Nervous System Diseases

As a complementary therapy, the Nervous System is arguably the most interesting of all the bodily systems because it is the fundamental communications network between the brain and the body. Historically we believed that neurology was purely an electrical system, but we now understand that the gaps between messages and synapses actually involve a chemical system, too. These chemicals, or hormones in our body, are the fundamental link between our emotional body and physical disease. Much of the neurological physiological breaks down when the chemicals begin to send different messages or become short-circuited because some kind of “anomaly” which prevents messages from getting through.

This area is truly the interface for healing the Mind Body Spirit. Scientists now believe that the mind, rather than simply the brain (which is more like a hard drive for storing information), is governed by the hormones that actually run all through the body. This then is more correctly termed the body-mind. Oftentimes, we can see psychological triggers to these neurological diseases such as stress. As an aromatherapist, keep in the back of your mind when you are performing a consultation that people with these sorts of complaints may have a “telltale story” of how something really got on their nerves! Language is a great tutor in understanding a person’s psychological/ medical links.

As mentioned earlier, chemistry is closely linked to the hormones in our body. Dopamine that is secreted from one part of the brain can bring on feelings of happiness, while another chemical triggered by a visual, auditory, or another sensory stimulus can cause fear. This occurs when a signal sent to the amygdala stimulates the hypothalamus to produce a corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). According to the Scientist website (http://www.the-scientist.com/), “The release of CRH triggers the pituitary gland’s discharge of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which in turn stimulates the adrenal gland to secrete cortisol. Cortisol in the bloodstream causes an increase in glucose production, providing the necessary fuel for the brain and muscles to deal with stress.” An imbalance or too much of one can be very detrimental and cause many neurological disorders, just as serotonin, our mood modulator has an essential link. This newly found science psychoneuroendocrinology is still in its infancy but promises novel breakthroughs in both orthodox medicines as well as aromatherapy. Eventually, it is likely it will bring the two disciplines into very close alignment.

Multiple Sclerosis

MS is a disease of the nervous system that can affect your brain and your spinal cord. The term sclerosis translates to “hardenings” which describes the damage that can occur in the tissues that insulate the nerve fibers. This surrounding tissue known as the myelin sheath is what protects the nerve cells. As the name suggests, there can be many of these hardenings or “plaques” which, over time negatively impact the entirety of the central nervous system.

MS is a degenerative disease and can affect sufferers in a variety of ways and intensities. According to the US National Library of Medicine website Medline Plus (https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/multiplesclerosis.html), “this may be an autoimmune disease, which happens when your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake.” Multiple sclerosis affects mostly women and often begins between the ages of 20-40.

As the insulation around the nerve fibers is interrupted it becomes harder for the nerve impulses to pass through – we can expect to see a short circuitry that inevitably impairs health. Depending on where the plaques occur most, patients might develop symptoms ranging from basic sensory disturbances such as numbness to blindness or even temporary and longer-term paralysis. Other symptoms that develop leading up to MS include:

• Muscle weakness
• The trouble with coordination and balance
• Sensations like pins and needles
• Trouble focusing or remembering things

Active neurons brain connections of the nervous system.

Cerebrovascular accident (CVA)

Simply put, a Cerebrovascular accident is a stroke that occurs when the blood flow stops to a part of the brain. In a CVA, a blood vessel bursts to cause internal bleeding in the  brain, which is sometimes referred to as a “brain attack.” This bleed might originate in the brain, but it can just as likely travel there as a clot through the circulatory system. Perhaps a thrombus – or clot – might begin in the leg, as thrombosis for example. As the clot travels along the arteries, it eventually becomes wedged and prevents new blood cells from carrying oxygen and nutrients from making their way to the brain. It is this depletion of oxygen that can be so catastrophic causing brain cells to die. Again, the resulting symptoms will be determined by the affected area of the brain. These may be paralysis, loss of speech or vision, for example. The two major types of stroke include Ischemic stroke and Hemorrhagic stroke.

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)

Covered in more depth in the circulatory section, Ischemia means “not enough blood” is traveling to the brain. Even these short lapses in oxygen supply can manifest as weaknesses in the arms or a partial loss of vision. The National Library of Medicine – Medline Plus (https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000726.htm) describes two ways this may happen:

• A clot that forms in an artery that is already very narrow. This is called a thrombotic stroke.
• A clot that breaks off from another place in the blood vessels of the brain, or from some other part of the body, and travel up to the brain. This is called cerebral embolism, or an embolic stroke.

A sticky substance called “plaque” that builds up in the lining of arteries causing blockage may also cause Ischemic strokes.

