The Autonomic Nervous System: Your Body's Hidden Control System
Part 4A: The Autonomic Nervous System: Your Body's Hidden Control System · Korean Therapeutic Bodywork Korean Therapeutic Bodywork · A Modern Neuroscience Perspective 34-Part Series Series Home › Section 4: The Autonomic Nervous System › Part 4A Part 4A · Section 4: The Autonomic Nervous System The Autonomic Nervous System: Your Body's Hidden Control System The autonomic nervous system operates continuously below conscious awareness — regulating heart rate, digestion, immune function, and pain sensitivity. Manual therapy speaks directly to this system. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) has two branches: the sympathetic system (fight-or-flight) and the parasympathetic system (rest-and-digest). Health requires fluid movement between these states. In chronic pain, the balance is almost invariably tipped toward sympathetic dominance — a persistent, measurable threat state. Sympathetic Dominance a...