Written by Sophie Hose, DC, MS, DACNB, CCSP
Life is full of opportunities to grow and evolve, yet creating lasting change—whether in your habits, recovery from pain, or physical abilities—often feels like an uphill battle. Why is it so hard to break old patterns? Why does improvement sometimes feel temporary? The answers lie in the intricate relationship between the brain and body. From a chiropractic neurology perspective, achieving meaningful transformation requires understanding the brain’s incredible adaptability, a phenomenon called neuroplasticity. By leveraging therapies like myofascial release and sensory retraining, we can help the brain and body align to foster sustainable change.
The Brain as a Dynamic Forest: An Introduction to Neuroplasticity
The human brain is often compared to a vast, interconnected forest. Each neuron is like a tree, and the connections between them form trails and pathways. Every thought, movement, and sensory experience sends signals through these neural paths. With repeated use, some trails become well-worn highways, representing the habits, routines, and reactions we perform almost automatically. Others are faint and underused, like trails overgrown with weeds.
The concept of neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to reshape this forest. It can prune old, unused pathways and strengthen or create new ones in response to learning, experience, or recovery from injury. Neuroplasticity underpins virtually every form of personal growth—whether it’s improving athletic performance, rewiring how you process stress, or overcoming chronic pain.
However, this adaptability is a double-edged sword. While the brain can form positive new patterns, it can just as easily reinforce negative ones. Pain, stress, or repetitive bad habits can carve deeply ingrained pathways that perpetuate dysfunction. The key to meaningful change is providing the brain with the right tools and stimuli to reshape its landscape.
Why Is Change So Hard? The Brain’s Preference for Efficiency
The brain is built for efficiency, which can make change challenging. Well-worn neural pathways consume less energy and require less conscious effort. Once a habit or response is established, the brain will default to it unless given a compelling reason to do otherwise.
For example, if chronic pain has trained your brain to anticipate discomfort with certain movements, your nervous system will preemptively tighten muscles or adjust posture to avoid that pain. While this response may reduce short-term discomfort, it often perpetuates long-term dysfunction. To overcome this, the brain needs two critical elements:
- A Clear Signal: Precise input from the body that disrupts the dysfunctional patterns.
- Consistent Practice: Repeated engagement with the new, desired behavior or movement.
This is where therapies like myofascial work and sensory retraining are invaluable.
Myofascial Therapy: Clearing the Path for Change
The fascia is a complex, web-like network of connective tissue that envelops and supports muscles, nerves, and organs. Think of it as the scaffolding that holds your body together. Over time, physical or emotional stress, repetitive movements, or injury can create restrictions in this system, leading to pain, poor mobility, and miscommunication between the body and brain.
When fascia becomes restricted, it sends confusing signals to the brain. This “static” in the nervous system makes it difficult for the brain to accurately perceive the state of the body. Myofascial therapy works to release these restrictions, restoring the clarity of sensory input and enabling more effective neural rewiring.
Three Ways Myofascial Work Supports Neuroplasticity
- Enhancing Proprioception– Proprioception is your body’s ability to sense its position and movement in space. Myofascial therapy improves this awareness by removing restrictions and allowing the nervous system to receive accurate feedback. Improved proprioception creates new opportunities for the brain to learn and adopt healthier movement patterns.
- Reducing Chronic Stress– The fascia can store physical and emotional tension. Releasing this tension sends calming signals to the brain, shifting the nervous system out of a fight-or-flight state and into a state where neuroplasticity thrives.
- Interrupting the Pain Cycle– Pain disrupts normal neural communication, creating feedback loops that reinforce maladaptive patterns. Myofascial release helps quiet these pain signals, giving the brain space to explore new pathways.
Sensory Retraining: Rewiring How Your Brain Interprets the World
Sensory input from your body and environment is the brain’s GPS. It relies on this input to make decisions about movement, posture, and behavior. However, injuries, repetitive stress, or chronic pain can distort this sensory feedback, causing the brain to misinterpret the body’s needs.
Sensory retraining works to recalibrate the brain’s perception of these signals, enabling it to make better-informed decisions. It is particularly powerful when paired with myofascial therapies, as the two approaches complement each other by addressing both the input (sensory clarity) and the processing (neuroplastic change).
Key Sensory Retraining Techniques for Brain Rewiring
- Visual Training– Vision is one of the most dominant sensory systems in the brain. Exercises like tracking a moving object or shifting focus between near and far points can enhance how the brain integrates visual information, improving coordination and balance.
- Balance and Vestibular Exercises– The vestibular system in your inner ear helps regulate balance and spatial awareness. Gentle movements, such as standing on an uneven surface or performing controlled head turns, strengthen neural connections related to stability and spatial orientation.
- Tactile and Sensory Stimulation– Using tools like textured surfaces, vibration, or light touch can refine the brain’s sensory map of the body. A clearer map leads to more efficient and accurate motor patterns.
The Science of Repetition and Reward
Creating lasting change in the brain requires repeated exposure to new experiences. This process, guided by Hebb’s Law, explains why neurons that fire together wire together. When you engage in purposeful repetition, the brain strengthens the pathways associated with the desired behavior.
Reward is equally crucial. Every time the brain associates a new pattern with positive feedback— whether through reduced pain, improved movement, or a sense of achievement—it reinforces the likelihood of choosing that pathway again. Over time, these positive experiences reshape the brain’s default responses.
Transforming Challenges Into Opportunities
Change is never a straight path. It’s a journey filled with detours, setbacks, and breakthroughs. However, the beauty of neuroplasticity is that the brain is always capable of growth, regardless of age or past experiences.
The Steps to Transformation
- Awareness– The first step is recognizing the old patterns holding you back, whether they’re rooted in physical pain, poor movement habits, or emotional tension.
- Engagement– Therapies like myofascial release and sensory retraining serve as your guides, helping your brain explore healthier alternatives.
- Consistency– Just as it takes time to build muscle, it takes time to reshape the brain. Small, consistent efforts yield powerful, lasting change.
- Support– Surround yourself with practitioners and tools that empower your journey. Change is a collaborative effort between your brain, body, and environment.
The Future of Neuroplasticity and Your Potential
The promise of neuroplasticity is that your brain can always adapt and improve. Whether you’re recovering from chronic pain, breaking free from old habits, or striving to perform at your best, targeted therapies that address both the brain and body are the key to sustainable growth.
Every new movement, sensation, or thought is an opportunity to reshape your brain’s forest. By pairing therapies like myofascial release and sensory retraining with patience and persistence, you can overcome limitations and embrace a life of possibility.
Transformation is always within reach—if you are willing to nurture the process. With the right tools and mindset, you can unlock the incredible power of your brain and body to create the change you seek.
Is there anything in your life that you would like to change but that you might need help with? Would you like to improve your memory, be able to walk better or have better balance to play with your grandchildren? Our team at Georgia Chiropractic Neurology Center is here to help, reach out today to schedule your complimentary consultation!
References
- Duffield, T. C., & Coppieters, M. W. (2017). Myofascial pain: The role of fascia and its implications in chronic musculoskeletal pain. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 21(1), 102–109.
- Kleim, J. A., & Jones, T. A. (2008). Principles of experience-dependent neural plasticity: Implications for rehabilitation after brain damage. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 51(1), S225-S239.
- Schabrun, S. M., & Hodges, P. W. (2012). Muscle pain and the brain: The role of nociceptive input in driving neuroplasticity in motor output. Clinical Journal of Pain, 28(4), 364–370.
- Pascual-Leone, A., Amedi, A., Fregni, F., & Merabet, L. B. (2005). The plastic human brain cortex. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 28, 377–401.