Yesterday I had the gift of sitting in and listening to my husband give a presentation at the college on neuroplasticity. While doing some upgrading, he had an essay assignment and chose this topic to write on and then present to the class. With his permission I am sharing with you today his essay as well as a few slides from his presentation. Even though it has been my personal healing experience, and my expertise, he has been with me through it all. Pretty cool to see how, because of the difference it has made in my life, he is also a big fan and believer in this work.
Read on for his perspective on why neuroplasticity therapy is important and vital.
Neuroplasticity: The Power of The Brain
The brain is the most powerful organ in the body, and, therefore, it has the
greatest impact on the body when compared to any other organ. The brain is ultimately
responsible for everything people do or think. Neuroplasticity can be defined as “the
ability of the nervous system to change its activity in response to intrinsic or extrinsic
stimuli by reorganizing its structure, functions, or connections” (National Institutes of
Health). The term “neuroplasticity” was first used by Polish neuroscientist, Jerzy
Konorski, in 1948 to describe the brain’s way of being able to change and create new
pathways; however, the idea of neuroplasticity goes back further to the late 1800’s to
early 1900’s (Physiopedia). In recent years, neuroplasticity has been gaining traction in
the world of healing and is often referred to as brain retraining or brain rewiring.
Although many medical professionals may not admit to the healing powers of the brain,
the results many people are getting from brain rewiring are undeniable. The brain is a
far more open system than anyone ever imagined, and nature has gone very far to help
people perceive and take in the world around them. It has given everyone a brain that
survives in a changing world by changing itself (Doidge). There are many reasons that
neuroplasticity therapy should become more of a known healing tool, such as healing
from illnesses, managing stress, and reducing strain on the health care system.
Neuroplasticity therapy can be an important tool used to help heal many kinds of
illnesses, such as chronic illness, chronic pain, and helping to cure symptoms caused
by stroke and traumatic brain injuries. A common quote found in neuroscience is,
“Neurons that fire together, wire together” (Hebb). When the brain is focused on
something, such as doing a sport, learning a new language, or exercising, the pathways
that the brain uses to perform or focus grow stronger. On the other hand, when the
activities are neglected for a length of time, the pathways in the brain for those activities
become weaker. In regard to curing illness, the more the brain focuses on the
symptoms, the more the body declines. Many people find themselves struggling to
control illnesses that conventional medicine can’t figure out or try to heal the illness by
prescribing medication or other various techniques. Western medicine is known to treat
the symptoms but overlook the root of the problem, causing many frustrations among
patients. For all the expertise and technological sophistication, Western medicine often
fails to treat the whole person, ignoring how the toxicity of today’s culture stresses the
body, burdens the immune system, and undermines emotional balance (Mate). Many
patients that go to conventional medicine for help often get sent to many different
specialists to figure out the cause of their illness, only to be disappointed when the
interventions that are implemented don’t work. Illness is often caused by continued stress that the body is going through; eventually the illness starts to snowball as
inflammation levels rise and the body is under constant stress due to symptoms. Just by
retraining the brain, thousands of people have found relief from their sickness. The
process of brain rewiring for illnesses is done by mental rehearsal and visualizations
with the addition of somatic therapy. This process helps bring the limbic system, which
is the emotional nervous system, out of fight, flight, or freeze survival states. Once in a
regulated state, the brain can start to heal, rest, digest, and see things as safe. Using
the right method of brain rewiring can also help for chronic pain by showing the limbic
system that the pain is not a threatening thing. Often chronic pain is not related to any
injuries but rather is a pain that is caused by the limbic system to protect the body from
something that the brain sees as a threat. Neuroplasticity therapy is also very helpful for
stroke patients or traumatic brain injury patients. Many times, when patients have lost
control of a limb or limbs due to a brain injury, they are able gain control of their
defective limbs by slowly using them. Doing this makes new pathways in the brain by
reorganizing neural connections, even though the neurons that used to control those
limbs are now dead. “Following a stroke, the healthy areas of the brain around the
damaged brain tissue region are able to compensate and develop new functions”
(Physiopedia). Neuroplasticity therapy is beneficial for many different types of illnesses
and traumatic brain injuries. Traumatic experiences, life changing events, or chronic
stress can all lead to illnesses, physical or mental, that, unless the root cause of the
problem is addressed, will not be healed.
