Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity - or the brain’s innate ability to change itself - can be both positive and negative.  Neuroplasticity can have a negative effect on brain function and optimal health when we develop abnormal brain rewiring patterns as the result of injury, stress, illness or inflammation.  A surprising consequence of this abnormal rewiring is that the brain activity associated with a given function can move to a different location.

In the case of chronic pain this can mean that pain signals keep occurring despite lack of a trigger or tissue damage.  In essence what happens is the brain forms pathways (called neuro-networks), that eventually become super-highways – in other words the new neuro-network becomes more complex and elaborate.

We literally become stuck in unhealthy neuronal circuitry patterns which directly affects the physiology of our body.  The resulting physiological changes, combined with the looping thoughts, feelings and behaviour from the injury and the fear associated with illness also become hardwired in the brain.  This reinforces abnormal brain function, physiology and symptoms of illness in the body.

We spend endless amounts money and effort trying to fix the symptoms of illness and are unaware of the underlying abnormal “rewiring” process that is manifesting as a host of different physical, mental and emotional challenges.

In order to decrease symptoms of illness we need to promote positive neuroplastic changes in the brain.  We do this by recruiting healthy brain cells to build new pathways, or by activating dormant pathways in the brain.

The science of Neuroplasticity is the greatest breakthrough in neuroscience in the last four hundred years. Prior to this we thought that the brain was hardwired in function and its ability to regenerate. What we now know is that the brain is adaptive and has the ability to regenerate until the day we die.