You probably have heard of the sixth sense. They made a movie about it, with Bruce Willis. You might be wondering what this has to do with chronic pain treatment. As an introduction to helping you reduce the severity of your chronic pain, we need to first talk about your senses! And to do that we need to talk about your NERVOUS SYSTEM!
Have you ever felt your sixth sense?
You might be surprised to discover that you actually have six senses. IN FACT, you have NINE SENSES!!!
Lets look at the first six.
Taste
Touch
Smell
Sight
Sound
Balance.
It also provides you with three other senses which you possibly didn’t know existed!
Perceiving internal sensations like hunger (interoception)
Sensing position, movement, and acceleration of body parts (proprioception)
Sensing actual or potential tissue damage (nociception)
All of these senses are made possible by the nervous system, which is a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that helps to regulate and coordinate the body's functions. The nervous system consists of the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS).
The CNS is made up of the brain and the spinal cord, and it is responsible for processing and interpreting sensory information, as well as controlling voluntary and involuntary movements. The PNS, on the other hand, consists of all the nerves that lie outside of the CNS and connect the body to the CNS. It is responsible for transmitting sensory information to the CNS and transmitting signals from the CNS to the rest of the body.
Together, the CNS and PNS work to ensure that the body is able to respond appropriately to its environment. They allow us to perceive and interpret the world around us through our senses, as well as to move and communicate with others.
In addition to helping us interact with the world, the nervous system also plays a crucial role in our overall health and well-being. It helps to regulate our body's functions, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion, and it helps to protect us from harm by triggering the body's fight-or-flight response when we are in danger.
Understanding the role of the nervous system and the senses is important for anyone seeking to manage chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions. By understanding how the body perceives and responds to stimuli, we can better understand the causes of mental health conditions and develop effective strategies for managing them. In future posts, we will delve deeper into the relationship between the nervous system, the senses, and mental health, and explore some of the treatment options that are available for managing different conditions.