When the Body Shuts Down: Understanding Neural Attenuation
Why Some People Feel “Stuck” — Even in Healing Spaces — and How the Right Chiropractic Approach Can Help
Have you ever felt like your body just won’t respond — to therapy, movement, massage, or even chiropractic care? Like no matter what you try, you stay stuck in pain, numbness, or exhaustion?
You might not be resisting healing.
Your nervous system may be in neural attenuation — a kind of freeze response where everything slows down or shuts off.
❄️ What Is Neural Attenuation?
Neural attenuation is the decrease or dampening of nervous system responsiveness. Think of it like your brain pulling the emergency brake — not because something’s wrong with you, but because it’s trying to protect you.
It often happens after chronic stress, unresolved trauma, or persistent overstimulation. The system can no longer stay in fight-or-flight — so it goes into a kind of freeze or fawn state instead.
In this state, people may experience:
🪫 Low energy or fatigue
🧩 Emotional flatness or disconnection
😰 Chronic pain or tension that doesn’t respond to usual care
🧘🏻♀️ Difficulty feeling “present” or grounded
😵💫 Brain fog or forgetfulness
This is the body’s way of coping — but over time, it can become a stuck pattern. You’re not in active survival mode anymore… but you’re not fully thriving either.
🧠 The Brain Reward Cascade & Its Disruption
A major factor behind neural attenuation is disruption in the brain reward cascade — the process by which the brain releases and regulates neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and oxytocin.
When this cascade is working, you feel good. You recover faster. You engage with life.
But when it’s dysregulated — often due to trauma, addiction, or long-term stress — the brain stops producing these “feel-good” chemicals in the right amounts or sequence.
You don’t just feel off… your entire nervous system operates in survival mode.
🔬 What the Research Says
Dr. Jay Holder, a leading researcher and founder of the Torque Release Technique (TRT), has studied these effects in addiction and trauma recovery settings.
In one key study, Dr. Holder used EEG testing to measure the P300 brain wave, which reflects higher cognitive function and reward system activity. Individuals in addiction recovery showed significantly improved P300 responses after receiving TRT adjustments, indicating improved brain processing, attention, and reward system engagement.
Another study (published in Medical Science Monitor, 2001) showed that when TRT was used in addiction treatment programs, participants experienced:
✅ Reduced cravings
✅ Improved mood and emotional regulation
✅ Increased retention in recovery programs
✅ Greater nervous system balance
These findings suggest that gentle, tonal chiropractic techniques like TRT can actually help “turn the lights back on” in the brain and body.
👐 How I Approach Care at StillPoint
At StillPoint, I don’t chase symptoms or try to force change through cracking or aggressive adjustments.
Instead, I use gentle, frequency-specific care that works with your body’s built-in intelligence — helping release neurological patterns that no longer serve you.
When your nervous system feels safe again, the tension can start to release — naturally.
Not because we pushed it… but because your system finally had permission to let go.
💬 Final Thought: You’re Not Broken
If you’ve felt shut down, disconnected, or like nothing works — know this:
You’re not broken.
You’re wise.
Your body adapted in the best way it could — and now, it might be ready to soften.
👉 Ready to experience care that meets you where you are?
Click here to schedule your first visit with StillPoint. Let’s work with your nervous system, not against it.
