A nervous system reset might be what you need to to feel better, especially in the face of chronic pain, brain fog, anxiety, and depression. But what is a nervous system reset, how does one accomplish it, and how does it tie into chiropractic care and improved neurological function?
Resetting the nervous system can involve simple techniques that help optimize the brain’s autonomic nervous system (ANS), which consists of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
These systems can be thrown off track by mental or physical overload and, of course, by trauma. The sympathetic nervous system is where “fight or flight” responses originate, and the parasympathetic nervous system is associated with what are known as “repair and restore” and “rest and digest” functions.
The parasympathetic nervous system helps us “come down” from high alert. Its job includes lowering our heart rates, slowing our breathing, and relaxing our muscles. It routes blood back to our organs and digestive tract and enables tissue repair and energy restoration. It helps us settle down and rest up.
When you go outside on freezing winter days, your sympathetic nervous system senses danger. When you come in from the cold, your parasympathetic nervous system and a boost from dopamine make you feel safe and glad to be back inside. It’s communicating that even though you might have frozen out there, you’re safe now.
The parasympathetic nervous system also eases inflammation. As a chronic condition, inflammation is associated with health conditions including autoimmune disorders, anxiety, and cardiac disease.
Overactive stress responses can result from chronic psychological pressure and may manifest as hypervigilance and difficulty relaxing. When this happens, numerous ways exist to attempt a nervous system reset and help activate our parasympathetic nervous systems. Some of these techniques include:
- Cold showers or placing our faces in cold water
- Deep, regulated breathing
- Mindfulness practices
- Therapeutic touch, including chiropractic adjustments or massage
- Vagus nerve stimulation, such as singing, humming, and even gargling
- Yoga and stretching
In cases of trauma therapy, EMDR or somatic therapy treatments are sometimes used.
The Science Behind the Reset
Dr. Heidi Haavik is a doctor of chiropractic and neuroscientist whose research indicates spinal adjustments may also affect how the brain works, especially how it communicates with the muscles. Dr. Haavik’s studies suggest that chiropractic adjustments may have these benefits:
- Improve brain-muscle connection. After an adjustment, the brain may send stronger, clearer signals to the muscles, leading to better coordination and control.
- Provide a short-term strength boost. Some studies show that athletes had temporarily stronger muscle contractions after spinal adjustments.
- Fine-tune motor control. Adjustments may help the brain better regulate posture, balance, and movement.
- Support stroke recovery. Adjustments in people recovering from stroke appeared to increase the brain’s ability to activate leg muscles.
The spine is full of sensors that send messages to the brain about what the body is doing. Those messages can get “noisy” or confused if spinal joints aren’t moving correctly. A chiropractic adjustment may restore clearer communication between the spine and brain, helping the brain respond and adapt better. While research is ongoing, these findings suggest that chiropractic care might support joint and muscle health and nervous system function. In one study, Dr. Haavik and her team investigated the impact of spinal manipulation on cortical drive (brain-to-muscle signal strength) to upper and lower limb muscles.
Haavik’s research underscores the significant impact of spinal manipulation on brain function, particularly in enhancing motor control and strength through increased brain responsiveness. These findings validate the neurological basis of chiropractic care and open avenues for its application in athletic performance enhancement and neurological rehabilitation.
One Patient’s Healing Story
I once worked with a patient who complained of emotional burnout and feeling generally unwell. One doctor diagnosed fibromyalgia, but another doctor disagreed.
She was prescribed pain pills and antidepressants, which she didn’t take because she didn’t want medication. I asked about things going on in her life, but we still couldn’t pin anything down. My general workup showed some neck misalignments, but nothing that explained the burnout. Fast-forward six treatments, she said, “I feel strong, happy, and better than ever after chiropractic.”
I asked myself, ‘Was it the adjustment? The power of human touch? Was it the ability to talk her through it?’
I may never know the answers in that particular case, but I’m convinced that chiropractic’s healing capacity goes much further than previously thought and can help realign the nervous system. I also believe that feeling unhealthy doesn’t have to get “locked in” because our systems can evolve.
Read my article about neuroplasticity, the brain’s astounding gift for rewiring itself, to explore the science behind it.