The Keystone to Many Disease Processes and Neurodegenerative Conditions
By Melinda Couch, PT, Owner and Program Director of Peak LiLT, LLC
Our health, including our brain health, is very complex and multi-faceted. For the past several years, I have been intently studying research that points to the fact that the Autonomic Nervous System largely drives healthy functioning. In fact, many neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmune disorders, and even abdominal conditions such as Chron’s Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome, have their origins in Autonomic Nervous System Dysfunction. When our nervous system becomes dysregulated, it can lead to a cascading cycle of ill health and disease: https://academic.oup.com/bmb/article/128/1/61/5168540
This narrative aims to elucidate the Autonomic Nervous System, its dysfunction, and how it contributes to various disease processes and neurological disorders.
The challenge within our medical system lies in the scarcity of tests for diagnosing Autonomic Nervous System dysfunction, which often perplexes doctors and specialists when faced with such symptoms. As a result, patients frequently find themselves consulting various specialists in search of answers and relief, only to encounter continuous dead ends while their symptoms and issues accumulate.
If the nervous system is not re-regulated, dysfunction of the Autonomic Nervous System can escalate, potentially leading to conditions like IBS, cardiovascular disease, ischemic strokes, diabetes, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s Disease. These illnesses might originate from a dysfunctional Autonomic Nervous System long before the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s become apparent. According to scientific studies and research, all these conditions can be linked to Dysregulation and Dysfunction of the Autonomic Nervous System.
There is a substantial body of scientific research detailing the ways in which dysregulation of the Autonomic Nervous System can contribute to a range of symptoms and disease processes within the body, including neurodegenerative diseases.
But this research is its segmented nature, which makes it difficult to piece together. It’s like a complex jigsaw, with each piece contributing to our understanding of the Autonomic Nervous System and its role in health and disease.
The encouraging development is that by concentrating on the rejuvenation of the nervous system at Peak LiLT, utilizing Photobiomodulation (Low-Intensity Light Therapy) we are witnessing the restoration of nervous system health in our patients.
I would like to attempt to tie all of the pieces together for you, as well as to let you know that there appears to be more hope in restoring health and normal functioning to the Autonomic Nervous System with the science of Low-Intensity Light Therapy.
Let’s connect the dots, but first, let’s discuss the Autonomic Nervous System itself.
What is the Autonomic Nervous System?
Our nervous system is comprised of several different parts. The autonomic nervous system is part of the Central Nervous System, which includes the brain and the spinal cord. The autonomic nervous system controls all our “automatic functions” in the body, including swallowing, respiration, sweating, heart rate and blood pressure, liver and gall bladder functioning, digestion, pancreatic functioning, spleen function, and bladder and kidney functioning.
The Autonomic Nervous System is comprised of two parts: The Parasympathetic and the Sympathetic.
The parasympathetic nervous system is our “rest and digest” portion and is largely made up of the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in our body. It starts in the brainstem region and then courses down the sides of the neck, eventually going to every internal organ, controlling their normal functioning.
The sympathetic nervous system is our “fight or flight” response center. It is comprised of nerves that originate in the spine, primarily the thoracic spine region.
When the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems are in balance and functioning normally, all is well:
When the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) functions normally, the liver effectively filters toxins and supports metabolism, immunity, and digestion. It synthesizes plasma proteins and blood clotting factors, and converts glycogen into glucose, which serves as energy for the body. The liver also secretes cholesterol and vital hormones. Proper liver function is crucial for overall health; ANS dysfunction can impair the liver’s ability to perform these tasks. A well-functioning ANS also ensures normal pancreatic function, stable blood pressure and heart rate, regular respiration, a robust immune system, and healthy digestion. This allows our microbiome to produce essential neurochemicals like serotonin, GABA, and dopamine. These chemicals are transported to the brain by the vagus nerve, contributing to normal mental and physical health.
When necessary, our sympathetic nervous system activates to prepare us for fight or flight in response to a perceived threat. This survival response causes vasoconstriction in the blood vessels, reducing blood flow to the digestive system and redirecting it to the muscles in the arms and legs, enabling us to either confront or escape from dangers, such as an unexpected tiger emerging from the woods.
Once the threat is gone, the sympathetic nervous system goes back into the background, and the parasympathetic nervous system comes to the forefront, boosting its activity again for normal system operations.
This is how our autonomic nervous system should work for normal healthy functioning…
How does our nervous system become dysregulated, leading to dysfunction?
This is multifactorial. First of all, our nervous system is genetic. So, many of us start out in life dysregulated, such that we have a more heightened fight or flight response.
Then, “stuff happens.” Stress is just a part of life. If we have large stressful events in our lives, that can lead to even more dysregulation. But even low-levels of stress that are ongoing, such as a stressful job, can cause us to get stuck in fight-or-flight, which causes chronic inflammation.
Another big factor contributing to inflammation is the typical American diet, which is full of sugar and processed foods. We are also surrounded by chemical toxins in our environment (and there are chemicals in ultra-processed foods). There are even chemicals in most wine grown in America unless the wine is organically grown without chemicals and chemical processing.
