The Relationship of the Immune System with the Endocrine and Neurological Systems

AAPMD PHYSICAL THERAPY SECTION WEBINAR by Cheryl Wardlaw, PT, MMSc, CFMT

The Neural-Autonomic-Adrenal Axis and the Inflammatory Process:

Restoring Immune System Homeostasis

I have been impressed by Cheryl Wardlaw since I first took Functional Mobilization 1 with her 10 years ago! Not only is she highly educated and hard working with a well respected position as the rehabilitation director at Emory, but she is also brilliant. I learn something from her every time I hear her speak. Today she spoke on the Neural- Autonomic- Adrenal Axis and the Inflammatory Process during her AAPMD webinar today; this is essentially the relationship of the immune system with the endocrine and neurological systems.

Understanding the importance of the Vagus Nerve (CN 10) is integral. The Vagus Nerve is 80% afferent (20% efferent), meaning that it is able to sense changes in gut microbiota and then send that information to the brain (central nervous system CNS) where it impacts the entire autonomic nervous system (ANS) and affects the body’s response to the gut. For this reason, Vagus Nerve health has been a hot buzzword in the healthcare community, and this trend is only increasing as we begin to understand the impact of Long COVID on the Vagus Nerve. Cheryl cited Bruno Bonaz, an author who has published several articles on the Vagus Nerve, Gut-Brain Axis, and Microbiota. He has some great information on this subject, so I posted a link to one of his articles below.

Most speakers will drop quotes that are absolute gems. During this webinar she said, “You have more glial cells in your brain than neurons, so the brain belongs more to the immune system than the nervous system.” This idea made me pause and reflect on the significance of the brain in relation to the immune system. To help restore the body to homeostasis, she recommended several things to balance the body including meditation, laughing, aerobic exercise, yoga, sleep, CBD, Omega-3s, turmeric, and probiotics. There are specifics about the cause of this process and details about her guidance to restore homeostasis in her book, “Taming Pain.” I highly recommend it to everyone to help them understand the cause and treatment of inflammatory processes in the body.

Link to the Taming Pain course for Healthcare Professionals and Non-Healthcare Professionals (includes a PDF copy of her book if you are a Healthcare Professional): https://my.instituteofphysicalart.com/index.php/continuing-education/vc.html

Link to her website where you can see copies of her books and other products: https://www.specializededucationalexp.com/products

Bruno Bonaz, Bazin Thomas, Pellissier Sonia “The Vagus Nerve at the Interface of the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis” February 2018: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322986233_The_Vagus_Nerve_at_the_Interface_of_the_Microbiota-Gut-Brain_Axis