The human body is complex, but when it comes to the nervous system, the complexity deepens to a level that many find bewildering. Conditions like Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), and fibromyalgia are all classified as nervous system disorders. Yet, for those who live with these conditions, the symptoms often feel more like a straightforward physical illness triggered by something concrete—be it a virus, injury, overexertion, or a traumatic event like a car accident. The question is: were these events the actual cause, or just the final straw in an already overburdened system? And how do brain training exercises help, especially when these disorders don't seem to be mental health problems?
The Body-Mind Connection: Hard to Grasp, But Real
For many, the idea that a condition could have roots in both the brain and body is tough to understand. After all, if the pain or fatigue feels physical, shouldn’t the cause be entirely physical too? This misunderstanding is often due to a lack of awareness about how closely the nervous system ties the brain and body together.
The nervous system doesn’t just control our thoughts or emotions—it governs everything. When you’re running, thinking, or even just sitting quietly, your nervous system is always working. It manages responses to stress, regulates healing, and even determines how you feel pain or fatigue. In a healthy system, it does this without a hitch. But when things go awry, the system can misfire, amplifying pain, distorting signals, and causing debilitating fatigue even when the body has “healed” from its original injury or illness.
This is where conditions like ME/CFS and fibromyalgia get complicated. A viral infection, for example, could set off a domino effect that alters how the brain and nervous system process signals long after the virus is gone. Similarly, a car accident could physically heal while leaving a cascade of nervous system dysfunction behind.
The Triggers vs. The Root Cause
Many people see these triggers—viruses, injuries, overexertion—as the direct causes of their illness. It feels logical: you get a virus, you get sick. But with nervous system disorders, the story is more nuanced. The virus or injury might have been the tipping point, but beneath the surface, the nervous system was already struggling to cope with a build-up of stress, trauma, or overload.
It’s like the proverbial “straw that broke the camel’s back.” The nervous system can carry a heavy load, but at some point, it hits a breaking point. The triggers aren’t the entire story, but they reveal an underlying dysfunction in the nervous system that has been brewing for some time.
Why Brain Training Helps in Seemingly Physical Illnesses
When someone suggests brain training exercises as part of treatment for these conditions, many patients feel misunderstood. “This isn’t in my head!” is a common response. And they’re right—these are real, physically painful conditions. But here’s the catch: even though the symptoms feel physical, they’re mediated by the nervous system, which is controlled by the brain.
Brain training exercises, like neuroplasticity techniques, aim to retrain how the brain processes signals from the body. When the nervous system is stuck in a cycle of dysfunction, the brain continues to misinterpret harmless signals as pain or fatigue. Brain training helps by calming the overactive areas and strengthening the pathways that tell the body it’s safe. It’s not about “thinking away” your symptoms—it’s about gradually rewiring the brain’s response to them.
Scientific research into neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to change and adapt—supports this approach. Studies have shown that patients with chronic pain, fatigue, or FND can experience symptom relief by practicing brain training, mindfulness, or graded motor imagery. Over time, these exercises help shift the nervous system from a hyper-alert state (which amplifies symptoms) to a more balanced state (where symptoms reduce).
Bridging the Gap: Understanding the Nervous System
For those who struggle with these disorders, it’s not surprising that there’s a disconnect between how the illness feels and how it’s explained. But understanding that the brain and body are deeply interconnected can be a game-changer. When the nervous system is involved, physical symptoms can arise from nervous system dysfunction, even if the original trigger was physical.
The mind-body connection isn’t about blaming your thoughts or emotions for physical symptoms. It’s about recognizing that the brain and body are in constant communication. When that communication gets disrupted—due to stress, trauma, illness, or injury—both brain and body suffer. Brain training exercises help to rebuild that communication and restore balance, which is why they’re a valuable tool in treating nervous system disorders.
The challenge is getting people to understand this complexity. When you’re in pain, it’s natural to want a straightforward answer—“this is caused by X.” But with nervous system disorders, the truth is more layered. The illness isn’t “just in your head,” but your brain and nervous system do play a significant role in how the symptoms persist and worsen. Bridging this understanding is crucial for finding the path to healing.
Conclusion: A New Way to Heal
Comprehending nervous system disorders like FND, ME/CFS, and fibromyalgia is difficult because they straddle the line between mind and body. The triggers might be physical, but the lasting effects are often tied to a nervous system out of sync. Brain training exercises aren’t a dismissal of the physical reality of these conditions but rather a way to recalibrate the brain’s response to ongoing symptoms. By embracing the complexity of the mind-body connection, we open up new pathways for healing—even when the cause seems hard to pin down.
References:
Barnden, L. R., Crouch, B., Kwiatek, R., Burnet, R., Del Fante, P., & Scroop, G. (2015). Evidence of Brain Involvement in ME/CFS: Alterations in Brain Glucose Metabolism. Brain Imaging and Behavior.
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