TIA’s are important danger signs, and will usually last around 1-2 hours but problematically symptoms can prevail for longer than a day. Statistics show that a sufferer of a TIA has a very high likelihood of suffering a stroke during the three months following an attack.

Aphasia

Most often you will see the term aphasia in connection with someone who has suffered a stroke. This pertains to their loss of speech. How this manifests again will depend on injury location. The left side of the brain is called the “Broca’s Area” which is the expressive center of language processing. An injury in this area will affect how expressive a person can be because it controls how thoughts are integrated, which then affects motor movements of the mouth, larynx, and tongue. Expect to see problems remembering the right words for things, speaking very slowly or in severe cases a complete loss of speech.

In the deeper recesses of the brain is the Wernicke’s Area. Wernickes or Receptive Aphasia is concerned with how language is received. Here a person might speak perfectly normally but have no understanding of what they are saying.

Epilepsy

Not to be confused with seizures, epilepsy is a term that does actually come from the Greek word for seizure. (Remember that epilepsy is the condition, whereas a seizure is merely a symptom of the condition).  Symptoms of epilepsy may include seizures, convulsions, or absences, but not all seizures are due to epilepsy. High fevers in children, for instance, might be a trigger for seizures for example, as might migraines and panic attacks.

According to the National Library of Medicine (https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/epilepsy.html#summary), “The seizures happen when clusters of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain send out the wrong signals. People may have strange sensations and emotions or behave strangely. They may have violent muscle spasms or lose consciousness.”

As a medical condition, it may be very hard to diagnose. Usually, EEG and MRI data will create the best diagnosis, especially if they are grouped with clear information from the sufferer about their seizures. These can vary enormously from person to person and just as their attacks might be very different, so will their triggers. As a rule of thumb though, it helps to keep stimulation at a low for these people. Gentle lighting (strobes can be difficult for people with photosensitive epilepsy), loud music, and strong smells can also be detrimental. In particular, we must also avoid essential oils that have neurotoxic properties. The main ones to be concerned with are Rosemary, fennel, sage, hyssop, camphor, and spike lavender.

Stress is a very high-risk factor for people with epilepsy, and while it is not clear why it is a trigger, it is understood that managing stress can greatly improve an epileptic’s prognosis. Helpful anti-convulsive essential oils are rose, vetiver, and Melissa. You might notice these also have the main effects of affecting mood too.

Depression can affect anyone.

Depression

Naturally the brain is quintessentially linked with emotional illnesses like depression. It may be difficult to recognize the difference between someone who is feeling down or being depressed, which can manifest if a sufferer experiences symptoms over a number of weeks.

Depression is a dreadful disease, which is thought to affect around 25% of the population at some point in their lives. According to the National Library of Medicine – Medline Plus (https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/depression.html#summary), symptoms can persist and interfere with everyday living, such as:

• Loneliness or Sadness
• Loss of interest or have no pleasure in the activities once enjoyed
• Weight loss or weight gain
• Insomnia or oversleeping
• Loss of Energy
• Feelings of worthlessness
• Thoughts of suicide or an obsession with death

Interestingly, it results from an imbalance in one’s brain chemistry. Telltale symptoms will likely include sadness as one would imagine, but also outwardly physical symptoms will likely rear their heads. A person’s sleep cycle is often affected. Insomnia may present a problem, just as likely there might also be a problem with oversleeping. Often this can be attributed to a problem with the pineal gland and it inability or manufacture enough of the hormone melatonin. This is also one of the reasons that Seasonal Affective Disorder makes people depressed during winter – since the pineal manufactures melatonin from being in sunlight.

With this disorder more than any other, aromatherapy has a great deal to offer because of its ability to treat on a holistic approach. Where the doctor might address the prevailing symptoms, aromatherapists can take time to understand what might be causing the problem and try to offer guidance in getting to the root cause. Due the person’s feelings of worthlessness due to some life event that has severely knocked them down or is there some kind of familial link we can see? Might the hormonal changes during pregnancy be influencing the sadness of a new mum? Or is it all this new found pressure overwhelming her? To a large extent, the root here is not important, purely the need for someone to step in and offer support and help.

Depression may come from a variety of factors ranging from genetic, environmental, psychological, to biochemical. Most sufferers are likely to begin to show symptoms between the ages of 15-30, but the prevalence is higher in women.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a misunderstood, yet very serious condition. It has many presenting symptoms. Many people may think of it as hearing voices, or hallucinating about pink elephants or other things that are not there. There is often a large element of paranoia involved with the condition and so a person with this condition will often be afraid that someone or something is out to hurt them, or conspiracy theories are often rife.

