Overall goal of treatment: maximize parasympathetic (rest/digest) nervous system dominance over the sympathetic (fight/flight/freeze) which is most often in overdrive. This is achieved through improving and restoring these 3 vital communication pathways:

1. Gut-Brain Axis: vagus nerve stimulation

2. HPA (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal) Axis: the bodies chemical stress cascade operates on information it receives from the nervous system

3. Trigeminal-cervical Complex: 8 muscles attached to the C2 vertebrae

How it’s done? Via dry needling (the most direct tissue stimulation), manual soft tissue/joint manipulation and breathing exercises:

1. Elevate parasympathetic nervous system (75% from vagus nerve; 20% from sacral nerves S2,3,4) ear, suboccipital area and pelvic floor dry needling and microcurrent e-stim

2. Depress sympathetic nervous system (dry needle and e-stim painful tissue as possible/tolerable)

3. Joint or Soft Tissue Mobilization and or Manipulation

4. Breathing exercises to switch the dominance from sympathetic to parasympathetic. (Ghosh Yoga Practice for Relaxation ~10-minute series)

These 4 steps will:

Induce autonomic nervous system homeostasis to the highest level possible.

This allows the human mind and body to return to self-regulation as it has been in a state of disease or dysregulation. With reduced or minimal incoming info about the state or condition of organs, the executive functions of the brain are basically guessing or shooting in the dark concerning what actions (which hormones, chemicals, immune response, involuntary contractions) are needed for homeostasis. 

Self-management consists of spinal alignment (posture), yoga-based exercises, alternating between sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic divisions and daily breathing exercises to activate the parasympathetic nervous system.