Body-Based Interventions for Calming the Nervous System
One thing providers working with mental health may not consider is how our body’s set the score. This means our unconscious mind and body respond in a way that can actually block our ability to use tools and react without thinking. Individuals with neurodivergent brains and tendencies tend to have this happen a lot even though there is no trauma in their histories. The body seems to be restless either outwardly like we see and/or hidden in the mind with constant, rapid, overthinking or all the above. I have found interventions and treatments that help calm down and “check” the nervous system seems to help. Here are tools for those that want treatments and tools for those that want to add things simply to their daily routines to help.
Note: Trying anything with touch for the first time when an individual or child is severly upset is not a good idea. It will more often than not make things worse. You must do the tools when a person is not escalated and by makng them a part of the routine so their bodies will begin to connect touch with positive feelings. One example is rubbing your child’s shoulders when reading their bedtime story to them. Pairing it with something helps introduce it helps make it less new and makes it easier for you to keep doing.
Treatments:
Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration (MNRI)
It was created by Dr. Svetlana Musgatova, who felt that the preferred cognitive approach was insufficient when working with children, especially those with a history of trauma. When you search it you will find a ton of information. The key is that it was developed for children who had been through trauma because their bodies were too restless and quick to get into stuck survival mode. Even though my daughter had not been in trauma her body reacted like it was. So, the treatment worked great. It was a night and day change with one treatment. I have seen amazing results with others.
A listening therapy designed to enhance your client’s ability to think, feel, and connect more effectively by regulating the nervous system.
The SSP goes beyond just music — it’s a holistic healing approach. This specialized therapy fosters a collaborative journey between the client, therapist, and the SSP, creating a secure environment for brain-body integration and healing, leading to meaningful and lasting outcomes.
Many clients who undergo the SSP report a reduction in anxiety, depression, and trauma-related symptoms. Additionally, caregivers of children who experience the SSP often observe fewer psychosocial challenges.
This one can be nice as you do a sessoin in person and the others can be on telehealth with the euqipment at home.
It is a therapeutic technique primarily used for individuals with sensory processing disorders (SPD), including those with autism, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental conditions. It involves the use of a soft brush to apply deep pressure to the skin in a specific pattern and rhythm, typically on the arms, legs, and back. The technique is designed to help regulate sensory input, reduce tactile defensiveness, and improve the body's awareness of its position in space (proprioception). Normally, when I refer clients to occupational therapy this is the first thing they have you do. I would recommend you have someone show you how to do it and even consider having an occupational therapists evaluation done to make sure that your doing it the best way for your child. It is normally okay as it provides sensory input with the brushing and then the joint comprensions help get out any extra you have to balance out. Here is the brushes I purchase as I have been coached that they provide good input.
Professionals and At Home Tools
Massage: Many people forget how beneficial simple massage is. It can begin to desensitize touch in a good way. Also it can be good to do an assessment with a massage therapist that is well trained. Massage has helped kiddos that actually had unknown pain because they don’t know how to tell us when they feel pain. It allowed them to finally rest.
Chiropractic can do the same thing with pain and realizing the central nervous system.
Acupuncture Ding, Li, Song, Huang, Zhang (2020) showed how acpuncutre could relieve symptoms realted to PTSD especially in the way the body responded to triggers and was restless. There are other articles that showed the same thing. When looking for acupuncture, consider if it is done by someone using the eastern methods (by feel) or western (by a chart). Your muscles can move and change out of their normal or previous spots … remember how much things moved when women have kids.
Meditation does so many things. One big thing it helps with for a restless body is slowing down the body and mind. You can even walk while listening to a meditation if you need the movement to focus. The movements I listed have research showing their specific benefits over others. Feel free to reach out if you want the research and reasonings behind my selecting them.
Breathing can be in so many forms. Some say you need to exhale longer than you inhale. Some focus on holding your breathe. It is important to try different kinds, pause and notice how your body changes to see what you like the best for different situations. Box breathing is when you inhale for four seconds, hold for 4, exhale for four, hold for four and repeat. Another is to inhale for four seconds, hold for four seconds, exhale all the air out of your lungs and hold it until you can’t anymore. Lastly, rhythm breathing involves breathing in a rhythm like inhale for three seconds then exhale for three seconds and repeat.
Moving and Exercise are a great method especially with walking or corss body moevemnts as it integrates the system calming it down. It can also release the brain chemicals for a better feeling balancing them out also. It could even be a brisk 10 minute walk down the hall.
Singing and Dancing are listed separate due to their additional help with getting back into the spirit. Dancing can create fun and loosen the muscles. Singing does so many benefits with the simple drop of the jaw (releasing the vagus nerve for calming) to the sound from the vocal chords loosening the jaw and the throat, and finally hearing the tone for further calmness and regulating auditorially. Song can also link us with good feeling memories.
Lastly, the easiest way to start is to pick one to put with somehting else in the routine. Like listening to music and dnacing while cooking or massaging the body when bathing. Reach out if you have any questions espeically with the treatments listed above.
