Fascia the emotional tissue: understanding the link between Fascia and Trauma through neurogenic tremoring.

“A specific self-induced body tremor can potentially be the brain’s deliberate activation of the Autonomic Nervous System(ANS) to down-regulate an over excited system.

Therefore the tremor mechanism is not seen as part of the pathology of human neurophysiology but rather the brain’s attempt to correct the pathology of a hyperaroused nervous system.” David Berceli, PhD

Humans seem to possess the neurophysiologic ability to generate our own healing vibration which we are able to activate soon after a stimulating hyper-aroused event.

Once the body feels that it is once again safe and the activation of the Sympathetic nervous system has completed its adrenal fight/flight or freeze response, it can discharge a massive energy build up and adrenalin release. This seems to be the key to providing an optimal environment after survival. The myofascial patterns that become constricted through the ANS hyper-arousal are also released through the tremoring mechanism.

The greater the threat is perceived to be the greater the myofascial contractions into the foetal, particularly the illiopsoas and deep front line fascial slings become. We constantly find ourselves in survival mode, whether in daily life or through traumatic events, which present themselves in our fascia as well as our psychoemotional states.

Our body’s defence patterns remain long after the traumas have occurred. Muscular aches and pains, sleep and hormonal disorders, astrointestinal and other stress indicators such as depression, and anxiety begin to surface.

Pain is the brain telling us that the body is in danger.

Trauma and stress create a heightened sense of being unsafe and predispose us to pain.

Nociceptors are responsible for alerting the body to the sense of danger. They are free nerve endings under the skin and in organ walls. The sensation of pain often retains a bad pain habit long after tissue repair has occurred creating the state of chronic pain. It is important to help people understand that their ‘pain for protection’ is no longer necessary once injury healing has taken place, and should be encouraged to consciously realise that they are no longer ‘broken.’

When stress hormones are secreted in the membrane receptors of the neurons, danger cells and other chemicals are produced and in response more neurons get really good at reacting to stress. The negative neural pathways become stronger. If the cycle is not broken, the body becomes better and better at responding to pain. Proprioception is more limited in chronic pain, creating a lack of self awareness and subjective feeling in the body.

TRE can break fixed habits of pain through neurologically retraining the nervous system to feel the body accurately in present time. This creates a feeling of safety. The beauty of the tremoring mechanism is that a wide range of feel good interoceptors drown out the nociceptors.

This is achieved in part when the ventral vagus nerve of the parasympathetic nervous system activates and reduces the hyper-arousal of the system. The fascial tissues regain their mobility and flexibility.

What is fascinating is that when an individual accesses a specific myofascial pattern that is unique to a past injury or tension , the body often moves itself organically into the same tension pattern it experienced at the time in order to release it ,even though the event has long passed. The release can contain muscle tremoring, myofascial movement, shaking and a memory of an emotion or event. The variety and diversity of expressions that occur appear to be identical to the injury itself.

This generic tremor mechanism re-integrates the organism and creates healthier relaxed fascial tissue.

In manual therapy when working with fascia we often encounter these spontaneous tremors or jerks in our clients.

Until recently these were not understood and often feared.

We are now able to recognize, appreciate and encourage these for what they are. In physical therapy a wide range of vibrational healing tools are employed to heal the fascia; however our bodies are able to create this organically.

Once the neurological pattern for tremoring has been established and is constantly repeated, the rhythmic cycles of the movements become easier to achieve and are easily accessed when needed in tissue repair. Sport injuries and postural challenges can be self repaired and certainly encouraged to repair with the combination of self induced tremor work and fascia release techniques.

In this focus presentation a practical experience of neurogenic tremors and interventions will be demonstrated.

‘Stress/trauma disturbs homeostasis of the integrated system of the human body. This causes it to have differentiated parts and disharmonious experiences.’

Dr Dan Siegel

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