Delusion is usually a large factor and sadly their disorganized thought processes will take over their lives. This makes it very difficult for a sufferer to make decisions, hold down jobs or even care for their own basic needs. We call this stage of delusion psychosis. Often when a person is psychotic, it will be hard to make sense of what they are saying, or even harder to keep track of their train of thought. They will make logical leaps which will seem impossible and confusing to the outside, but to them will make perfect sense.

Schizophrenia is a very isolating disorder. Often sufferers will be depressed and withdrawn. These strange thought processes that consume them become very alienating (and exhausting) to loved ones around them. According to the National Library of Medicine – Medline Plus (https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/schizophrenia.html#summary), there are three types of symptoms:

• Psychotic symptoms distort a person’s thinking. These include hallucinations (hearing or seeing things that are not there), delusions (beliefs that are not true), trouble organizing thoughts, and strange movements.
• “Negative” symptoms make it difficult to show emotions and to function normally. A person may seem depressed and withdrawn.
• Cognitive symptoms affect the thought process. These include trouble using information, making decisions, and paying attention.

No one is sure what causes schizophrenia. Your genes, environment, and brain chemistry may play a role.

As to why people suffer this illness is still unknown. It is thought that a number of factors include genetics and/or environment. Neurochemistry most certainly plays a role. While it cannot be cured, schizophrenia can be managed well with medication. Orthodox medication for schizophrenia can be difficult, however, because “the voices” will often encourage the sufferer not to take them and care can often be a constant battle to prevent a downhill spiral. If engagement can be achieved, therapy, rehabilitation, and skills training can often transform a sufferer’s life. With aromatherapy, again, people who suffer from psychosis must avoid neurotoxic oils. (See epilepsy).

Mild Cognitive Impairment pertains to difficulty remembering things that people of a similar age might more easily recall. Often MCI will develop into Alzheimer’s overtime.

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)

Dementia is sadly very much a part of our 21st-century aging process. Alzheimer’s is its most common form. It is an insidiously slow process gradually affecting thoughts, memories, and language. Little by little it becomes harder and harder for people to carry out everyday activities until eventually they become locked in their own worlds with only small windows into reality and the present day.

The short term memory is the most badly affected, with longer-term staying more healthily intact. Remembering the names of people they know, and recognizing them as the people they are today becomes challenging as often family members exist as children in their heads. Often they may forget that things have happened to them. Repeatedly discovering loved ones have died can be particularly harrowing for them for instance. Speaking, reading, writing and seemingly simple tasks gradually drift from their grasp. Mundane duties such as brushing their hair or cleaning their teeth can become huge triggers to an emotional meltdown. These are painful for the sufferer, but even more tragic for those loved ones who have to watch the emotional wreckage fall around them.

MRI Scan Of Human Brain

Alzheimer’s is most usually an aged person’s affliction, with most instances beginning after the age of 60. Risk factors rise with age and you are more likely to develop it if there has been a familial link.

Parkinson’s Disease

This neurological disorder characterized by shaking and “statue” moments manifest when the brain cannot manufacture enough of the hormone dopamine. Again, the cause for this disease is little understood, but one school of thought suggests that exposure to chemicals might have a causative effect.

Symptoms freeze the body slowly, first gripping one side of the body then taking hold of the other. Trembling of the hands, limbs and mouth are the most obvious signs but also stiffness of the body, slow movement, and poor co-ordination then start to damage the sufferer’s life.

There is no straightforward testing procedure for Parkinson’s, so diagnosis is dependent on medical examination and neurological tests.

Far more common in men, symptoms usually begin at about the age of 60. While there is still no cure for Parkinson’s disease, there are medicines and surgeries than can help alleviate symptoms. For very severe cases, DBS (Deep Brain Surgery) are implanted to stimulate the parts of the brain which control movement

Sciatica

The largest nerve in the body is the sciatic nerve and is responsible for the movement of your lower leg and knee. Sciatica is an extremely painful condition and can be caused by any kind of injury to the nerve. Most often sciatica is due to pelvic misalignment. When the nerve traps the messages it becomes scrambled down one side of the body, which is perceived as tingling and numbness and sometimes as excruciating pain down one leg. According to the National Library of Medicine – Medline Plus (https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/sciatica.html#summary), “causes of sciatica include:

• A ruptured intervertebral disk
• Narrowing of the spinal canal that puts pressure on the nerve, called spinal stenosis
• An injury such as a pelvic fracture.

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