As with all rehab patients, our goal at NeuFit® when treating patients with neurological conditions is to optimize healing at the functional level to facilitate healing at the structural level.
By applying adequate neurological stimulation, we can shift the brain’s resources from survival and protection to recovery and regeneration. In the process, we remove the functional obstacles that might slow down structural healing. Again, the idea is to upgrade the body’s software to help the body’s hardware rebuild and grow in a more efficient and effective way.
When treating patients with neurological injuries or diseases, NeuFit treatments may stimulate multiple types of functional and structural healing as part of neuromuscular re-education. The following is a summary of the types of functional reorganization and structural repair that our therapeutic approach can help facilitate, supporting neurological patients in restoring function and improving their quality of life.
Types of Functional Reorganization
Long-term potentiation is the strengthening of existing neurological connections. Much of the function in the brain and nervous system has to do with the connections between various neurons. These connections are continuously changing in response to activity. In neuroscience, the phrase “fire together, wire together” describes this phenomenon. The idea is that neurons that fire simultaneously strengthen their connections by creating patterns that help them work together more consistently. This is part of what makes it possible to form habits, as neurological connections create “default patterns” of responses and behaviors. As with neuroplastic changes, habits can be both good and bad.
Brain cortex remapping describes how certain parts of the brain take over areas that are underutilized due to learned disuse. For example, if people wear shoes with very thick soles, their brains receive fewer nerve signals from the bottoms of their feet. Over many years, the parts of the brain that monitor the feet will actually shrink because the brain isn’t using them, which can lead to loss of balance and general movement deficiencies.(1) In another example, scientists who observed the brains of monkeys after severing the nerve connected to one of the monkey’s fingers observed an interesting phenomenon: within just a few days, the brain areas controlling the neighboring fingers had “taken over” the brain area controlling the finger with the severed nerve. (2)
Types of Structural Repair
Neurogenesis describes the body’s ability to create new neurons (nervous system cells) in the brain. Though it’s especially crucial during embryonic development, neurogenesis continues in certain areas of the brain throughout life—and it can be a powerful mechanism for replacing damaged nerves. (3)
Axonal repair is the process of healing damage to existing neurons after traumatic injuries to peripheral nerves. Current research shows that there’s little to no spontaneous axon regeneration in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), but scientists are working on strategies to stimulate this kind of regeneration. (4) In the peripheral nerves, however, axon regeneration does happen naturally at rates of approximately one millimeter per day. (5) In some cases, it’s been shown that electrical stimulation can enhance and speed up axon regeneration. (6)
Remyelination involves the repair of the nerve tissue in the myelin sheath. With multiple sclerosis, the immune system attacks the myelin sheath, or the protective layer of tissue surrounding the nerves in the brain and spinal cord. Repairing this damage allows neurological signals to reach the extremities more easily, helping improve movement and function. (7)
Of course, every patient’s circumstances and neurological needs are unique, and we can only determine the efficacy of a NeuFit treatment after a patient examination. For more information on the NeuFit Method, the Neubie® electrical stimulation device and the support we provide clinics using the NeuFit Method in the care of patients with neurological conditions, please contact us at http://www.neufit.com.au/contact
Let’s charge forward to better outcomes together!