The Body - Mind Connection?

I hope this newsletter finds you well and settling in nicely to 2016.

As many of you may know I recently had the opportunity to go to San Diego to further my NET qualifications.

The course was great - 5 intense days of theory and practical learning led by the founders of NET - Dr Scott and Deb Walker DC. Dr Daniel Monti MD who is head of the research arm of NET, The One Foundation was also in attendance. There were over 80 practitioners from all over the globe at the seminar comprising of Chiropractors, Psychologists and MD’s wanting to take their NET skill set to the next level.

The test at the end of the course consisted of a practical examination and a 2 hour theory paper… and let me just say I was a little concerned that I was a little out of practice with theory exams. However, I did surprise myself and got a congratulatory letter from Dr Deb Walker for getting the top result in the exam!

Thanks to everyone who gave me suggestions on what to do over there!
 

The Body - Mind Connection?

We have all experienced how the mind can influence the body. For example, how we feel when are thinking fearful or angry thoughts, or when in anticipation of doing something out of our comfort zone - like public speaking.

There is a lot of research going on at the moment about how much the body can influence the mind. I went to a seminar on the weekend about this and I wanted to share some of the recent findings with you. A lot of this latest research is underpinning the science behind the benefits that people have been reporting from techniques like NET, Kinesiology and Chiropractic for many years.

The internal state of the body motivates our desire to walk in the shade on a warm summer’s day and inhibits the desire to eat or socialize when feeling off-color. Communication from the viscera to the brain is continuous and pervasive, yet we rarely give it a second thought.

The brain is dependent on the physiological state of the body in two ways. First, the brain requires appropriate conditions for efficient biological functioning. Second, the brain receives and responds to continuous dynamic feedback of afferent visceral signals (nerve signals coming from the organs) that shape its operational functioning.http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2013.02.008

There is a constant flow of information from the body to the mind and the mind to the body via the nervous system. The nerves of the body all connect to the spinal cord at different levels. For instance, the bladder and bowel predominantly connect to the spine at L5 in your low back. If problems occur within the body or spine the information can affect the brain and a variety of functions, including thoughts and emotions. This is the foundation of Chiropractic.

...internal bodily changes are shown to act as covert unconscious influences on ‘‘conscious’’ processes, notably motivational decision making (Bechara et al., 1997).

Two key areas that seem to be particularly important are;

1. Inflammation

2. Gut Microbiome (the organisms that live in your gut)

Inflammation.

Chronic pain and inflammation ruins lives. Simple things many of us take for granted, such as brushing your hair or getting out bed in the mornings can become painful activities. These symptoms affect these patient’s relationships with their family, as pain can affect them emotionally, such as reduced mood and being withdrawn from socialising - or physically, such as having low energy or tolerance to certain activities.

Inflammation can be triggered by;

1. Injury or tissue damage
2. Infections (parasites, viruses, bacteria etc)
3. Allergens
4. Chemicals (such as Histamine)
5. Tumours
6. Acidity

The good news is that there is much we can do to reverse the impact of inflammation. Using a combination of Chiropractic, Kinesiology, NET and nutritional supplements and herbs is a very effective yet natural way to help restore your body back to health.

In humans, inflammation-induced responses within discrete brain regions appear to underpin individual components of sickness behavior: altered mid-insula activity predicts subjective fatigue (Harrison et al., 2009a),while altered substantia nigra reactivity predicts psychomotor slowing (Brydon et al., 2008).....These centers are critical for emotion and motivation and are implicated in the etiology of idiopathic (unknown causes of) depression (Ressler and Mayberg, 2007).

There is more and more scientific research like this above showing the link between the nervous system function, immune system and inflammation on our thoughts and behaviours! There is a strong link to the immune system and the bodies ability to resolve inflammation. This is why the gut microbiome is so important as it helps to regulate your immune system.

The Gut Microbiome.

The community of organisms in your gut have an enormous impact on how well you can turn your food into fuel, how your immune system functions to combat allergens and infections. It also had a direct influence on the nerve pathways to your brain (and thoughts!)

The gut microbiota is essential to human health and the immune system and plays a major role in the bidirectional communication between the gut and the brain. Based on evidence, the gut microbiota is associated with metabolic disorders such as obesity, diabetes mellitus and neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, autistic disorders, anxiety disorders and major depressive disorders. Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience 2015;13(3):239-244

If you were given antibiotics as a child, especially in the first 12 months it is important that you manage your gut microbiome with care. According to an article published in Science, any damage to the diversity of the microbiome in this period can have a lifelong affect on the immune system.

A powerful therapeutic agent for correcting dysbiosis and influencing the GALT (immune producing cells) are probiotics. Once thought to simply passively colonise and “crowd out” dysbiotic organisms, research has identified several complex interactions probiotics have with the host and the microbiome to mediate health benefits. Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience 2015;13(3):239-244

The strains of probiotics are very important. Some strains in most commercial probiotics such as acidophilus can actually cause harm in certain people. Three strains that seem to show a particularly positive effect on the immune system are;

1. Lactobacillus Rhamnosus
2. Lactobacillus Paracasei
3. Lactobacillus Plantarum

However, if an infection or ongoing food intolerances are suspected it may be important to undergo a faceal test to more specifically identify what is going on in your gut! This can be arranged at your next visit.

Creating Ongoing Good Health

In summary, the most vital foundations for ongoing good health are;

1. addressing pain and inflammation,
2. the function of your nervous system and how you deal with stress (physically, nutritionally & emotionally),
3. your bodies ability to turn food into fuel and regulate your immune system via your gut microbiome.

If you have any questions about this article please get in touch!
 

For more information or to book in for an appointment call me on 8667 3023!!