Here is a more comprehensive list of the major drivers of Autonomic Nervous System Dysregulation:
Genetics: Our nervous system is inherited.
Our Diet: The typical American diet creates large amounts of inflammation which impairs the nervous system. The most significant contributors to inflammation are sugar and processed or ultra-processed foods, which lack nutrients and contain chemicals (anything in a package that has an ingredient list is processed): https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/health/how-to-spot-ultra-processed-foods-we-mistake-for-healthy/vi-AA1o1KAm?ocid=socialshare&t=135
Chronic stress: Chronic stress causes inflammation in the body, which impairs the nervous system. Chronic stress is also a major cause of the “switch getting flipped,” such that we stay in fight-or-flight/sympathetic nervous system upregulation.
Poor Sleep Habits and/or Insomnia: Lack of sleep, especially deep sleep, impairs the nervous system. Sleep researchers are discovering the criticalness of not only getting 8 hours of sleep (and more when we are younger) but also the timing of when we are in deep sleep. The hours of 11:00 pm and 3:00 am are when our liver is detoxing, our brain’s glymphatic system is cleaning out amyloid plaque and tau tangles, and our bones are remodeling, cleaning out old bone, and laying down new healthy bone. Lack of sleep also contributes to insulin resistance, leading to diabetes. For more information, please read Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, PhD.
Viruses, especially Covid-19: Research points to the fact that Covid-19 basically attacks the vagus nerve. One study in which the vagus nerve was dissected in cadavers of people who had died and were suffering from long-COVID symptoms found COVID-19 virus particles embedded in the actual nerve. The vagus nerves in these people were also extremely inflamed (Vagus nerve inflammation contributes to dysautonomia in COVID-19 – PMC (nih.gov) The wide variety of symptoms described as “long-Covid” line up with the same exact symptoms of those suffering from autonomic nervous system dysfunction. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9789535/
Chemical toxins, heavy metals, mold toxin and Lyme’s Disease: all lead to autonomic nervous system dysfunction (or make an already dysfunctional nervous system more dysregulated).
Trauma, both physical trauma such as concussion injuries as well as emotional trauma: trauma leads to autonomic nervous system dysregulation.
Results of a Dysfunctional Autonomic Nervous System:
If the sympathetic nervous system is basically always turned on and the parasympathetic system is underperforming and therefore not regulating normal system functioning, then that can result in the following problems:
Fatigue (also a result of mitochondrial dysfunction, but that’s connected to ANS dysregulation as well) Investigating the possible mechanisms of autonomic dysfunction post-COVID-19 – PMC (nih.gov)
Headaches/Migraines The Role of the Autonomic Nervous System in Headache: Biomarkers and Treatment – PMC (nih.gov)
Sleep Disorder Autonomic Dysfunction in Sleep Disorders: From Neurobiological Basis to Potential Therapeutic Approaches – PMC (nih.gov)
Dizziness Autonomic dysfunction in chronic persistent dizziness – PubMed (nih.gov)
Vestibular disorder and autonomic dysfunction – PMC (nih.gov)
Exertional Dizziness and Autonomic Dysregulation | Request PDF (researchgate.net)
Cardiovascular issues, including arrhythmias, high or low blood pressure, and even mitral valve issues: Autonomic dysregulation as a novel underlying cause of mitral valve prolapse: a hypothesis. – Abstract – Europe PMC
This article provides a nice review of how the Parasympathetic and Sympathetic Nervous Systems work together in the body, including their role in proper cardiovascular functioning. http://Autonomic and endocrine control of cardiovascular function – PMC (nih.gov)
Respiratory Disease and Shortness of Breath: Alternation of the Autonomic Nervous System Is Associated With Pulmonary Sequelae in Patients With COVID-19 After Six Months of Discharge – PMC (nih.gov)
Asthma: Asthma, asthma medication and autonomic nervous system dysfunction – PubMed (nih.gov)
Allergies: Autonomic nervous system dysfunction and sinonasal symptoms – PMC (nih.gov)
Vascular Issues, including Blood Clots and Ischemic Stroke: The Relationship between Vascular Function and the Autonomic Nervous System – PMC (nih.gov)
Liver dysfunction: both with processing toxins but also the conversion of glycose into glucogen (Autonomic Nerves directly innervate islets, liver, and adipose tissue to control hormone secretion, glucose production, and metabolism through the release of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides: https://krieger2.jhu.edu/biology/labs/kuruvilla/pubs/Lin%20et.%20al%202020.pdf)
Digestive Issues (constipation and diarrhea, IBS, UC, Chron’s): Autonomic nervous system dysregulation in irritable bowel syndrome – PubMed (nih.gov)
This leads to a whole other discussion around Autonomic Nervous System dysregulation creating gut/microbiome dysfunction, leading to decreased production of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, GABA in the gut such that there are fewer of those that vagus nerve carries to the brain, leading to depression and anxiety…but also a factor in Parkinson’s and even dementia as studies are finding that misfolded proteins in the gut then get carried to the brain via vagus nerve…these are potentially the misfolded proteins that effect the substantia nigra in PD and the amyloid plaque buildup in Alzheimer’s! Parkinson’s may start from bacteria in the gut, researchers say (medicalnewstoday.com)
Depression and Anxiety (see above)
Loss of Appetite or Decreased Sense of Satiety or Fullness (it can be either)
Kidney Disease: Study reveals link between autonomic imbalance and kidney disease | Nature Reviews Nephrology
And it plays a role in Diabetes Autonomic dysfunction, diabetes and metabolic syndrome – PMC (nih.gov). We have lowered four people’s A1-C levels from 5.8 or 5.9 back to normal levels of 5.3 to 5.4.
