Why You Can’t Heal: The Nervous System as a Keystone Bodily Function
Have you ever dealt with a chronic health condition such as gut dysbiosis, chronic fatigue, Lyme/mold illness that just won’t resolve despite doing all the “right things” your functional health provider suggested? You’ve tried eating a clean diet, gut cleanses, the best probiotics, eating early and not too much, taking the best anti-gut bug protocols, Lyme treatments, binders, liver support—the list goes on. Despite all these efforts, your health condition remains unresolved.
This has been my story. And I’ve come to realize that both myself and other functional providers may have “the order of operations all wrong.” I propose that Nervous System Regulation or Resilience is a Keystone Bodily Function—in other words, it is a primary system that needs to be improved, balanced, optimized, and harmonized before other key systems such as Hormones, Immune, Digestion, Detox, Energy production can fully come online to help you heal. Without this, all the supplements or functional health wizardry won’t lead to systemic healing.
What Is a Keystone Bodily Function?
In the world of gut health, we talk about certain bacteria, such as Akkermansia, as being “keystone” strains—critical to maintaining a healthy gut balance and microbiome. They’re not optional. They are prima facie essential, a watershed species. What if, similarly, the nervous system is the keystone function that governs all other bodily processes?
My Story: The Early Clues
My journey began with a swimming pool accident when I was 7 or 8, where I smashed my front teeth. I remember the blood, the screaming, and running around summer day camp looking for solace. My front teeth, newly adult, were turned into fang-like shapes—cool in third grade, but disastrous for my long-term health.
This led to multiple root canals, infections, antibiotics, and NSAID overuse to manage recurring dental infections. Then everything fell apart.
In August 2003, while starting a new degree at Boston University, I woke up one morning feeling an all-too-familiar pressure in my gums above one of my traumatized teeth. I instantly knew an infection was back. I found a dentist on campus, who told me the tooth was too infected and had to come out.
And so, I went from Dracula with dental caps to Dracula with a missing tooth and a prosthetic so I didn’t look like a hillbilly.
Of course, the dentist put me on antibiotics for 3–4 weeks. And that’s when the unraveling began. After finishing the antibiotics, I just couldn’t get my energy back. I would come home from class and crash. By this time, I was already into diet and supplements, so I tried probiotics—the very ones that had helped me before. Nothing.
A 20-Year Search for Answers
Fast-forward: I eventually had all my dental work corrected by a renowned holistic dentist in Connecticut, Dr. Breiner. This involved removing all metals and infections. I had high hopes. But I still didn’t feel any better.
This kicked off my 20+ year journey to reclaim my energy. I made countless mistakes but also learned invaluable lessons, eventually becoming an FDN-P (Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner) in 2020. Today, I work full-time helping clients find radical transformation in 90 days or less. At least, that’s my bold mission.
Over these years, I have tried everything:
Gut cleanses, probiotics of all kinds, liver flushes, colon hydrotherapy, ozone, rebounding, Qi Gong, energy work
Diets of all kinds: raw vegan, zone, carnivore—you name it
Supplements: I’ve spent $1,200+ per month for years on beef liver, marrow, gut support, NAD, Ubiquinol, PQQ, colostrum, collagen, Body Bio PC, sleep aids, herbs for energy and hormones
Yet, one piece was still missing.
The Nervous System as the Keystone Function
What if nervous system regulation is the foundational piece missing in most chronic health struggles? What if it gets thrown out of balance due to exposure to Lyme, mold, metals, EMF, pesticides, herbicides, trauma, and life stressors?
In my case, it was my dental accident, the repeated infections, the stress of university, and being an RA overseeing 80+ students. Over time, my Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) likely went into permanent fight-or-flight mode and then crashed from exhaustion. This is called the Cell Danger Response, where cell-to-cell communication shuts down (source).
HRV & Nervous System Dysfunction: Data as Evidence
BELOW is a screenshot of my HRV (Heart Rate Variability) scan from my good friend and Chiropractic Physician, Dr. Brett Fuller (Health Builders) . This is from his Nerve Express System (2020), showing that both my Sympathetic & Parasympathetic branches of the ANS were exhausted. (We have measured many times over the years and it has never budged!)
IMAGE Commentary: The Sympathetic (fight/flight) axis is the vertical line and parasympathetic (rest/digest) is the horizontal axis. A healthy person would ideally be in the -1 + 1 square if you draw a box through each “1” hash line. Or you should be able through breathwork to move it into the 1 “box”. The Lite blue dot is where I started, and with deep breathing I was able to move it toward the center (green dot), but not inside of it. Not ideal. And this is a pattern we have seen over 5 years, in short I am in the deep negative on both axes suggesting deep nervous system exhaustion.
