Do you know the influence that the mind can have on the body? And how exactly does this connection work? The nervous system has two parts: the Central Nervous System (CNS) which is made up of the brain and spinal cord, and the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) which is made up of multiple nerves that branch from the spinal cord to the entire body.
How exactly do the CNS and PNS interact?
We could talk about two ways or "directions" in which information flows:
Ascending pathway (bottom-up): the PNS sends information to the CNS (for example, when I touch my coffee cup to check how hot it is, my nerves send that information to the brain).
Descending pathway (up-down): the CNS sends information to the PNS (for example, if I'm exercising, the CNS sends information to the rest of the body about what movement to do).
Which of these pathways is responsible for psychosomatic alterations?
Although it is a circular process that feeds on itself (information constantly flows in both directions), the descending pathway can have a considerable effect on our physical well-being or discomfort.
Our thoughts and emotions can improve or worsen the symptoms present in the body, simply by paying more attention to them and becoming more aware (surely you have experienced more pain when you have thought about the exact place where you have been injured) or by focusing on an area of the body in such a way that "discharges" are carried out on the nerves in that area, therefore it becomes sensitized and becomes more vulnerable to suffering from some alteration. Likewise, if our thoughts are positive and our emotions are regulated, the brain will release endorphins that relieve pain and promote physical-emotional well-being. In both cases, the body remains the same, but the brain can be our ally or act against us.
If you found it interesting and want to delve deeper into some type of symptomatology, do not hesitate to contact us to evaluate your case and guide you. However, it is important to rule out an underlying organic cause. If the alteration or pain persists over time, I recommend that you go to your doctor in parallel.
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