Homeostasis: The Body's Natural Ability to Heal

The human body is an extraordinary machine, equipped with the remarkable ability to heal itself.

Healing is not a passive process; rather, it is a dynamic and highly coordinated series of events that work in perfect harmony to restore function and repair damage. Whether it's a small cut on your skin or a more profound internal injury, the body has evolved to respond rapidly and effectively to maintain health and balance.

When you sustain an injury, the body's response begins almost immediately. For example, in the case of a cut, blood vessels around the site constrict to limit blood loss, while platelets rush in to form a clot that seals the wound.

This is followed by an inflammatory response, where immune cells flood the area, fighting off potential infections and clearing away damaged tissue. Finally, new cells begin to grow, replacing the damaged ones, and eventually, the skin heals.

What might seem like a simple process is, in reality, an intricate dance involving multiple systems working together to repair the body.

But this process isn’t limited to external injuries. Inside the body, the same sequence of events unfolds when there is internal damage, dysfunction, or stress.

For example, when tissues or organs experience strain, the body adjusts blood flow, releases hormones, or activates immune responses to restore normal function.

The body constantly monitors itself, identifying areas where balance has been disrupted and initiating steps to correct the imbalance. This drive toward homeostasis, where the body achieves its optimal state of balance, is the key to its powerful self-healing abilities.

The body doesn't just aim to heal for the sake of healing. It strives to return to peak functionality, pushing beyond good enough to achieve the highest level of health possible.

This relentless pursuit of balance, vitality, and functionality underscores just how powerful the body’s healing process is. Understanding and supporting this natural ability can help you optimise your health in ways that go beyond temporary fixes, addressing the root of dysfunction and promoting long-term vitality.

The power of the body to heal itself is closely intertwined with the mind.

Far from separate entities, the mind and body are deeply interconnected, with your thoughts, emotions, and beliefs playing a pivotal role in your physical health.

This is known as the mind-body connection, and its effects on healing are increasingly supported by scientific research.

One of the leading voices in this field, Dr. Lissa Rankin, explores this concept in her groundbreaking work, Mind Over Medicine.

In her book, she presents compelling evidence that the body’s ability to heal is significantly influenced by our thoughts and beliefs.

According to Dr. Rankin, when you believe that your body is strong and capable of healing, you activate physiological mechanisms that support this process.

In contrast, when you are stressed, anxious, or pessimistic about your health, you can impede your body’s ability to heal.

Rankin explains how the placebo effect is a prime example of the mind’s power over the body—patients who believe they are receiving effective treatment often experience real improvements in their health, even if the treatment itself has no therapeutic value.

Dr. Joe Dispenza, another expert in this field, takes the idea even further in his book You Are the Placebo. Dispenza explores how the mind, through focused intention and meditation, can literally rewire the brain to promote healing.

By using techniques such as visualisation, mindfulness, and deep meditation, Dispenza explains how the brain’s neural pathways can be altered to reduce stress, lower inflammation, and even heal physical ailments.

The body’s biochemistry can change in response to these mental practices, leading to measurable improvements in health.

The placebo effect illustrates how the mind and body work together in the healing process. In countless studies, patients who believe they are receiving effective treatment often experience real improvements in their condition, even when the treatment itself has no discernable therapeutic properties.

This effect demonstrates that the body is capable of mounting a healing response simply through the belief that it can heal.

In a study published in The Lancet, researchers found that patients who believed in the effectiveness of a placebo showed as much as a 30% improvement in their symptoms, further illustrating the mind’s power over the body’s healing processes.significant improvements in pelvic floor symptoms and quality of life compared to a control group.

The relevance of the mind-body connection to PFD becomes even more apparent when we consider the intricate muscular and nervous system connections in the pelvic region.

The psoas muscle, often referred to as the "emotion muscle," plays a crucial role in this connection. Spanning from the lower spine to the top of the femur, the psoas is intimately connected to our breath and our fight-or-flight response.

Dr. Liz Koch, a leading expert on the psoas, explains in her book "The Psoas Book" that chronic stress can lead to a constantly contracted psoas, which in turn can create tension in the pelvic floor.

This tension can exacerbate PFD symptoms and create a cycle of pain and dysfunction.

Moreover, recent research has highlighted a fascinating connection between jaw tension and pelvic floor dysfunction.

A study published in the International Urogynecology Journal found a significant correlation between temporomandibular disorders (jaw tension) and pelvic floor disorders.

The researchers proposed that this connection might be due to shared neural pathways and the body's global response to stress.

This jaw-pelvic floor connection is further explained by the polyvagal theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges.

According to this theory, the vagus nerve, which runs from the brainstem to the abdomen, plays a crucial role in our stress response and affects muscle tension throughout the body, including both the jaw and pelvic floor muscles.

Understanding these connections provides a scientific basis for integrating mind-body practices into PFD treatment.

For instance, a randomised controlled trial published in Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery found that women with PFD who participated in an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction program showed significant improvements in pelvic floor symptoms and quality of life compared to a control group.

These findings suggest that addressing mental and emotional well-being is not just complementary to physical treatments for PFD, but potentially crucial for comprehensive healing. Techniques such as mindfulness meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and body scanning can help reduce overall tension, including in the pelvic floor region.

The body is a masterpiece of natural healing mechanisms. From the ability to repair cuts and broken bones to restoring hormonal balance and immune function, your body is designed to heal itself.

However, the key to unlocking this healing potential lies in your ability to listen-inwards, support and nurture these processes.

This means embracing a holistic approach to health that prioritises balance— physically, mentally and within your inner self.

1. Try our meditation playlist on Youtube and tell us your progress in the comments section of the videos (see below)

2. Take this free assessment and get curated help based on your needs from our team of pelvic floor experts and master trainers

You can heal - there is scientific proof that you can!