It is very easy to get lost in the complexity of the human body. This pathway impacts on that one, that nutrient has a relationship with this one. It is not uncommon to find a client seeking support due to the simple fact they are confused, not knowing what to do or where to turn, or what resource to believe.
I often find helping them see the bigger picture helps (both them and me!). Introducing the concepts of allostasis, allostatic load, resilience and vulnerability is one way to achieve this.
ALLOSTASIS
“allostasis refers to the process whereby an organism maintains physiological stability by changing parameters of its internal milieu by matching them appropriately to environmental demands”
(Ramsey & Woods, 2014)
So unlike homeostasis, allostasis is a dynamic process, and it is the dynamic nature, the ability to change the parameters of our internal milieu which allows for long term optimal health and performance.
But what happens if we loose this dynamism? Cue allostatic load!
ALLOSTATIC LOAD
“Allostatic load represents the ‘wear and tear’ the body experiences when repeated allostatic responses are activated”
(Juster et al., 2010)
While the above quote is helpful, it doesn’t necessarily paint a clear picture of the potential severity of a high allostatic load, or what I prefer to call allostatic over load. However, Hoermann et al. (2015) in a paper discussing thyroid function stated:
“The persistence of a significant homeostatic deviation for a prolonged period of time, may, in turn, irrevocably alter the position of the set point, which then assumes a “normality” that is now vigorously defended anew”
This same concept has been discussed in post-infectious IBS, and in CFS. The inflammation and oxidative stress caused by the infection may be present, even post-infection. They are essentially feeding off one another, creating a vicious cycle.
Another key consideration within this model of allostasis and allostatic load is our behavioural response to stress.
“the brain controls not only the interpretation of events as threatening or non-threatening, but it also determines the behaviours and habits that can…increase allostatic load over a lifetime.”
(Borsook, 2012)
It is often unfortunately the case that our behaviour in response to persecuting stress increases our allostatic load further - smoking, drinking, eating, or isolating ourselves from others being just some of these behaviours.
But what’s the antidote to all of this then?
RESILIENCE
“resilience is an example of successful allostasis in which wear and tear is minimised, and the brain retains considerable resilience in the face of stress’. A resilient organism with the ability to adapt to challenging environments will be able to minimise physiological damage”
(Cited in Logan, 2008)
The Institute For HeartMath break resilience down in to four components (McCraty & Childre, 2010)
Physical Resilience: Physical flexibility, endurance and strength
Emotional Resilience: Emotional range and flexibility, self-regulation, relationships
Spiritual Resilience: Commitment to core values, flexibility and tolerance of others’ values and beliefs, intuition
Mental Resilience: Attention span, mental flexibility, optimism, incorporating multiple points of view
Which of these do you feel you, or a client, needs to build to help build overall resilience?
It is important to appreciate they are intimately entwined. So even as a nutritional therapist we want to be thinking about how our clients spiritual resilience will influence their physiology. As an osteopath we may be the expert in our clients physical resilience, but how does their mental resilience influence this?
Another great quote on resilience is:
“the capacity to remain flexible in our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours when faced by a life disruption, or extended periods of pressure, so that we emerge from difficulty stronger, wiser, and more able”
(Pemberton, 2015)
I wanted to highlight this quote because it resonates so much. When we speak with our clients, trying to understand how flexible, or rigid, their thinking and beliefs are can be extremely beneficial. Rigid thinking limits our options, limits our strategies and limits our interventions. And may well, therefore, limit our chance of success.
Pemberton goes on to discuss how we need to look out for ‘resilience loss’ in our selves or with our clients. Great examples might be a client who keeps taking the same approach even though it hasn’t worked in the past, (“they’ve lost the ability to flex their thinking”). Or a sociable extrovert who is no longer meeting up with colleagues after work.
VULNERABILTY
“a state of heightened sensitivity to a stressor by mounting inappropriate or ineffective defence mechanisms that also implies a lack of resistance and absent or impaired resilience, often requiring external intervention.”
(Karatsoreos & McEwan, 2011)
So ultimately any intervention aimed at building resilience is required here. Options as always would have to be tailored to the individual but we can use the framework from HeartMath to help us decide. Does our client need to work on nourishing their relationships (emotional resilience)? Do they need to reflect on their core values and align themselves with them (spiritual resilience). And so on.
CONCLUSION
While we always will want to understand the ‘root cause’ of a diagnosis/condition/symptom sometimes it’s just not possible, and for various reasons.
It is even more important in these cases we focus on building resilience in the individual, and have faith in the innate healing properties of the human body.