In addition to helping with physical illnesses, brain rewiring can also be used for
stress management. Humans are not made for the stress that is paramount in today’s
environment where people are taking on more work, debt, and trying to keep up with
their peers. Stress, if left unchecked, can often be the reason for physical and mental
illness. Severe stress is debilitating and can lead to depression, anxiety, and suicide. A
recent study showed that “74% of UK adults have felt so stressed at some point over
the last year they felt overwhelmed or unable to cope while 32% of adults said they had
experienced suicidal feelings as a result of stress” (Mental Health Foundation). Although
some stress is good and is the reason for growth, the human body was not meant to be
exposed to so much stress. Awareness of the dangers of stress is critical. As the brain
starts to take on to much stress that is left unchecked, it starts to go into shutdown to
protect the body from threats. When dealing with long-term stress, the brain starts
functioning in a way that isn’t helpful or healthy. This constant state of alertness can
impair cognitive abilities, making it harder to focus, make decisions, and regulate
emotions (American Brain Foundation). Neuroplasticity therapy can be used to help
deal with stress or even prevent it altogether. Going for walks, having positive mental
awareness, or learning a new skill are all useful things to exercise the brain to help keep stress levels lower. Focusing on the good things that are happening instead of worrying
about stress related things is also a form of neuroplasticity therapy, although nothing
compares to taking an actual brain retraining course designed for healing.
Neuroplasticity therapy in this kind of environment is helpful to achieve a more stress-
free life.
Neuroplasticity therapy not only can help manage illnesses but could also reduce
the strain on the medical system and free up medical personnel, reduce burn-out
among doctors and nurses, and make for less crowded hospitals. Neuroplasticity
therapy could free up much needed medical personnel if it was implemented by people
before symptoms and illness overtake the body. Utilizing neuroplasticity therapy and
maintaining brain health keeps patients out of hospitals and clinics reducing the amount
of overtime required for medical personnel, which helps minimize burn-out. Optimizing
brain health improves patient outcome, reducing the need for extended patient care in
hospitals which results in less crowded hospitals and better response time for patients
that need emergency care. Greater awareness of neuroplasticity therapy would reduce
costs that the medical care system has to spend on caring for patients that would
otherwise benefit from neuroplasticity therapy. For example, “Total expenditure for
mental health care was estimated at $17.1 billion in Canada in 2019. Hospital services
(inpatient and outpatient) represent the largest component totaling $5.5 billion or 32% of
total mental health spending” (PubMed). Additionally, according to Primary Health Care,
chronic disease costs Canada $68 billion dollars annually on direct healthcare costs
(CanadaLife). Reducing the amount of hospital visits of chronically and mentally ill
patients by half would significantly reduce costs spent on these illnesses. Better care
would then be available to patients that need acute care in hospitals by paying higher
wages to medical personnel as well as putting more funding into health care equipment.
Although not all chronic and mental health illnesses can be prevented, many could be
avoided through early recognition and active neuroplasticity therapy. Diagnosed
illnesses such as these can also be managed by having a healthy lifestyle such as
healthy eating, active lifestyle, and healthy environment. By implementing
neuroplasticity therapy, people can better manage mental health conditions and reduce
the need for medical interventions.
In conclusion, it is important that society has a greater awareness on the
positives of neuroplasticity therapy for recovering from illnesses, coping with stress, and
increasing the benefits of healthcare. Neuroplasticity can be a life changing tool to have
in the healing process. There are different brain retraining programs offered to help
people acquire the tools they need to successfully rewire their brain and live without
physical or mental illness and reduced stress and anxiety. When given the right
resources, your body can access its natural ability to heal (Nervous System Rewire).
Although many doctors and medical personnel try to disregard it as a pathway to
healing, the results from thousands of people that have done this type of work indicate
that brain retraining is a powerful tool that works. Because the brain is responsible for
anything that happens to the body, unless a traumatic injury such as a broken bone or
some organ failure happens, it should be natural for the health care system to look at
the neurological system. The body and the brain are all connected by a complex system
of neurons, making neuroplasticity therapy the most important piece of healing that is
missing from conventional medicine. Western medicine needs to encourage
neuroplasticity therapy to help patients achieve a life of health, physically and mentally.
JP
