Neurogenic Tremors
By Christine Ferch
Neurogenic Tremors
Ever find yourself shaking after you have endured something stressful or a traumatic event? This is a normal response provided by our central nervous system (CNS). Ever see an animal while watching Animal Planet run from its pray and when they are safe, they shake themselves. When mammals such as humans and animals shake, our CNS is naturally trying to reduce excess tension through the rapid muscle contraction and relaxation the tremors provide and calms the body down from a heightened adrenal (adrenaline) state.
These tremors are innate and in Western culture may be a weakness or vulnerability, but really, our body is trying to regulate itself back to a physiological balance. Our bodies will have individual experiences with tremors; some people express large tremors across their legs, while others state it is more like a purring sensation.
How do the Tremors work?
The tremors work by shocking the CNS to turn down the autonomic systems arousal of the sympathetic systems which prepare us for hyperarousal for the fight, flight, or freeze. The shake causes a vibration of contraction and relaxation, which release the built-up energy and tension in the muscles and connective tissues throughout the body. When shaking is seen as a weakness, we do what we can to hold it in to maximize safety and survival. However, this tension becomes suppressed and builds to a chronically stressed and tense state.
NT works by releasing the traumatic experience, in the same way, to was created in the body, to invoke tremors from the deepest core muscle of the body and spreading throughout. When people engage in NT’s, they state they felt an emotional release, intense memories of the trauma, while others do not experience anything but still receive the benefits.
NT’s as Trauma Treatment
As you can see, NT’s have been used mainly for addressing trauma and the bonus to using NT’s to treat trauma, is the physiological response, muscle tension, can be released without having to relive, remember or talk about the actual event itself. However, due to some individuals reporting intense emotions resurfacing and feel fear with not being able to control or suppress the process, it is important to be guided during this process with a professional.
NT’s help treats trauma because it addresses how our body shakes in response to a threat and stress hormones released from our fight or flight response. The tremor reduces the overactive HPA axis, which is the bodies stress response system, which regulates our stress response, emotions, energy storage and release.
When we experience trauma, and the tension is not released from our body, we are not able to live a full life. Things can be blocked from our cognitive processes creating maladaptive thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. Animals will shake off their stress and move forward, living back in the moment.
3 Simple Ways to Shake it Off
If you are feeling the tension in your body and want to release it through NT’s try any one of the more basic ways to invoke an NT response
- Swing Hands: Swing your hands and arms in front of you or at your sides as if you were skipping
- Shaking Practice: Simply shake your arms, hands, feet, legs or anywhere which feels tense
- Crawling: Get on all fours and crawl around on the floor
If you are interested in the idea of NT’s as a treatment approach or have any further questions, contact us at admin@ovcs.ca. If you liked this article, take a look at another one here.
