Did you know insomnia can be linked to surgery?

education health pain results Aug 30, 2017

Your brain remembers surgery.

Your brain considers it a life threatening experience!

And, if that threat is not dismantled overtime, you could experience some negative ramifications post-surgery.

There are many variables and possibilities here.

I want to point out a few important ones.

First, after a serious surgery or many serious surgeries, it is not uncommon to developed insomnia.

It can be awful.

It can be chronic.

And, when I say chronic I mean like 15-20 years chronic!

Here's the simple explanation:

When a person has a serious surgery they go to sleep. When they wake up post-operation their nervous system is going haywire. The brain can associate danger with the idea of sleep now because the last time it happened the body was cut open. So what's the most logical decision to be made by the governing system? Don't sleep anymore! Because last time it was life threatening!

So, in this case people become highly sympathetic and over-adrenalized.

It can become chronic.

Then comes a breathing dysfunction that can lead to many other issues (I write about them a lot).

Another important concept - position.

Have you ever had a client that keeps getting hurt when they exercise on the floor!?

How could this be?

The floor is where we create safety, right?

Well for the person who has had multiple surgeries and is highly sympathetic now, the floor is a nightmare!

And, the brain perceives threat because surgery happened lying down.

So, get these folks out of the supine position right away and start reducing threat in seated and standing positions!

Remember, the brain forms neural signatures around injury and trauma.

And they can be recalled when threat is high.

It's a survival tactic!

Be thinking about this for that super challenging client.

 

About the Author:

Taylor Kruse, recently featured in Men's Health, is dedicated to empowering you with the truth and tools for improved health and performance.

His inspiration stems from more than 10 years of education and coaching through systems like Zhealth Performance, The Burdenko Method, and various movement practices.

INTERESTED IN GAINING STRENGTH AND MOBILITY?

Explore our free resources

Learn more about muscle weakness, tight body parts and pain so you can eliminate obstacles and build strength, mobility and longevity for anything you want to do!

JOIN OUR FREE DOJO COMMUNITY NOW
Close

GETTING STARTED WITH BRAIN-BASED TRAINING:

Practice FIVE Neuro-Performance Drills

Learn why respiration, vision, vestibular, and complex movement integrations are essential tools for every coach!