ANS Integration

Question 1

What is expressed through the ANS?

Answer 1

Our emotions, thoughts & feelings including response to stress.

Question 2

What does the ANS link?

Answer 2

Emotions and body.

Question 3

What is the ideal state in the ANS?

Answer 3

Balance - homeostasis

Question 4

What is the particular value of knowledge of ANS function?

Answer 4

Deep integrated understanding of human health and function.

Question 5

What are the two divisions of the ANS?

Answer 5

Sympathetic and parasympathetic.

Question 6

What is ‘dynamic balance’ in the ANS?

Answer 6

A balance between the 2 divisions - Cooperative responses to the stimuli of life.

Question 7

What is a typical challenge to the ANS?

Answer 7

A conflict between the 2 divisions such as needing to work and eat at the same time. Stimulus & rest and digest.

Question 8

How does the sympathetic NS affect the digestion?

Answer 8

It inhibits digestion in order to focus on getting something done.

Question 9

Is conflict in the ANS necessarily a bad thing?

Answer 9

Occasional challenges are ok, persistent repeated challenges cause health problems.

Question 10

What happens in the ANS if there is continuous stress?

Answer 10

Both divisions work hard to try to maintain harmony but a cycle of overstimulation which produces adrenalin and so more stimulation while the parasympathetic NS tries to calm things down - the result is exhaustion.

Question 11

Which ANS division provides the fight /flight response?

Answer 11

Sympathetic

Question 12

What’s the point of the fight/flight response?

Answer 12

To cope with danger.

Question 13

What happens if you don’t fight or run away?

Answer 13

Supression of the response builds pressure, tension and Adrenalin in the system causing physiological disturbances and disfunctions.

Question 14

What is ‘autonomic discharge’?

Answer 14

Shaking or trembling after a build-up of pressure, a shock or tricky situation at work.

Question 15

Can you discharge any other way?

Answer 15

A physical workout, e.g. a run in the park.

Question 16

What if you suppress autonomic discharge?

Answer 16

You become continually stressed and may continuously overreact to minor irritations and eventually become ill.

Question 17

What are the symptoms of continuous ANS over-stimulation?

Answer 17

Pain, strain, palpitations, ulcers, IBS, headaches, migraine, heart disease, digestive problems, menstrual issues, sexual disfunction, miscarriage, infertility, exhaustion, collapse and breakdown. Doesn’t sound great does it?

Question 18

What two things should the CST practitioner do if there is ANS over-stimulation?

Answer 18

1) Release physical and physiological accumulations2) Help the patient to understand how they have to change behaviour to achieve long-term health.

Question 19

How to help with ANS balancing lifestyle changes?

Answer 19

Help the patient see their response is the stress then suggest bespoke solutions.

Question 20

Apart from stress, what can disturb the balance of the ANS?

Answer 20

Structural imbalances, vertebral restrictions, nerve impingement, neurological damage, physical injury, visceral pathologies and infections.

Question 21

How do vertebral restrictions affect the ANS?

Answer 21

Pressure on the sympathetic nerves affect the associated organs, area of body, sympathetic plexi, causing emotional agitation maybe becoming hyperactive, workaholic or aggressive.

Question 22

How are gastro-intestinal disorders often misdiagnosed?

Answer 22

Dismissed as psychosomatic.

Question 23

What is the order to address ANS problems?

Answer 23

Physical first, although psycho-emotional and physical are always interlinked.

Question 24

What are the 2 main components of addressing ANS disturbance?

Answer 24

1) Understanding the specific ANS associations of the condition.2) Understanding the need to balance the system.

Question 25

Whatever the condition, what is priority number one?

Answer 25

Integrated treatment.

Question 26

What are the 4 priority treatments for ANS imbalance?

Answer 26

1) Release emotional centres, heart, solar plexus, with their their sympathetic plexi.2) Suboccipital area - cervical sympathetic ganglion, sympathetic supply to head and vagus nerve3) Integrate the core4) Balance whole system

Question 27

What can happen after an infection e.g. cystitis?

Answer 27

The ANS can create a recurrence of the symptoms without the presence of infection.

Question 28

Where to look for cystitis disturbances in the system?

Answer 28

T10 - L2 sympathetic to bladderS2 - 4 parasympathetic to bladderWhere nerves leave the duraFascial - epineurium of nervesNeural pathwaysThe bladder itself.

Question 29

Where is the ileo-caecal valve?

Answer 29

Where the small and large intestines connect. On the right, between iliac crest and umbilicus.

Question 30

Implications of ileo-caecal problems?

Answer 30

Pain, blockage and appendicitis.

Question 31

Cause of the ileo-caecal problems?

Answer 31

Often emotional excessive stimulation of ANS due to stress.

Question 32

What actually happens during ileo-caecal problems?

Answer 32

Sympathetic stimulus shuts down the digestive sphincters including the ileo-caecal valve.

Question 33

Vertebral level of ileo-caecal sympathetic nerves?

Answer 33

T10 - T12

Question 34

Plexi involved in ileo-caecal problems?

Answer 34

Solar plexus, superior and inferior mesenteric plexi.

Question 35

Cranial nerve involved in ileo-caecal problems?

Answer 35

Parasympathetic vagus - so the problem can be at the jugular foramen or lower.

Question 36

Other name for Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

Answer 36

Spastic colon

Question 37

Usual cause of IBS?

Answer 37

Stress - but can be physical.

Question 38

Difference between IBS and ileo-caecal problem?

Answer 38

IBS is both sides, ileo-caecal just on the right.

Question 39

IBS nerve supply level?

Answer 39

T10 - L2

Question 40

What is the significance of IBS on left?

Answer 40

Parasympathetic nerve supply is from the sacrum not the vagus.

Question 41

What injury might cause IBS on left?

Answer 41

Falling on sacrum.

Question 42

Gastric and duodenal ulcers - sympathetic supply level?

Answer 42

T6 - 10

Question 43

Gastric and duodenal ulcers - 3 other autonomic associations?

Answer 43

1) Coeliac ganglia and solar plexus2) Vagus parasympathetic supply3) Psycho-emotional factors

Question 44

Asthma causes?

Answer 44

Allergies, immune system weakness, anxiety, lung probs, upper thoracic spine problem

Question 45

Asthma vertebral level?

Answer 45

T2 - 6

Question 46

Others associations?

Answer 46

Pulmonary plexusParasympathetic vagusEmotional factors - possibly from an historic shockRestriction in upper thoracic area

Question 47

9 associations with all visceral problems?

Answer 47

1) The actual organs2) Sensory nerves to them3) Motor nerves to them4) Vertebral levels - facilitated segments5) Nerve origins6) Dural associations7) Fascial connections8) CNS connections9) Psycho-emotional connections

Question 48

How can we help with psychosomatic conditions?

Answer 48

Help the patient understand their environmental challenges and find harmony through understanding the ANS implications.Integrate the whole mind-body system and matrix through cranio-sacral integration.