As well as Osteoporosis! So far, we have reversed three patients’ bone density loss with Photobiomodulation to their vagus nerves/brainstem (restoring more normal ANS functioning) per repeat DEXA scans. We are currently treating four other patients who have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, and they will also obtain repeat bone density testing. We will post their results as well. The Role of Sympathetic Nerves in Osteoporosis: A Narrative Review – PMC (nih.gov)
How Can Autonomic Nervous System Dysfunction be Diagnosed?
As mentioned at the beginning of this narrative, Autonomic Nervous System Dysregulation can be difficult to diagnose. It is largely based on subjective reporting. The following questionnaire gives a comprehensive list of symptoms associated with ANS Dysfunction: Updated ANS Questionnaire August 2023.pdf. If you score a “5/10” or higher on several of the questions, then there is a good chance that your nervous system is dysregulated.
Another way to assess Autonomic Nervous System Functioning is via a QEEG or Quantitative Electroencephalography test. This test assesses brain wave activity and how the different regions of the brain are communicating with each other. It can also assess Sympathetic Nervous System overload and is a good tool to get an idea of how someone’s nervous system is functioning.
QEEGs can be very useful in helping discern if someone has true Alzheimer’s Dementia or if the cognitive deficits are the result of something else, such as an old brain injury, concussion injury, or glucose overload/insulin resistance. QEEG’s can also be used to determine the presence of vascular diseases, epilepsy and mental disorders such as anxiety disorder (all of which are related to Autonomic Nervous System Dysfunction): Quantitative Electroencephalography (QEEG) as an Innovative Diagnostic Tool in Mental Disorders – PMC (nih.gov)
We recently formed a collaborative relationship with Neurotherapy of Colorado Springs, and the owner, Chris Edwards, is training us to interpret the QEEG reports they perform for our patients so that we can be more specific with our Photobiomodulation treatment of the brain and nervous system.
Learn more about Neurotherapy of Colorado Springs: Neurotherapy | Neurofeedback | Colorado Springs, CO (neurotherapyofcs.com)
Another way to assess Autonomic Nervous System health is to measure Heart Rate Variability. Apple watches now have this software. And there are now other devices that can measure heart rate variability, such as Oura rings and others: https://www.biohackerslab.com/reviews/best-hrv-monitor/
Treatment Options for Autonomic Nervous System Dysfunction:
Photobiomodulation (Low-Intensity Light Therapy): At Peak LiLT, we began a Case Study research project in 2021 to see if we could help people with the wide variety of symptoms associated with ANS dysfunction by treating the branches of the vagus nerves along with the brain with Low-Intensity Light Therapy. Our results initially astonished us, as we took people from subjective “9 or 10/10” problems such as anxiety/depression, digestive issues, high blood pressure, headaches, dizziness and more to “0-3/10” after 4-6 months of treatment.
Our successes continue to grow as we have now helped close to 50 people over the past three years restore their health and functioning.
Contact us today to find out if you are a good candidate for LiLT: 719-249-1600 or email Melinda Couch, PT: [email protected]
Other Methods to Restore Autonomic Nervous System Functioning and Health:
Neurofeedback Therapy: Neurofeedback training can help in regulating the Autonomic Nervous System functioning. We currently recommend Chris Edwards and his team of Neuropsycologists at Neurotherapy of Colorado Springs as they offer a very comprehensive approach to treatment, combining Neurofeedback, nutritional counseling to help reduce inflammation, as well as Photobiodulation/Low-Intensity Light Therapy!
Vagus Nerve Stimulation via MEND Technology:
Acupuncture: A good acupuncturist trained in Chinese medicine can help restore homeostasis to the systems of the body. We recommend Na Zhai (Jena) at Colorado Springs Acupuncture for this approach:
Ways to Improve Your Nervous System Health:
- Sleep: As mentioned earlier in the narrative, sleep researchers are discovering the huge importance of not only the amount of sleep, but also the timing of when we are in deep sleep with our overall body system functioning. It is between the hours of 11:00 pm and 3:00 am that our body does most of its repair functions, such as liver detox/liver functioning, bone remodeling and the glymphatic system cleaning out the brain.
- Diet – reduce inflammation in the body and restore better microbiome health
- Exercise
- Meditation/Breathing Exercises