Stuck on "On": Why Your Nervous System Might Be Driving Your Chronic Pain
Have you ever felt like your body is constantly on high alert? Like you cannot fully relax, and nagging aches and pains seem to stick around no matter what you try?
If you deal with chronic pain, you might have been told that your injuries have healed, or that tests show "nothing wrong." Yet, the pain is very real.
A crucial piece of the chronic pain puzzle that is often overlooked is the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). I wanted to share these insights with you because understanding this system can change everything about how we approach your healing.
Your Body's Autopilot: The Gas and The Brake
Think of your Autonomic Nervous System as your body’s automatic operating system. It controls the things you don't have to think about: your heart rate, digestion, breathing, and stress response. It has two main modes:
The Sympathetic Nervous System (The "Gas Pedal"): This is your "fight or flight" mode. It gears you up to deal with stress or danger. Muscles tense, heart rate goes up, and your senses sharpen to perceive pain.
The Parasympathetic Nervous System (The "Brake Pedal"): This is your "rest and digest" and "heal" mode. It calms things down, lowers inflammation, and allows recovery.
When the Pedal Gets Stuck
In an ideal world, these two systems balance each other out perfectly. You get stressed (gas pedal), you deal with it, and then you relax (brake pedal).
But in our modern, high-stress world, many of us spend too much time with our foot on the gas. If you add an injury or chronic stress on top of that, your system can get "stuck" in that high-alert mode. In fact, research shows that when the Sympathetic system stays active for too long, it can actually change how the brain processes signals—a phenomenon known as "Central Sensitisation."
The Crucial Connection to Pain
When your nervous system is stuck in "fight or flight," it becomes hypersensitive. It turns up the volume on pain signals. Studies indicate that a dysregulated ANS can lower your "pain threshold," meaning your nerves react to touch or movement that shouldn't normally be painful. An old injury continues to send alarm bells long after the tissue has healed. Essentially, your brain "learns" to be in pain because its alarm system is stuck in the "ON" position.
How We Can Help: Calming the System
This is why a holistic approach to chiropractic is so vital. We aren't just looking at the "sore spot." We are looking at the whole system that is generating the pain signal.
Did you know that certain chiropractic techniques—specifically gentle, low-force adjustments—have been shown to increase "Vagal Tone"? The Vagus nerve is the commander-in-chief of your "Brake Pedal" (the Parasympathetic system). By supporting the spine and nervous system, we help your body:
Lower cortisol (the stress hormone).
Decrease muscle guarding and tension.
Shift from a state of "survival" to a state of "repair."
Our goal isn't just to move bones; it's to help pump the brakes on that overactive nervous system. When the nervous system calms down, the volume on pain naturally turns down, too.
If you feel like your system is stuck on "high alert" and your pain isn't budging, know that there is hope. Healing isn't just about fixing tissues; it's about re-teaching your nervous system how to find calm.