The Central Nervous System (CNS) is the powerhouse of the body. It is made up of the brain and spinal cord. If there is any form of injury or trauma to either of these locations, it will affect other systems in the body. The CNS is responsible for all movement, sensory (peripheral nervous system), and autonomic responses (sympathetic nervous system) in the body.
Most CNS conditions are caused by lesions, which is where scar tissue is formed due to dying tissue, which causes the signals in the brain and spinal cord, to not fire correctly. Treatment for such circumstances usually uses medication to lessen the effects of the lesion which can help with neuron firing. Massage therapy is not able to help with the lesions that are created, rather it can help with the secondary issues that result from the brain lesion.
A large concern when someone has a condition that affects the CNS is if they have seizures. This is where the neurons in the brain fire too quickly. The most common symptom is when the body goes into convulsions. This is spontaneous, and you may not experience any warning signs until you’re already having the seizure. Because of this, if you do have seizures, you can request to have a massage on the floor to minimize the chance of injury during the episode. Other symptoms will only be where the person sees an aura or prodromal symptoms(this can be a symptom noticed hours to days before a seizure occurs, this is where the person can experience; insomnia, headache, irritability, ill-temper, increased agitation, and depression) to a blank stare with loss of consciousness. If these are the only symptoms of a seizure, having treatment done on the floor may not be necessary, unless it is known that these are warning signs of having a seizure in the near future.
Central Nervous System Disorders or Conditions
There are 2 main categories when it comes to CNS conditions. They are progressive (Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis) or non-progressive (hemiplegia, spinal cord injuries, and cerebral palsy). When a condition is progressive, it means that it will worsen over time, whereas non-progressive is where the condition doesn’t get worse unless there is another injury, in which another lesion is formed.
Some of the conditions that affect the CNS are as follows. These conditions each have their unique treatment plan. *you can click on a link below to bring you to the article on that specific condition.
Hemiplegia
Spinal Cord Injuries
Multiple Sclerosis
Parkinson’s Disease
Poliomyelitis
Cerebral Palsy