The trillion dollar machine
The body is a trillion dollar machine. The checks and balances it makes by the second, for many, are incomprehensible. For any one person to understand all of the processes and reactions happening in the body at one time point take decades to understand and even then, when we think we’ve got it, something new is discovered.
You are here on this planet reading this because your body has been working (sometimes hard) to keep you in balance (homeostasis/equilibrium).
The Still Faced Paradigm
I read a study I was immediately intrigued by that looked at infants six months of age and their response to The Still Faced Paradigm. It demonstrated how the balance of the nervous system works, however can be offset via parasympathetic withdrawal. The parasympathetic nervous system, part of the autonomic nervous system, is the part of your nervous system that induces relaxation especially in response to a threat or stress. It brings us back to balance.
So, withdrawal would be a lack of relaxation and persistent agitation. In this case this study, the agitation was in infants 6 months of age in response to blank facial stares given by their caregivers (The Still-Faced Paradigm).
“The still-faced paradigm involves a 2-minute face-to-face interaction between an infant and their caregiver, followed by a 2-minute period where the caregiver maintains a still, expressionless face while maintaining eye contact with the infant.”
The study looked at the infants’ nervous system response and the facial expressions were only studied once or twice in each of the 278 infants.
Results of the study: The infants immediately responded with increased respiration (hyperventilation) and increased heart rate.
The response and agitation occurring in these tiny bodies eventually returned to baseline. It was mentioned that some infants had an increased response compared to others.
As adults we have learned from a young age to respond to stress. Overtime, chronic stress can result in parasympathetic withdrawal.
Between Point A (stress-response) and Point B (return to balance) a number of processes occurred.
Persistent stressful surges can damage vessels and arteries, overtime can lead to increases in blood pressure raising risk of heart attacks or strokes, tissue can become stiffer, and can even lead to weight gain.
Think for a moment about your own learned reactions and behaviours to stress.
Although stress was coined as “a syndrome produced by diverse nocuous agents”, we have learned that as humans we respond to perceived stressful psychosocial stimuli.
Your Stress Response Can Be Measured… And Felt
One response to stress not measured in the study above, however scientifically known to occur, was/is a change in blood flow to the tissue and blood chemistry. With a strong enough stressor I have personally measured both of these changes in clients. This has also been seen abundantly in research.
What I find fascinating is how the body just knows what to do and how to recover.
Unbeknownst to you, your body is constantly reading, adjusting, and providing you with the necessary responses to get you from Point A to Point B. Once Point B has been achieved, the body can then return to balance/equilibrium/regulation.
But what if the goal post of Point B is moved ever further away?
What if: one stress becomes succeeded by another, and another, an argument with a friend or loved one, a worry over a matter that may not concern you, or contemplation of “what if” in a future that hasn’t yet arrived? And we continue to allow these stresses to pile up without reprieve.
Layer on top: present moment daily stresses such as figuring out a business deal, performing athletically, navigating a difficult conversation, or tending to the emergency of friend or loved one?
Important to schedule downtime (mental or physical) to come back to balance/equilibrium/homeostasis. At some point a return to baseline may become a challenge… cue development of disease and changes to your tissue.
Pain And Biochemical Changes
Reactions/responses cause an instant change in hormones, blood flow changes to your organs, tissues, and brain, and this changed environment can create increases in tissue tension.
Overtime repeated reactions/responses (sort of like the movie Groundhog Day) can result in stiffness felt in the body.
Low back pain? It’s more than just “I slept wrong”.
Shoulder pain? Could be the result of awry body mechanics at the shoulder blade, imbalance in the spine, or even chronic stress.
The above two examples can be direct results of long term effects of frequent stress (sympathetic spikes).
Fundamentally, your biochemistry and biomechanics influence the way you feel and move, good or bad.
We do need “stress” to operate. An inhale (more sympathetic) and an exhale (more parasympathetic) are examples of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems working in yin and yang with each other. We are not one without the other.
An athlete requires a degree of sympathetic dominance to focus on getting the ball into the net. The sympathetic nervous system has helped my clients make business and career decisions. I benefited from my sympathetic nervous system as a ballerina on stage dancing my heart out. In all of these examples, balance is necessary especially the return to a non-stressful state.
Chronic Stress
For some, a learned over abundant cardiac response to a stress can develop. This may lead to greater changes in the tissue, digestion, how one feels on a day to day basis, cognitive functions, and greater periods of time out of homeostasis.
Remember, it’s complex
The processes in the body are integrated and complex, however I am trying to present them at surface level. This is the importance of having qualified individuals who understand the complexities and nuances of the body collaborate and educate you on your health.
Consider this: how has this email allowed you to reflect on your own life and how you feel about your responses when “stressed”? Are you experiencing parasympathetic withdrawal (ie. stress, tension or popularly referred to as “are you more sympathetic”)?
Your fascia supports the function and structure of your cardiovascular system. Fascia is directly affected by stress (especially chronic stress) due to changes in biochemistry.
Disorders in fascia can result in:
Altered pain perception
Altered proprioception (feeling of where your body is in space or movement)
Muscular imbalances
Movement weakness
Body stiffness
Digestion can be affected
Your tissue will feel tension with a strong enough perceived stress/threat.
I often promote the use of foam rollers in my practice as they help the tissues that have been tight for long periods of time.
Take 10 minutes to roll around on the object of your choosing. Take inventory after on how you feel.
Pressure applied to the body at specific rates can also help with relaxation. This is one reason why manual therapy can be an important tool.
I have researched and applied the knowledge of the body to help my clients move better and feel good.
Relieving tight fascia requires more than just foam rolling. It is not a cure all. However, it is a good tool in an arsenal of soft tissue tools.
The Point
Understanding what we can do from a movement and overall health perspective are services I offer to the lucky local clients I get to work with in person.
For everyone else who won’t be able to benefit from the human interaction, I have developed an online course that goes into information and strategies to keep you feeling good, manage your tissue health, and teach fundamental integrations and strategies to implement immediately.
This course will be available to current or previous clients only at this point. I only want to work with individuals who are sincere in improving their health circumstances.
If you are interested in working with me, we can set up an in person or online session by clicking here and you can choose which suits you best.
Stay tuned!
Tiana
