5 Reasons Why Bodyworkers are Shifting to Nervous System Work

As physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors, massage therapists and acupuncturists, our work has traditionally centred on the body.

A large part of this clinical work focuses on physical recovery—helping patients regain strength, mobility, and independence after injury. 

A growing number of us are looking deeper, turning our attention to the nervous system as the key to holistic, long-lasting change after physical and emotional adversity. 

This shift isn’t just about changing techniques; it’s about embracing the complex science of how the body and brain work together, adapting, healing, and ultimately transforming.

Here are five key reasons why more health professionals, including myself, are embracing nervous system work in our practice.

1. Neuroplasticity: The Science of Healing

Neuroplasticity is the backbone of modern healing science.  

Traditionally, neuroplasticity takes place when aiding patients in their recovery from physical trauma like a stroke or head injury. Our aim is to help their brain and nervous system form new connections between neurons, ultimately allowing them to regain function.

We rely on neuroplasticity to guide our patients towards physical autonomy. The same principles can be applied beyond the immediate needs of physical healing; neuroplasticity also serves as a foundation for nervous system regulation, enabling lasting changes in both brain function and overall well-being. This science-based approach is incredibly empowering for your clients: to know their capacity for change can lead to profound transformation, especially if they’ve been stuck in periods of anxiety, freeze, shutdown or dissociation. 

2. Shifting the Implicit Memory System

Another area my work as a physiotherapist so beautifully dove tailed with nervous system work, is changing the implicit memory system. Implicit memories - especially procedural memories, are responsible for automatic movement patterns that often develop outside of our conscious awareness. For instance, following shoulder surgery, a patient might unknowingly elevate their shoulder girdle when reaching—an adaptive but problematic pattern that requires retraining. By addressing these ingrained postural habits, we can bring these patterns into conscious awareness, allowing patients to actively reshape their movements.

This same principle applies to nervous system responses, such as when the body instinctively braces when they move into fight-or-flight. It could also be the way someone collapses through their spine or drops their head when they face a conflict. Through the Nervous System Certification Course, practitioners are learning how to help clients recognise these bodily responses and change these automatic responses. By upgrading movement and response patterns, we create new foundations for resilience, helping clients break free from restrictive habits that may not be serving them.

3. Retraining the Interoception System for Chronic Pain

For those with chronic pain, the interoception system—our ability to sense our bodily signal—can become dysregulated. In practice, we’re training our clients to tune into their bodily signals and sensations, a skill that’s often overlooked in conventional rehabilitation.

Retraining interoception involves a balance of top-down (cognitive) and bottom-up (sensory) communication. Emerging research shows that affective touch, a specific type of touch therapy, can play a critical role in this process. It increases vagal activity, helps with emotional processing and leads to a decrease in pain levels.

This approach is an essential part of our Nervous System Certification Course, helping clients better understand and respond to their bodies, building resilience in ways traditional methods may miss. I’ve been so excited to share this with my students after years of following research on the discoveries relating to the presence of interoceptive skin receptors. 

With every small adjustment, patients reclaim control over their bodies, feeling empowered by their newfound awareness. And the best part is we can teach our clients to do this themselves if touch isn’t in our scope of practice, a big part of what I teach in the Certification. 

4. The Power of Story: Rewriting the Helpless Narrative

In many cases, people come to us feeling trapped in a narrative of helplessness and hopelessness. As they come to understand the science behind nervous system plasticity, they realise that their symptoms and experiences are not fixed but changeable. The tools we use—touch, interoception, language, and education—all influence their ability to rewire these patterns.

This is where the art of nervous system work shines. By guiding clients to see their potential for change, we help reframe their story from one of defeat to one of possibility. This shift in mindset can be just as transformative as the physical changes they experience, giving them the courage to engage with their healing journey actively.

5. Transformation of Self: Embracing Impermanence

In many spiritual traditions, there’s a concept of impermanence—the idea that nothing stays the same, including us. This resonates deeply in nervous system work, where changing patterns within our nervous system can lead to a shift in our sense of self and our worldview.

Through nervous system regulation, clients often discover a new sense of who they are, their relationship with others, and their place in the world. This change isn’t simply about physical healing; it’s about creating a more grounded, resilient, and compassionate sense of self that positively impacts every aspect of life. 

The nervous system becomes the doorway to a holistic transformation, touching not only the body but also the mind and spirit.

Conclusion:

As more bodyworkers recognise the power of nervous system work, we’re seeing a revolution in how we approach care. By integrating neuroplasticity, implicit memory work, interoception training, and a compassionate reframing of the self, we’re able to offer a fuller, richer path to wellness for our clients. This is the essence of delivering nervous system-informed care

If you’re curious to learn more about the science and techniques behind these principles, explore my Nervous System Certification Course to see how you, too, can make this shift in your practice. It combines over two decades of my study, research and clinical experience. 

References

Olausson H, Lamarre Y, Backlund H, Morin C, Wallin BG, Starck G, Ekholm S, Strigo I, Worsley K, Vallbo AB, Bushnell MC. Unmyelinated tactile afferents signal touch and project to insular cortex. Nat Neurosci 2002;5(9):900–4. Sep. [46] Olausson H, Cole J, Vallbo A, McGlone F, Elam M, Krämer HH, Rylander K, Wessberg J, Bushnell MC. Unmyelinated tactile afferents have opposite effects on insular and somatosensory cortical processing. Neurosci Lett 2008;436(2):128–32. May