The Nervous System’s Role in Healing Trauma and Building Resilience

Dr. Nellie Keys

​Doctor of Chiropractic (DC), Network Spinal

Learn More about Dr. Nellie➔

I want to take this time to explain what people mean when they say “trauma lives in the body”. Trauma isn’t just a memory — it’s a whole-body experience that can reshape how your nervous system operates and how you respond to the world around you.
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Your nervous system is your body’s command center. When you go through stress or trauma, your system doesn’t simply “move on” when the moment passes. Instead, it stores the memory of that event — not just in your brain, but in your muscles, fascia, and wiring. This is your body’s way of keeping you safe. 

​The Nervous System’s Role in Trauma 
Your nervous system is the system that determines whether you feel safe and connected or stuck in survival mode.

It has two main branches:

• Sympathetic: Activates fight-or-flight — your “gas pedal” when you need to respond to danger. 
• Parasympathetic: Activates rest, repair, and digestion — your “brake pedal” that helps you calm down and recover. 

In a healthy system, these two branches stay in balance. After stress passes, the parasympathetic branch signals the “all clear,” helping your body return to a calm baseline.

But when trauma hits — whether it’s a single overwhelming event or stress that builds up over time — the sympathetic system fires hard. If the parasympathetic reset doesn’t fully engage, your body stays partially stuck in survival mode, even after the danger is over.
 
The “Big Three” Stressors 
In chiropractic school, I learned that there are three major categories of stressors that load the nervous system. These are often called the “Three T’s”:

• Thoughts (Emotional/Mental Stress): Worry, negative self-talk, relationship struggles, grief, and mental overload. 
• Toxins (Chemical Stress): Poor diet, alcohol, medications, pollution, and chronic inflammation. 
• Traumas (Physical Stress): Accidents, injuries, repetitive strain, surgeries — even small “microtraumas” like poor posture. 

Any one of these stressors can push the nervous system toward dysregulation, but it’s often the accumulation of all three that tips the scale.

The Science of Nervous System Loops 
When stress or trauma isn’t fully processed, it doesn’t just disappear — your nervous system “records” it. The same stress response can start to replay on a loop, even when there’s no real danger.

Here’s what that looks like: 

1. Trigger: Your brain detects a real or perceived threat. 
2. Activation: Your sympathetic nervous system fires — heart rate rises, muscles tense, digestion slows. 
3. Incomplete Reset: The parasympathetic “brake” never fully engages to signal “all clear.” 
4. Patterning: The body wires this stress response as the “new normal.” 
5. Looping: Even small future stressors can re-activate the same response, keeping you in partial fight-or-flight. 

Over time, these loops can impact sleep, digestion, immune function, focus, and mood — leaving you feeling like you’re always “on edge.”

Signs Your Nervous System May Be Stuck 

• Feeling anxious or easily overwhelmed 
• Trouble relaxing or falling asleep 
• Overreacting to small stressors 
• Feeling disconnected or “shut down” 
• Chronic muscle tension (neck, shoulders, jaw, back) 
• Brain fog or trouble focusing 
• Feeling tired even after rest ​

Practical Ways to Build Nervous System Resilience 
You don’t have to wait for an appointment to start supporting your nervous system. Here are daily habits that can help regulate and strengthen it: 

• Network spinal: a gentle, precise form of chiropractic care that helps your nervous system release stored tension and learn new, healthier patterns. 
• Breathe with Intention: Slow, diaphragmatic breathing activates the parasympathetic system. 
• Gentle Movement: Walking, stretching, or yoga release stored tension. 
• Grounding Practices: Spend time barefoot outdoors, take a warm bath, or pause to notice your breath. 
• Mindfulness & Reflection: Journaling or meditation calm the brain’s alarm system. 
• Nourish Your Body: Choose whole, nutrient-dense foods and stay hydrated. 
• Prioritize Connection: Safe, supportive relationships regulate the nervous system. 
• Protect Your Sleep: Consistent sleep and wake times help reset your system daily.​

The Network Spinal Approach:  
Network Spinal is a gentle, evidence-based approach to chiropractic care that focuses on the nervous system. Instead of high velocity adjustments, it uses light, precise contacts along the spine to help the body notice where it is holding tension or running an outdated stress pattern.

The goal isn’t just to make something “move” — it’s to teach the nervous system how to self-regulate. Over time, people receiving care often notice not only less pain or tension, but a profound sense of calm, better sleep, and more emotional balance.

Once the nervous system begins to recognize these stored patterns, it can start to reorganize itself:

• Interrupting the Loop: The system shifts out of chronic survival mode. 
• Reorganizing the Pattern: The stress response becomes more efficient and adaptive. 
• Resetting the Baseline: Calm becomes the new “normal,” rather than fight-or-flight. 

With consistent care, this process builds resilience — the ability to handle life’s challenges without being thrown off course.  Benefits of a more resilient nervous system can include: 

• Greater Stress Tolerance: Challenges don’t feel as overwhelming. 
• More Energy: Chronic tension stops draining your system. 
• Faster Recovery: You bounce back more quickly after stress. 
• Better Emotional Range: You can respond with clarity instead of reacting automatically. 
• Deeper Presence: Connection with yourself and others feels easier. 

 
Supporting your nervous system in these small, daily ways can make a big difference in how you feel — and create a foundation for lasting resilience.

When people say “trauma lives in the body,” this is what they mean — that stress, trauma, and life experiences are stored in the nervous system and can continue to shape how we feel and respond.

The good news is that your body can learn new ways to respond. With the right support and tools, you can teach your nervous system to complete those old stress cycles, release stored tension, and create a new, calmer baseline.

You don’t have to stay stuck in survival mode. Your body already holds the blueprint for healing — and now you know how to help it follow that path.

Learn More about Dr. Nellie➔