Have you ever wondered how people can have similar injuries but the recovery periods and level of recovery can be so different? 

Is there any truth behind the body and mind connection and our own healing? 

This is the aspect of physiotherapy and healing that really excites me. 

The mechanics of how the body works (or is supposed to work) is relatively the same between individuals.

But it is the mind that makes each person unique. 

 

Alternative Therapy

I was once asked by someone, “Is there anything to the energy side of healing?” My answer was that it does not work for everyone, but there are people who benefit from it. If you hurt your knee playing soccer, I would not think of doing CranioSacral Therapy (www.upledger.com) as my treatment of choice.  But if you were coming to see me for a chronic condition that was not responding to other treatments, it may be something I would consider doing. 

Why People Don’t Heal – The Emotional Chakra Connection

I watched a video several years ago by Carolyn Myss (http://www.myss.com/)  “Why People Don’t Heal and How They Can.”  

It was very insightful in terms of the connection between the body and the mind. I had a client at one time with chronic lower back pain. The client was able to live with and function with the back pain up until the client started to go through a divorce.  The back pain escalated to the point that the client was having difficulty functioning. 

In this case of back pain, it was interesting to note that chakra, which translates as “wheel” or “turning” in the Sanskrit language and relates to our energy and is also associated with the lower back, has to do with our connections with family (tribal and money). 

 

 

Where’s The Proof?

Now you might think that all of this is hog-wash. 

What is the science behind all of this? Where is the proof? 

I will refer you to a book by Candace Pert “The Molecules of Emotion.” 

Dr. Pert is a scientist who has studied neurotrasmitters.” 

 

 

The neuropeptides are the messengers between the cells in our

separate body parts.

Our cells are constantly chatting with each other by the release and binding of certain neuropeptides. When a neuropeptide binds to a cell, the cell then responds and makes certain physiological changes (i.e. increased blood flow to your muscles when you need to get away from danger quickly). Then there is a message back to the original cell (feedback loop) saying that more or less peptide is needed.

Some of the neuropeptides that people may have heard of include:

Serotonin: this is secreted by our brain cells and is the neuropeptide related to clinical depression. 

When we have lower amounts of this neuropeptide it contributes to the depression. Anti-depressants are designed to block the re-uptake of serotonin so there’s more in the system to bind to the receptors. But remember that there are receptors for serotonin in other parts of the body (gut). So anti-depressants can result in more serotonin in the gastrointestinal system with the side effect of GI upset. 

Dopamine: the uptake of this neuropeptide is blocked by our anti-psychotic drugs. But the blocking of dopamine receptors in the pituitarygland results in the release of prolactin (which is what stops ovulation in women who are breast-feeding) resulting in loss of menstruation, water retention and weight gain. Parkinson’s disease is related to problems with dopamine. 

 

Cortical Releasing Factor (CRF).  Okay, I hadn’t heard of this one either!

This neuropeptide is released by the pituitary gland. CRF stimulates the release of the ACTH (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrenocorticotropic_hormone) which travels to the adrenal glands and binds to adrenal cells (fight or flight) and begin to make steroids (coricosterone) – which is necessary for healing and damage control when injured. People with depression have been found to have high levels of coricosterone. This is likely from a chronic ACTH activation. Individuals who are stressed or are in abusive situations have higher levels of CRF. The receptors become desensitized and reduce in number.

The Connection

Did you know that the emotional part of our brain (the limbic system) is located right beside the sensory relay part of our brain (the thalamus). 

There is a strong neurological connection between what we are sensing and the emotional connection to those sensations. The response to all of this is the release of neuropeptides that communicate with the other parts of our body. It’s like that feeling in the pit of your stomach. So neuropeptides are the scientific explanation for the body-mind connection. 

One of the interesting things that I discovered through my reading on neuropeptides was that they are in higher concentrations in the areas of our chakras. But here is another interesting fact, the chakra locations are the same points released in CranioSacral work. The highest concentration of neuropepetides according to Dr. Pert is in the area of the third ventrical of the brain (the bump area at the back of your skull). This is the location of the still point (CV4 technique) in CranioSacral Therapy. 

 

The Point

The mind is a very powerful tool.  

I am not saying that pain is all in your head. But it is in your nervous system. It has been said that when you have a thought (reliving an injury over and over), the body responds the same way as if the event was actually occurring. Think about this before you keep playing the video of the injury over and over. The repetition even through thought makes the neurochemical (release of the stress hormone cortisol perhaps) and neurological (nerve pathways) response stronger. 

Just like tracing a pattern in the sand, the pathway gets deeper and deeper ingrained.  

Break the Cycle

There are a number of methods to help you focus the mind. Meditation and relaxation techniques, yoga, and alternative therapies are some of the ones with which I am familiar.

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