If you are reading this, then you are probably familiar with these acronyms; FM for Fibromyalgia and CFS for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or ME for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. You may not, however, be familiar with the term Central Sensitization.
This is because the concept of Central Sensitization (CS) is a relatively new field of research. What this area of science suggests, is that most chronic pain and autoimmune disorders may fall under the umbrella of Central Sensitization Syndrome (CSS).
Central Sensitization is when the body has a hyperactive response to any type of sensation. This could be pain, light, sound, smell, chemicals and so forth. Even positive sensations such as excitement, massage therapy or acupuncture can cause a hyperactive response. It is a dysfunction in the brain and seems to be triggered by some sort of trauma such as an accident, surgery, a virus, or a devastating loss of some sort. It doesn’t matter whether this is physical or emotional trauma.
For reasons unknown to the scientific community, the sensory alert signal in the brain becomes amplified, and the switch that normally turns sensory signals off, once the trigger has passed, doesn’t work. As a result, the amplified signals continue to send warning messages to the central nervous system.
In time, the signals become more amplified and more intense, and that can lead to Central Sensitization Syndrome. This is a term used to classify a group of overlapping chronic conditions such as Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Irritable Larynx Syndrome, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and so forth.
I was diagnosed with FM and CFS in 1990 and there was very little support at that time. Then in 2014, I was simultaneously diagnosed with Irritable Larynx Syndrome and CSS. My specialist only offered some neck exercises at the time, and I must say, I was actually miffed to be diagnosed with CSS because I thought, “great, now they are making the fact that I am highly sensitive a disorder!”
For many years, there has been very little support and understanding of this umbrella of complex disorders from the medical community and the public in general. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told to “suck it up”. I’ve also been shamed and treated as if I am crazy and this is all in my head.
It is true that CSS and any other chronic health issues are very complicated, however, I am glad to say that now, there is much more supportive information that can help deal with these sorts of conditions. Earlier this year, I came across this article on CS, and it totally changed how I looked at my diagnosis. It now made total sense, and I started to look at different ways to deal with this condition, and I’ve come across some great information.
If you are interested in learning more about CSS, this video gives an overview of the condition. I also found this video, and at 7:20 point, Dr. Sletten from The Mayo Clinic explains that CSS is not a psychological disorder, but a brain dysfunction! If you or anyone you know suffers from any chronic condition, you need to hear this.
I would also recommend this article by B.C. Women’s Hospital as well as the book by Amy Titani called Central Sensitization and Sensitivity Syndromes. They both offer very helpful resources.
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Because this condition is so complex, the conventional medical establishments don’t seem to have any definitive methods to change this dysregulation in the brain. They offer processes to help reduce the symptoms, but there doesn’t seem to be a cure for this condition.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) seems to be helpful, but I think there could be more focus on Energy Medicine to help change these well-established patterns in the brain and central nervous system.
It would make sense that the key to resolving this ‘dysregulation’ of the central nervous system would be to find a way to settle down the persistent state of heightened reactivity. The chronic nature of the condition means a pattern has become established, and it is this pattern that needs to be changed.
The field of neuroplasticity is offering powerful evidence that the brain can be changed. Energy techniques such as Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) and Eden Energy Medicine (EEM) are just some of the processes that could help change the patterns in the brain. (see resources below)
There are forward-thinking professionals who are exploring the idea of combining therapies such as CBT with energy techniques such as EFT Tapping. Gary Craig, the creator of EFT Tapping shares a letter from the psychologist, Dr. Galina, who writes about how he does this very thing.
While this is a complicated condition, and it is advisable to work with a trained health care professional, there are some practices one can do on their own, that would cause no harm and may be very beneficial!
The first would be to understand neuroplasticity; the brain’s ability to change itself, and for that, I would recommend the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza. His books Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself and You Are the Placebo are a great place to start. His premise is basically that we can change any patterns we like, but it takes time, dedication and practice, practice, practice!
One of the main problems with changing unwanted patterns is that we are not patient or persistent enough. I know I am guilty of this for sure!
