The nervous system is comprised of tissues and bones, and just like your muscles, it can develop restrictions (like knots) and tension patterns. These stuck areas prevent the system from functioning at its best, leading to chronic pain, mental health issues, and dysfunction of other systems. Many things can cause these restrictions: physical or emotional trauma, stress, repetitive use (like staring down at a phone or laptop screen for too long each day), and just being a human trying to survive in a challenging world. 

When someone has an injury to the head or spine, like with a TBI or whiplash, it can cause restrictions and tension in the system, often in the area of the injury but not always. Occasionally the tension can be redistributed to other tissues within the system. The bones and tissues get compacted or stuck, preventing the cerebrospinal fluid from reaching all areas of the brain.

The jaw can also be a place where a lot of emotional tension is stored. As children it is one of the first areas that we learn to tense. When we’re told things like “be quiet,” stop crying,” “calm down,”… all of these result in tensing our jaw. Years of trying to be good, not get in trouble, and mask how we’re really feeling can result in chronic jaw pain, especially for neurodivergent folks. It is profound healing work to let those muscles know that they can finally relax.