Polyvagal and Chiropractic

The polyvagal theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges in 1995, proposes that the way we handle stress and our conditioned responses to it significantly impact our health. Additionally, it suggests that the vagus nerve has evolved in a way that has enabled us to become social creatures. This evolution explains how stress affects our interactions with others, especially when we feel overwhelmed.

The polyvagal theory is based on three organizing principles:

1. Co-regulation: This is how we learn to manage our emotions and responses to stress early in life. Our early "co-regulators" are the people we turn to for comfort, safety, and security when life becomes overwhelming. This need for safety and security continues into adulthood, as we still seek a safe place to land when the world feels too much. Through co-regulation, we not only learn how to manage our own emotions and stresses but also how to become co-regulators for others.
2. Neuroception: This refers to the continuous and unconscious scanning our brain does of our environment to determine if we are "safe or not." Our brain assesses our level of safety based on our beliefs, opinions, experiences, biases, and more. When our brain perceives a threat to our safety, it triggers the nervous system to alter how the body functions in an effort to keep us safe.
3. Autonomic Hierarchy: This principle deals with how our autonomic nervous system (ANS) responds to stress, whether real or imagined. The ANS runs all the systems of our body without our conscious awareness. Ideally, the ANS should be in a state of ease, allowing the nervous system to coordinate and control all body systems in perfect balance. In this state, our body can regenerate and heal. When our brain perceives a threat, the nervous system dysregulates to prioritize survival. While this response is initially protective, chronic stress can lead to prolonged dysregulation, causing us to lose our health.

Understanding these principles helps explain why chronic stress can have such a profound impact on our well-being and highlights the importance of managing stress for overall health.