Office Location: 1817 S Main Street, Suite 10 SLC, UT 84115 | Phone 801 . 859 . 4142
Align Integration & Movement
  • Home
  • Work with Me
    • Request an Appointment
    • Rates & Insurance
    • Orthopedic & Pelvic Health Physical Therapy
    • Visceral Manipulation
    • Biofield Tuning®
    • Restore Room: Enhance your healing with Whole Body Vibration & The Vitalizer Chi Machine
    • NeuroKinetic Therapy™
    • Nutritious Movement™
    • Workshops
    • Testimonials
    • Resources
  • Blog
  • About Me
    • About Me
    • My Philosophy
  • Store
  • Podcast

Understanding our Nervous System

3/19/2019

2 Comments

 
The key to health: regulation of the autonomic nervous system
Traffic light analogy of the Autonomic Nervous System

​Understanding and tapping into our innate healing capacity and regulation of the nervous system is key for getting out of pain and improving function.  Many people have learned in school that the brain and the spinal cord are the central processing and relay centers, and the peripheral nerves take off from the spinal cord to drive the movement of our muscles.  More elusive in understanding is the part of our peripheral nervous system that goes to our smooth muscle and organs: the autonomic nervous system.  The autonomic nervous system keeps us alive.  It is important for basic metabolic functions such a breathing, heart rate, digestion, hormone regulation, sleep/wake cycles, sexual response, immunity, repair & regeneration, etc.

The Autonomic Nervous System: Polyvagal Theory

In 1994, Professor Stephen Porges proposed the Polyvagal Theory.  In this seminal work he describes the autonomic nervous system in more detail.  Rather than a 2 part system balance of sympathetic "fight or flight" and parasympathetic "rest or digest", he acknowledges the evolutionary nervous system development that brings the humaneness into being human such as connection, social engagement, relationship,  and the ability to have team work and community.  One of the best explanations of the Polyvagal Theory that I have heard is by Stephen's son, Seth.  I have posted the video below.  Please watch, and then watch again.
Polyvagal analogy of the traffic light:
  • Green is the safety zone: our social engagement system.  our heart rate slows, digestion activates, facial muscles are responsive,  eyes are soft and able to make contact, hearing is turned on.
  • Yellow is the danger zone:  our heart rate increases, pain increases, muscles are mobilized for movement, flat facial affect, the middle ear is turned off in order to hear lower threat tones.
  • Red is the life threat zone: our system goes into freeze/immobilization.  This zone leads to metabolic shut down.
A healthy autonomic nervous system is fluid, bouncing between the green and yellow zone.  

Nervous System Regulation: The Still Face Experiment

As humans we are wired to connect.  We need to have connection and safety to build a healthy nervous system. If you watched Seth's video above, you now have a deeper understanding of this.  Because the nervous system is so subtle, and because many of us have had "bad stuff/trauma" happen to us, (we can be stuck in a freeze state or amped up into hyperarousal, or stuck in both states) we don't always "get" this understanding of how important it is to heal at a nervous system level.  The still face experiment exemplifies what happens to the nervous system and subsequent behavior when connection and safety is withheld.  
The above video can be hard to watch.  In just 3 minutes of non responsiveness from the mother, the child turns her head and body away; she withdraws with a hopeless expression on her face.  To use the traffic light example, in the beginning we see activation of the green light, then mom becomes non responsive, the child escalates to the yellow light and when mom continues not to respond, the child collapses into the red light.  Fortunately, this was an experiment, and mom comes back to engage and repair to green light.

Now what?  How does this apply to me?

Our nervous system impacts our entire well being: emotionally, relationally, mentally and physically.  Common signs of dysregulation: depression, anxiety, numbed out, brain fog/can't concentrate, procrastination/resistance, chronic pain, gut issues, headaches, severe PMS, autoimmune disorders, hormone issues, pain, etc.  You may also find yourself continually getting injured or wanting to take your exercise to the next level and you end up hurting your back (knee, shoulder, foot, etc), or you keep going to the chiropractor and they tell you that you aren't holding your adjustments or you look in the mirror and notice that your body rests in rotation (one shoulder is higher or your head slightly tilts, etc).   We all have layers and layers of "stuff" that has happened to us over the years, some more than others.  By acknowledging that this "stuff" is held in our nervous system (and thus, our organs and connective tissues) we can start to become more vital by reconnecting & regulating our nervous system.  As Seth mentions in the video above, breath is key to mediating the autonomic nervous system.  In my next blog I will explore some breathing options to facilitate a relaxation response. 
If you are interested in learning how to be more ALIVE in your body, there are some great books and online programs available to get started:
  • Somatopia: this program is super affordable. It is a good place to start if you are completely new to the mind- body connection.  It goes over some of the foundational concepts and beginning techniques.
  • 21 Day Nervous System Tune Up: this is a more thorough self study program that offers a great Facebook support group.  It has explanations of the neuroscience and plenty of neurosensory exercises to keep you busy.
  • Crappy Childhood Fairy: to be honest, I haven't taken this course, but I am impressed by what I see on her videos.  She is not a therapist, or a health care provider, she is someone who had a "crappy childhood" and spent years in therapy.  It wasn't until she started working with the nervous system dysregulation that she started to heal.  Her program is based on the tools that she used to heal.
  • "The Body Keeps the Score", Bessel Van Der Kolk
  • "Healing Trauma: A Pioneering Program for Restoring the Wisdom in Your Body", Peter Levine
Susan McLaughlin is a physical therapist who specializes in the management of pelvic floor and orthopedic dysfunctions. She is the owner of ALIGN integration|movement in Salt Lake City, UT.  Helpful tips and other self care strategies can be found at www.alignforhealth.com.
2 Comments
cv
7/20/2019 03:39:58 pm

Thank you. I so appreciate this post. I have completely lost track of how many times I have watched the polyvagal video...

Reply
Nada Besir
9/1/2019 04:54:40 am

Susan, I've booked marked this to read since before summer! Thank you - some great info you have shared which I thoroughly appreciate!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Susan McLaughlin,
    Physical Therapist

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    FEEL GOOD SERIES:
    Movement videos for download

    Picture

    Products I love:

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Props for home:

    Disclosure: I only recommend programs and products that I would use myself.  If you use these links to purchase something, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.  Thank you.  

    Categories

    All
    Alignment
    Back Pain
    Breathing
    Chronic Pain
    Core Stabilization
    Fascial Health
    Foot Health
    Healing The Nervous System
    Hip Pain
    Knee Pain
    Lower Extremity
    Neck And Upper Extremity
    Pelvic Health
    Postpartum Healing
    Pregnancy
    Psoas Release
    Self Care
    Shoulder Girdle
    Shoulder Pain
    Si Joint Pain
    Spine
    Thoracic Mobility
    Transversus Abdominis
    Treatment For Si Dysfunction
    Walking
    Wrist

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    November 2022
    May 2022
    November 2021
    April 2021
    December 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

Office:  1817 S Main Street, Suite 10 | SLC, UT 84115
Located in the Forrester Office Complex


ALIGN integration | movement, PLLC.  All rights reserved.
@2012-2023
​Medical Disclaimer        Privacy Policy & Terms of Use
Good Faith Estimate
​

Contact:  Susan McLaughlin, PT 801.859.4142
susan@alignforhealth.com