Neuroplastic Treatment
A different approach to pain reduction and enhanced performance
The primary chiropractic method I use is called Network Spinal Analysis or NSA care and is a form of neuroplastic treatment. NSA care uses gentle touches to the spine in order to stimulate the nervous system’s capacity to learn a strategy of self-correction. This Neuroplastic Treatment can result in enhanced mental and physical performance as well as reduced symptoms.
My initial focus is to reduce spinal stiffness and asymmetric restriction of movement rather than to correct specific misalignments of the vertebrae. Once the body develops a strategy of self-correction from the NSA care, it will encourage the spine to spontaneously realign itself.
Fascinating & Beautiful:
This picture is a representation of neurons at work in the brain
The understanding of neuroplasticity and its potential clinical value is explained by Norman Doidge, M.D., in his popular book ‘The Brain That Changes Itself’ he says…
““ I became interested in the idea of a changing brain because of my work as a research psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. When patients did not progress psychologically as much as hoped, often the conventional medical wisdom was that their problems were deeply ‘hardwired’ into an unchangeable brain….I began a series of travels, and in the process, I met a bunch of brilliant scientists, at the frontiers of brain science, who had made a series of unexpected discoveries. “
” They showed that the brain changed its very structure with each different activity it performed, perfecting its circuits so it was better suited to the task at hand. If certain ‘parts’ failed, then other parts could sometimes take over. Scientists began to call this fundamental brain property ‘neuroplasticity’. ‘Neuro’ is for neuron, the nerve cells in our brains and nervous systems. ‘Plastic’ is for changeable, malleable, modifiable.”
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One of my aims is to retrain parts of the brain and nervous system so the body can learn how to reduce or even eliminate abnormal function that may be the cause of current symptoms.
A university study with over 2,800 participants found this treatment called Network Spinal Analysis (NSA) results in enhanced health and wellbeing. [1]
NSA uses specific touches to the spine in order to create spontaneous self-corrective spinal movements. Jason coaches the body to refine these movements. Researchers found the more complex these movements become, the greater the increase in nervous system coordination which indicates a greater capacity for positive changes in health. These researchers found that with NSA “…the synaptic strengths are adjusted, the neural pathways are established, and consequently the signal becomes less random.” [2]
In essence, these scientists are saying that a very positive neurological change occurs with this type of treatment. In fact, some of the same scientists conclude in another paper, “the sEMG (surface electromyography) signal of NSA reveals a new class of complex nonlinear dynamic behaviour” in the nervous system [3].
The study into NSA with over 2,800 participants found 95% reported their expectations had been met [1]. It also concluded that “…within the boundaries of this design, these findings provide substantial evidence that Network Care should be included amongst those practices with established health benefits.
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Jason W. Barritt B.Sc (Hons) DC
Chiropractor
To learn more about the what, why and how of NSA care and neuroplasticity, please click on the following image.
To view a summary of a study with 2,800 NSA subject by Irivine College of Medicine, part of the University of California that investigated it's effect on health, wellness and quality of life, click below:
Click to view a summary of a study with 2,800 NSA subjects
References:
[1] Blanks, R.H.; Shuster, T.L.; Dobson, M.A. Retrospective Assessment of Network Care Using a Survey of Self-Related Health, Wellness and Quality of Life, Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, 1997,Vol. 1, No. 4, p. 15-31.
[2] Jonckheere, E.A.; Losoonthorn, P.; Boone, R. (2003). “Dynamic modeling of spinal electromyographic activity during various conditions.” Proceedings of the 2003 American Control Conference. 1:465-470.
[3] Lohsoonthom, P.; Jonckheere, E.A. “Nonlinear switching dynamics in surface electromyography of the spine.” Phycon, Vol. 1, pp. 276-281, 2003 International Conference on Physics and Control—Vol. 1 (PHYCON’03), 2003.