Here is a story of Yerlin, a woman who overcame astounding injuries and trauma by practicing the work of Dr. Dizpenza. I think the key to her success was, in her own words, “all I had was time…I was in bed, I couldn’t move, so I thought I would see if all the things I learned (from Dr. Joe) would work.” She was diligent in her practice, and she baffled everyone with how fully and quickly she recovered. You have to listen to her story, it is really amazing!
The second recommendation I have is to look at the work of Donna Eden and Energy Medicine. This area of medicine deals with balancing the body’s energy system. If Central Sensitization is a case of the central nervous system being ‘dysregulated’, then it would make sense that balancing the energy system through a daily practice could be beneficial.
I have been doing the Daily Energy Routine (DER) for several months now and I definitely notice subtle improvements and changes. This is where patience and persistence are important. My system has been dysregulated for over 40 years, it will take some time to change these very deeply engrained patterns.
My third recommendation is EFT Tapping. This technique is fabulous for changing unwanted patterns, but again, one must be persistent if dealing with very old and deeply engrained patterns. I have a video tutorial on how to do basic EFT HERE. This is an unlisted video, so you will have to save the link. I also want to apologize for the quality of this video, I made this a few years ago and wasn’t so tech-savvy! The wooshing sound was actually rain falling on the roof.
Tapping works best if you can find a specific event, like an accident, the break up of a relationship, the loss of someone or something significant…situations like that. But those are often ‘big T traumas’ and need to be processed with a trained professional. This is where you sometimes see ‘one-minute wonders’, where a practitioner finds a specific event and then releases the energy of that event with the tapping.
You may know of specific events and can tap through those, so long as they are not traumatic events. In Tapping, there is an acronym called UDIN. This asks the questions, was the event Unexpected, Dramatic, Isolating and with No resources? If any of these apply, then you want to seek help with that event.
You can use Tapping more globally for yourself, but it will take dedication and more time. For example, you could tap on “this tightness and tension in my body”, or “this constant pain in my hip and knee”. If you’re dealing with a very old and ingrained pattern, you may have to tap on the issue every day or even a few times a day for a few months before you start to see results…but it does work!
If you want to learn more about EFT Tapping, I recommend EFT For Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue, as well as EFT for the Highly Sensitive Temperament. You can also check out EFT Universe which has a tonne of free information.
Lastly, I recommend trying, to the best of your ability, to redirect the focus of the pain and discomfort you may be experiencing. I know from personal experience that this can be a huge challenge! How do you not notice the feeling of a sharp knife poking you in various parts of your body? How do you not notice that you don’t have enough energy to make a meal, to do errands or to see friends? How do you not notice that your words get scrambled or your speech is slurred at times? (which some of you may notice in my Youtube videos)
Just do your best! Try to think more positive thoughts, maybe watch some funny shows and do anything that evokes a good feeling…whatever that may be! Have a daily gratitude practice and make time to do things you enjoy. I’m a big fan of doing creative work, which is why I started blogging about all things creative, nurturing and healing!
Meditation can also be very helpful and I have a few guided meditations. The Guided Chakra Meditation below, in particular, is very good because it guides you through the chakras in the direction of a figure eight, or the infinity symbol. This video is 22 minutes long and goes through three sequences of the chakras. I also have a shorter version which is 11 minutes long and goes through just one sequence.
If you read the work of Donna Eden, you will see that she recommends incorporating any movements in the direction of a figure eight because the energy in our body moves in this cross over pattern. Often, when we are dealing with health issues, the body’s energy system moves into a homolateral pattern, meaning the energy isn’t crossing over.
Dealing with any sort of chronic pain or autoimmune disorder can be very challenging. Again, I do recommend working with a health care provider to get a proper diagnosis and guidance. The practices I have recommended here can be beneficial and empowering, so there is no harm in trying them!
More Guided Meditations:
- Ten Minute Full Body Scan Meditation
- The Sound of Silence~Teaching and Meditation
- Guided Body Scan and Chakra Meditation (30 Minutes)
These are just some of my guided meditations, you can check out my Youtube Channel for more.
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