Method to Rebalance Autonomic Nervous System in 14 days?

Remy

Administrator
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[/fright]OK, so in my never-ending quest to improve my autonomic nervous system balance and balance the sympathetic and parasympathetic arms, I came across this guy, Dr Stephen Stiteler. He's a naturopath and acupuncturist in LA.

He says that if you lay on a chair tipped onto its back with your thighs at a 90 degree angle to the floor for 30 minutes every day for 14 days, you will reset your nervous system back into a balanced state.

Apparently this works because it helps just enough blood pool back into your gut and brain without overwhelming the system like the chairs that put you fully inverted.

It reminds me a little bit of the yoga pose where you put your legs up on a wall. I know of some OI patients that use this technique to help mitigate symptoms. It's a bit different though because the chair does give you a slight decline so the head is lower than the rest of the body and the feet almost start to feel weightless.

I'm on day 3. So far I can say that when I take my HRV measurements pre and post session, they are always improved in the post session, but nothing dramatic yet. I'll keep you posted!

Here's my setup:
 
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Empty

Well-Known Member
Did it on my memory foam mattress with legs on wall thighs 90 degree to back head half off bed so lower

Could only manage 5 minutes before reaching unbearable. but just recovering from a crash these last few weeks. Maybe the chair way is important?
 

bobby

Well-Known Member
It reminds me a little bit of the yoga pose where you put your legs up on a wall.
is it that pose that relaxes your lower back? what is that muscle called that you can only relax in that position? the psoas muscle? It's connected to the sympathetic nervous system (fight/flight). So is it similar to Gupta retrainging and those programs, @Remy ?
 
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Empty

Well-Known Member
Ok tried the proper method. Much better. Put duvet on the chair though. Back only reaches to just above waist.

Does bring relief, pulsations and calm in lower body.Did for 15 minutes. Will try again tomorrow if I remember!
 

Remy

Administrator
How sad that I don't have a chair, except folding. Don't think that would work.
I was looking at a video for the yoga Legs up a Wall. It looks like that would probably have a similar effect if you use the bolsters (or pillows) that get your butt up higher than your head...
 

Remy

Administrator
is it that pose that relaxes your lower back? what is that muscle called that you can only relax in that position? the psoas muscle? It's connected to the sympathetic nervous system (fight/flight). So is it similar to Gupta retrainging and those programs, @Remy ?
I don't know! I don't feel like it relaxes my lower back. If anything, my lower back (which is a little twingey anyway) has been a little tighter in the past few days.

I don't think it's similar to Gupta retraining though I only have limited familiarity with those programs.

I'm not much help! Sorry!
 

bobby

Well-Known Member
I don't think it's similar to Gupta retraining though I only have limited familiarity with those programs.
the reason why I asked is that the psoas muscle is linked to the instinctive fear response. all those retraining programs (like gupta) also focus on switching off the fight/flight and related response mechanisms, based on the hypothesis that our entire illness is caused by an overly active stress response. (I am personally not a fan of these theories, but am always interested to hear the theories behind it.)

but of course it could also be something completely different! :)
 

Who Me?

Well-Known Member
@bobby. Do you remember hugocfs on PR? He was seeing Rey and doing a lot with her but then he started doing Gupta's stuff.

Last I heard he was back at work, possibly full time. Was it that or was it just a coincidence? I know he had not been sick very long, as in decades.
 

bobby

Well-Known Member
@Who Me? I don't know who that is. but you never really know what happens: are they still better; were they better for a while, then relapsed but never returned to tell us; ... So many possible scenarios. I'm always glad to hear when someone feels better. But that doesn't mean that it's the cure for everyone. (like rat poo - only works for a few of us LOL)
 

Remy

Administrator
Here you go, @Who Me? ...with a folding chair and a bolster. I just think you'd have to scoot your butt closer to the chair to get your thighs more at 90 degrees.

[bimg=no-lightbox]https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRl_jSNz7F3r8D-Bj5c699fG9qFC-Jyn8Dsjv6DdrmmCY2eJV_L[/bimg]
 

Empty

Well-Known Member
Here you go, @Who Me? ...with a folding chair and a bolster. I just think you'd have to scoot your butt closer to the chair to get your thighs more at 90 degrees.

[bimg=no-lightbox]https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRl_jSNz7F3r8D-Bj5c699fG9qFC-Jyn8Dsjv6DdrmmCY2eJV_L[/bimg]

I can do this using the bed as the chair. Back on floor....saves messing about with chair.
 

Who Me?

Well-Known Member
Here you go, @Who Me? ...with a folding chair and a bolster. I just think you'd have to scoot your butt closer to the chair to get your thighs more at 90 degrees.

[bimg=no-lightbox]https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRl_jSNz7F3r8D-Bj5c699fG9qFC-Jyn8Dsjv6DdrmmCY2eJV_L[/bimg]

Thanks @Remy I think there's lots of ways to achieve this position. I just have to figure out how to make the floor comfortable (and clean. Or cleaner).
 

Who Me?

Well-Known Member
@Who Me? I don't know who that is. but you never really know what happens: are they still better; were they better for a while, then relapsed but never returned to tell us; ... So many possible scenarios. I'm always glad to hear when someone feels better. But that doesn't mean that it's the cure for everyone. (like rat poo - only works for a few of us LOL)

Last time he posted he was working. He told me once he got better he was leaving the forums. So who knows.

Oh I never said it was a cure. In fact I think it's crap and wonder if everything else he was doing finally kicked in. Maybe the mediation part relaxed him. Who knows.

I know at his worst he was never as sick as us.
 

Remy

Administrator
based on the hypothesis that our entire illness is caused by an overly active stress response.
I guess where I differ is that I see the overly active stress response as a symptom of the disease, not the cause.

I think it makes sense to address all the symptoms, from headaches and dizziness to my overactive startle response but I'm not expecting laying in this chair to cure me or anything. Although I'd take it if it did! :)
 

Cort

Founder of Health Rising and Phoenix Rising
Staff member
OK, so in my never-ending quest to improve my autonomic nervous system balance and balance the sympathetic and parasympathetic arms, I came across this guy, Dr Stephen Stiteler. He's a naturopath and acupuncturist in LA.

He says that if you lay on a chair tipped onto its back with your thighs at a 90 degree angle to the floor for 30 minutes every day for 14 days, you will reset your nervous system back into a balanced state.

Apparently this works because it helps just enough blood pool back into your gut and brain without overwhelming the system like the chairs that put you fully inverted.

It reminds me a little bit of the yoga pose where you put your legs up on a wall. I know of some OI patients that use this technique to help mitigate symptoms. It's a bit different though because the chair does give you a slight decline so the head is lower than the rest of the body and the feet almost start to feel weightless.

I'm on day 3. So far I can say that when I take my HRV measurements pre and post session, they are always improved in the post session, but nothing dramatic yet. I'll keep you posted!

Here's my setup:

View attachment 1501
Honestly, I love stuff like this. It seems like the ANS can be manipulated by quite a few practices including meditation. I guess the question is how well it does with a system that's really out of whack..
 

madie

Well-Known Member
This is so easy to try! Fun fun fun.

Yesterday I did this lying on the floor with my legs up on the couch, reading a book. Today I did it lying on the couch with my legs bent at the correct angle, feet against the (slightly sloped) couch arm, while using a meditation CD. My bent legs leaned against a throw pillow at the back of the couch. Very comfortable!

The only picture I found of the doctor and a chair show him lying on the floor with his legs up on one of those doctor-type 4 wheeled rolling seats with no back. So I'm guessing that having the head lower than the body isn't crucial.
 

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