on physical health, visit highlandswellness.ca. For mental health resources, visit mymomentummind.com.
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