In addition to the Nerve Express scan above, I have tracked HRV and tried to improve it using:
Tracking: Oura Ring since 2016, Sens.AI, HeartMath Inner Balance, Elite HRV
Therapies: NuCalm, NeuroSym, Wim Hof breathwork, HUSO, full body sound bed, and light therapy
Detoxes, chiropractic, acupuncture, brain retraining
Supplements: L-Theanine, GABE, Relora, Reishi, and many mnore
Yet, my HRV would not budge.
A Breakthrough: Neural Therapy with Procaine
Two weeks ago, right after my last HRV/ANS assessment, I had my first Neural Therapy with Procaine, an anesthetic commonly used in medical procedures. Procaine injections can help reset the nervous system and heal local/systemic trauma. Procaine works it’s magic by giving the nervous system a break, increasing bioelectricity in tissues that have been damaged (think scars or local trauma), and improving circulation.
My personal physician, mentor, and functional health collaborator, Dr. Hai Jin Kim (Health Builders) injected my front upper jaw (site of my dental trauma) and my pelvic region (site of a past bike accident) with Procaine.
And something changed.
I began to feel noticeably calmer. The wired/tired feeling started to subside. I just felt more at ease. And I have had 2 additional treatments since and I am seeing steady progress in restoring balance to those trauma sites and overall nervous system balance. And, in my Practice, I have BioPhoton Therapy device from Germany that has a scar/trauma protocol and I have been complimenting the Neural Therapy with local scar / trauma treatments. And we are seeing a reduction in local tissue stress and improvements in overall nervous system resilience.
Primal Trust & The Missing Piece
Last summer, I was introduced to Dr. Cathleen King’s Primal Trust system. My friend and colleague Scott Forsgren, FDN-P, mentioned Dr. Cat’s work to me during a catch-up call.
Dr. Cat has developed a top-down (brain-based) and bottom-up (somatic/body-based) approach to nervous system regulation. Her system combines brain retraining with body-based techniques. And I have done a number of the Primal Trust exercises over the last several months, and I have found them very supportive and am recommending this process to my clients.
I recently applied and was accepted into her practitioner training program. On our first Zoom call with Dr. Cat, it became crystal clear that nervous system dysregulation was not just a missing link for me—but for many of my clients as well.
The Keystone Hypothesis
If we can’t optimize gut function without Akkermansia, maybe we can’t optimize hormones, immune function, digestion, detox pathways, or energy production unless the Nervous System is balanced and resilient.
For me going forward, I am all in on continuing Neural Therapy Treatments with Dr. Kim and mastering Primal Trust nervous system retraining techniques. I have seen marked improvement since starting Neural Therapy and exciting shifts using Primal Trust techniques.
In closing, the main hypothesis is that the Nervous System is a Keystone Bodily Function and that restoring balance and healing to the ANS is often a critical first step before one can resolve infections or other health challenges across other systems such as Hormones, Immune, Digestion, Detox, and Energy Production. And that I see Neural Therapy and Primal Trust as essential tools as I seek to restore Resilience to my Autonomic Nervous System. Be Well!
Curious about what makes Thrivality Different? (A little Self Promotion)
When people ask me what I do; I like to "say" I am a Deep Forensic Functional Health Detective. It is a long description, but conveys the essence of what I do. Another way to think about: I am a metabolic chaos "hunter" that triangulates btw your health challenges, labs, and energetic testing. Here is the outline:
Thrivality is unique for several reasons:
We Listen:
A key part of our process is listening to you about your Health History, Challenges, and Goals.
All of this information is mutually documented in a shared spreadsheet for clarity and collaboration.
We repeat back to you at least twice to ensure we've "listened carefully" and captured all important details.
Lab Reviews:
If you have recent labs, we thoroughly review them.
If additional labs are needed, we arrange to have them shipped to you and review them once completed.
Highlights from your labs are also documented in the shared spreadsheet for ongoing reference.
BioResonance Energetic Assessment:
This assessment identifies hidden contributors to metabolic chaos, such as:
Metals
Mold
Lyme
Parasites
Environmental toxins
Triangulation and Hypothesis Development:
We combine data from your health history, lab results, and BioResonance assessment.
Together, we develop a working hypothesis to understand the root causes of metabolic chaos and why your body isn’t healing.
90-Day Action Plan:
After reviewing the hypothesis and plan with you, we finalize a comprehensive 90-day Action Plan.
This plan spans two key frameworks:
DRESS: Diet, Rest, Exercise, Stress Reduction, and Supplementation.
HIDDEN: Hormones, Immune, Digestion, Detox, Energy Production, and Nervous System.
Ongoing Support:
We meet biweekly to answer questions, monitor progress, and adjust the plan as needed.
Email support is included for continuous guidance.
Bottom Line:
Details matter. Thrivality's multifaceted approach ensures no stone is left unturned in your journey toward healing.
To Learn more: contact us at info@Thrivality.com