What is Dysautonomia and Why is it a Health Buzzword Right Now?

Thousands of Americans are dealing with the effects of Long-COVID 19, Lyme Disease, chronic mold exposure and autoimmune conditions.  As a result, more and more Americans are dealing with Dysautonomia.  What is Dysautonomia and what can you do about it?  

Dysautonomia means that there is dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), or the part of the nervous system that you cannot voluntarily control.  The ANS has two parts: the parasympathetic nervous system as well as the sympathetic nervous system and manages everything from your blood pressure, body temperature, breathing, digestion, heart rate and more.  With Dysautonomia, ANS processes become dysregulated, as nervous system activity is shunted more to the sympathetic or parasympathetic sides of the nervous system.  This imbalance can lead to symptoms such as chest pain, mood swings, fainting, fatigue, and dizziness.  Other common symptoms include nausea, brain fog, digestive issues, sleep issues, sound/light sensitivity, blood sugar issues, migraines, anxiety, and sexual/reproductive organ issues.

Dysautonomia can be a primary condition, meaning it develops without relationship to another condition.  More commonly, it is a secondary condition, meaning it develops along with or because of another condition, commonly, autoimmune conditions such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Sjogren’s disease, and Lupus.  Over the last several years, more and more holistic practitioners are becoming aware of the correlation of Dysautonomia with Lyme Disease and chronic mold exposure.  It is now recognized that Dysautonomia accompanies COVID-19 for many people, especially those that experience “Long-COVID.”  There is a lack of awareness and relatively little information from the medical community on what to do about Dysautonomia.  On the other hand, helping clients with dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system is something we have worked with for years.  We have helped patients dealing with autoimmune conditions, chronic Lyme, chronic mold exposure, and long-COVID symptoms with great success.  What are action steps we take and why are they effective?  

Network Spinal Analysis (NSA) is an important tool for most patients dealing with Dysautonomia because this specific technique helps to regulates the autonomic nervous system.  In our experience, most individuals dealing with autonomic nervous system issues have a shunting of nervous system activity to the sympathetic (the fight-or-flight), side of the nervous system, but we occasionally see the opposite, with the parasympathetic side of the nervous system demonstrating more activity.  NSA specifically combines strategies to create balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic sides of the nervous system.  This process increases an individual’s capacity for healing.  It enhances the transmission of valuable information from the brain to the organ systems by decreasing adverse spinal cord tension.  NSA also creates improved physiological function via the formation of new neurological pathways.  This can help to regulate digestive function, reproductive function, breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, sleep, and more.   

 Much of the medical literature reports that there really is no “cure” for dysautonomia.  In our experience of working with patients there are factors that enhance healing and create health.  Like many chronic conditions, an individual’s lifestyle, especially in regards to stress management is a KEY factor for living with an enhanced quality of life when dealing with Dysautonomia.  Having strategies to be proactive in terms of how someone deals with stress or mitigates the effects of stress is critical, even more so when someone is dealing with Dysautonomia.  The following list contains factors for decreasing symptoms of Dysautonomia (as well as creating health):

• Hydration (drink at least ½ your body weight in ounces of water daily)
• Use electrolytes to maintain hydration
• Eat an Anti-Inflammatory Diet (this can be individualized with IgG testing or one may start by eliminating gluten, dairy, and sugar)
• Implement gut healing protocols
• Stress management practices (in-through-the-nose, out-through-the-mouth breathing, box breathing, Somato-Respiratory-Integration, journaling, meditation, etc.)
• Time in nature
• Infra-Red Sauna
• Hyper-Baric Oxygen Therapy
• Gentle detoxification strategies

Awareness regarding Dysautonomia is critical, especially as the number of Americans dealing with this condition continues to escalate.  As with many conditions, finding and implementing lifestyle strategies to improve health and wellbeing can make a massive difference in quality of life.  If you have questions about how NSA and/or other recommendations can help you or a loved one, please let us know.  

Remember, Create Health by Choice, Not by Chance.

Join Me!  If you are ready to learn more about NSA or take your NSA care to the next level, attend our upcoming class! Monday, April 22nd 6:15 pm: Phases, Stages, Levels, and Biofields: Network Spinal Analysis is a highly-researched chiropractic technique designed to shift neurological pathways, improve adaptability to stress, and activate healing.  How does such a gentle contact on your spine create such a drastic response in your healing process?  Dr. Leah will cover the layers of NSA care—the structural, the neurological, the emotional, and the mind-body.  She will discuss the levels of advancement you can experience with NSA care as well as how to maximize your healing process and evolution.  This is an important class for all BIB practice members to attend!  This will be a zoom-based class.  Please register at BodyInBalanceChiropractic.com/events.