A Nervous System Approach
Many people I work with seem to intuitively understand that the human body is a holistic thing. Without need of a scientific explanation, we recognize that the state of our mind affects our physical body, and we also know that the way we treat our body affects our mind. Perhaps it is this intuitive recognition of the mind-body connection that makes it difficult to see how it can also be deeply rational and scientific.
Moreover, most holistic medical systems are built on traditional forms of knowledge that, while helpful and effective in many cases, are not scientifically accurate. These systems, including Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, and other traditional health approaches, contain within them an internal logic that is infused with culture and meaning. These systems were developed through the careful study and observation of nature and have been successfully refined and practiced for many generations.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is the western medical system. Based on the scientific study of our biology, the biomedical model not only gives us a more accurate understanding of the body, but has also given us many lifesaving procedures, medications, and helpful protocols.
Many of us who pursue a formal education in the health sciences find that the biomedical model can help us reliably treat specific issues. As a physical therapist, I can confidently tell a person with a sprained ankle that the inflammatory, repair, and remodelling processes will take between 4-6 weeks, and that with the right exercises, their ankle will make a full recovery. However, the biomedical model often fails to translate its rigorous knowledge to the treatment of people afflicted with complex health conditions.
Anyone who has worked with people struggling with autoimmune conditions and chronic pain can attest to the fact that their health journey is often unpredictable and difficult to treat. It should be no surprise that many of these patients, after feeling that the medical system has failed them, turn to alternative holistic approaches. In these cases, it seems that we must choose either an accurate but ineffective biomedical model or a helpful but inaccurate holistic model, but I believe that this is a false dichotomy.
The two systems—scientific and holistic—are not competing or mutually exclusive. It is a disservice to see them as such. It is true that each of them have their strengths and weaknesses, but instead of focusing on their differences, we should be taking what they each have to offer to create a system that is both scientific and holistic. This is achieved through the lens of the nervous system.
The nervous system is a beautifully complex web of nerves and neurons that allows us to feel, think, and act the way we do. It is this physical structure that is responsible for sensing the world around us, processing physical, cognitive, emotional, and social information, and coordinating our behaviours accordingly. Nothing in the body is purely physical or purely psychological: everything is connected through the nervous system.
Our nervous system is the link between our biology and our psychology, and this allows us to integrate scientific truth with holistic understanding. In Tune is my expression of this synthesis. The In Tune approach integrates biomechanics and neurophysiology to more effectively resolve complex and chronic pain while improving physical ability.
A movement assessment helps us understand which tissues your nervous system trusts, and which ones it guards. We can then use both manual therapy and graded exposure to movement to reassure your nervous system that these tissues are safe to load while simultaneously building strength and resilience in your physical body. This approach requires both action and observation: we apply a stimulus to the body and listen to its response. In this way, we gradually refine our process and address your body’s needs.
