Change the Brain; Relieve the Pain; Transform the Person
Section 3: Neuroplastic Brain & Body
Brain-Body Loop
The brain-body loop describes the constant connection between body and brain. Where pain is concerned it involves both the suppression of acute pain and amplification of persistent pain. It is a two way communication between the Connective Tissue System and the Nervous System.
In acute pain, the nerve cells pain processing regions of the brain fire due to input from peripheral tissue. Some of these nerve cells send signals to the spinal cord to suppress the incoming signal. There is no pain when the injured tissue is at rest. Pain is re-experienced if a person stresses the injured tissue. Higher functioning regions of the brain send signals to stop the pain and return the tissue to healing. Inflammation in the peripheral tissue gradually stops and is replaced by an anti-inflammatory response. Growth factors are released to repair the extracellular matrix and local nerve endings. Once this occurs, pain signals to the brain desist. Use of that tissue returns to normal and painless function.
The brain-body loop works quite differently when the pain becomes persistent.
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Hit the Brakes on the Pain Train
Nerve cells behave in various ways to serve the purpose of normal functioning of the brain and body. These are:
Short Term Potentiation
Short Term Depression
Long Term Potentiation
Long Term Depression.
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Long Term Potentiation can occur instantly with a nerve injury or over time with a chronic inflammatory injury.
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Look at the graphic on page 29 of the Neuroplastic Transformation Workbook illustrating these processes.
One of the major ways pain becomes a disease is when nerve cells continuously fire with or without input from any other nerve cell. This is called Long Term Potentiation. These nerves are essentially runaway cells firing on their own and wiring other cells into their network to do the same thing. Left untreated, pain networks grow and pain increases. Traditional modalities to block or suppress this process are helpful in the beginning phases of treatment but long term solutions must be aimed at stopping and reversing the process. Incorporating neuroplasticity techniques as the hub of treatment provides a way to move beyond suppression to resolution.
The Brain's Connective Tissue System
Astrocytes, microglia and oligodendrocytes are cells collectively known as glia.
Ninety percent of all brain cells are glia.
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Ninety percent of all brain cells are glia. Structurally, they create the matrix that suspends the nerve cells in the brain. Their purpose does not stop there. The glia coordinate function, facilitate communication between brain and body and monitor and modify input and output. The graphic on page 30 of the Neuroplastic Transformation workbook depicts the various brain cells. All glia have counterpart cells in the body that interact similarly to the way the glia interact in the brain. The glial cells are part of the connective tissue system that exists throughout the entire body.
The nervous system is classically viewed as the way the brain and body are connected. In reality the Nervous System and the Connective Tissue System are one system that elegantly orchestrates communication allowing for instantaneous processing of input and output.
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Who is in Charge
There are two types of cells in the brain. They are nerve cells and glia. The interplay between these two cell types allow for the seamless processing of information. Increasing understanding of how glial cells function demonstrates their critical role in monitoring, modifying and managing the intricate processes that take place in the nervous system, immune system and circulatory system.
There are three types of glial cells. They are astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and microglia.
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Nerve cells in the brain are all imbedded in astrocytes. This allows the astrocytes to pass molecules and electromagnetic waves to one another and modify brain activity. Look at the graphic on page 30 of the Neuroplastic Transformation workbook and review the text. The graphic shows the relationship of the various brain cells and the text describes in detail the numerous functions of astrocytes. From altering the amount and spread of neurotransmitters to coordinating placement of newborn neurons, astrocytes play a critical role in brain function. The oligodendrocytes in the graphic are the cells that wrap around the long shafts of nerve cells, called axons. They make a fatty substance known as myelin that coat the axons. The more myelin, the faster the electrical signal. Microglia are responsible for protection of the brain from foreign invaders, injuries and toxins. They also trim old synapses being replaced by new synapses.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Defending the Fortress
Molecules in the bloodstream pass through the circulatory system directly into the brain via the Blood Brain Barrier (BBB). The BBB is a highly selective network of specialized capillaries, astrocytes and microglia. It functions to keep out destructive substances and mounts the first response aimed at destroying invaders. There are three layers of the BBB. Layer one is composed of capillaries and lets only the smallest substances pass in and out of the brain. Capillaries are only one cell thick. In the peripheral body, about every third or fourth cell in a capillary has a loose junction. This is a larger space between individual cells that allows larger substances to leave the capillary for the tissue or enter it from the tissue. In the brain there are no loose junctions. Because of this, viruses, bacteria, toxins and large molecules have a hard time crossing through the capillaries into the brain, preventing them from doing harm.
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Astrocytes comprise layer two. Astrocytic projections or “feet” wrap around the capillaries and strengthen the barrier. They respond to unknown substances with a massive release of inflammatory cytokines that attack the substances and call forth other glia.
Adaptive Barrier
One of the most startling aspects of the Blood Brain Barrier is that part of it actually serves as a gauge to read what passes through the brain’s circulatory system, but never enters into the brain tissue itself. By being able to read these molecules zipping by in the bloodstream, the brain can match these in areas that are deficient in the brain and make pinpoint releases where these molecules are lacking. Thus the brain changes itself in specific areas and directs the body to change itself in specific areas as a consequence of these changes.
If we lacked this function every change in the brain and body at a molecular level would be global, resulting in chaos and a breakdown of order so profound that none of us could survive. Read the last column of text on page 31 of the Neuroplastic Transformation workbook for a more detailed explanation of this phenomenon.
Oligodendrocyte
Microglia
Astrocytes
