What is the nervous system? How does it work? And how important is it, both in relation to the musculoskeletal system and the body at large?
The nervous system is divided between the Central Nervous System (CNS), the brain and spinal cord; and the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS), all the nerves that relay information to the body from the CNS, and vice versa.
Each cell has a certain intelligence of its own, but no muscle fiber acts independently of the nerve fiber that innervates it. Nerves “tell” muscles to contract or “relax” (i.e., not contract), organizing movement and/or maintaining posture.
We talk about “muscle memory”. That memory is not encoded in muscles, but in neural pathways of the brain and nervous system. The more frequently a certain movement or sequence of movements is performed, the more likely it is to be reproduced in the future.
Speaking as a massage therapist with a very inquisitive mind, this is probably the hardest aspect of treatment theory to wrap our heads around. I can only imagine what reading this for the first time might sound like, if you have little or no background in this area. You are welcome to bring your questions to me...even if you can’t articulate the specific question you think you are trying to ask!
To complete a description of the heading (Mobilization of the Neuro-Immune System): The nervous system, as with most other systems of the body, cannot exist without the immune system to support, moderate, and defend it.