Connect The Dots: Autonomic Nervous System Dysregulation, POTs, Vestibular Migraines

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At Chris and Filly Functional Medicine, we understand that autonomic nervous system dysregulation represents one of the most complex yet increasingly common health challenges facing individuals today. Through our comprehensive Ending Body Burnout Method, we've discovered how conditions like postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and vestibular migraines often reflect deeper imbalances that require addressing both physical and metaphysical dimensions of healing.

The Perfect Storm: How Underlying Imbalances and Vaccines Interact

The relationship between pre-existing health imbalances and vaccine responses represents an important yet often overlooked aspect of understanding post-vaccine symptoms. At Chris and Filly Functional Medicine, our work in holistic health and integrative medicine has revealed how underlying immune dysfunction, nutritional deficiencies, and other imbalances can create conditions where vaccines trigger exaggerated inflammatory responses.

The concept of a cytokine storm describes an excessive immune response where inflammatory signalling molecules flood the system, creating widespread symptoms that can affect multiple body systems simultaneously. When individuals already have compromised immune regulation, nutrient deficiencies, or chronic inflammation, their bodies may respond to immune challenges including vaccines with disproportionate inflammatory reactions.

Our approach to burnout functional medicine recognises that these responses don't indicate that vaccines themselves are inherently problematic, but rather that the body's capacity to regulate immune responses has been compromised by underlying imbalances. Addressing these foundational issues becomes crucial for both preventing excessive reactions and supporting recovery when they occur.

Understanding Autonomic Nervous System Dysregulation

The autonomic nervous system controls virtually every automatic function in the body including heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, temperature regulation, and countless other processes that occur without conscious control. When this system becomes dysregulated, it creates a cascade of symptoms that can seem unrelated but actually stem from the same root dysfunction.

Through our natural healing work, we've observed how autonomic dysregulation manifests differently in each individual but commonly includes symptoms like rapid heart rate upon standing, blood pressure fluctuations, digestive disturbances, temperature regulation problems, dizziness, brain fog, and fatigue. These symptoms often worsen with physical exertion, stress, or changes in position.

Our alternative medicine approach recognises that autonomic dysregulation rarely occurs in isolation—it typically develops alongside or as a result of other systemic imbalances including immune dysfunction, hormonal issues, nutritional deficiencies, and chronic stress patterns. Understanding these interconnections becomes essential for developing effective treatment strategies.

POTS: When Standing Becomes a Challenge

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome represents a specific form of autonomic dysregulation characterised by excessive increases in heart rate upon standing, often accompanied by dizziness, lightheadedness, brain fog, and fatigue. At Chris and Filly Functional Medicine, we've worked with numerous individuals experiencing POTS symptoms following various triggers including viral infections, vaccines, and periods of extreme stress.

The mechanism underlying POTS involves dysfunction in how the autonomic nervous system regulates blood flow and heart rate in response to positional changes. When functioning properly, the system constricts blood vessels and adjusts heart rate to maintain adequate blood flow to the brain when standing. In POTS, this regulation fails, leading to compensatory increases in heart rate that can be both uncomfortable and functionally limiting.

Our naturopathic medicine approach to POTS includes comprehensive assessment of the multiple factors that may be contributing to autonomic dysfunction, including immune activation, adrenal function, blood volume regulation, nutrient status, and nervous system regulation. This multifaceted understanding allows for targeted interventions that address root causes rather than simply managing symptoms.

Vestibular Migraines and Nervous System Health

Vestibular migraines represent another manifestation of nervous system dysregulation that can significantly impact quality of life. These migraines involve not just head pain but also dizziness, vertigo, balance problems, and sensitivity to motion that can be severely debilitating.

Through our root cause medicine work, we've discovered how vestibular migraines often connect to broader patterns of nervous system dysregulation, immune activation, and inflammatory processes. The vestibular system, which controls balance and spatial orientation, becomes hypersensitive when the nervous system is chronically activated or when inflammatory processes affect the inner ear and related structures.

Our holistic wellness approach recognises that addressing vestibular migraines requires more than migraine medications—it demands comprehensive assessment and treatment of the underlying factors maintaining nervous system dysregulation and inflammation.

Physical Body System Imbalances Contributing to Dysregulation

Several key body systems commonly show imbalances in individuals experiencing autonomic dysregulation, POTS, and vestibular migraines. At Chris and Filly Functional Medicine, our comprehensive testing protocols assess these systems to identify specific imbalances requiring attention.

Immune activation represents one of the most common underlying factors, with many individuals showing signs of ongoing immune system hyperactivity that maintains inflammatory states and interferes with normal autonomic regulation. This activation may stem from chronic infections, autoimmune processes, or persistent inflammatory triggers that need identification and treatment.

Adrenal dysfunction frequently accompanies autonomic dysregulation, as the stress response system and autonomic nervous system are intimately connected. When adrenal function becomes compromised through chronic stress or other factors, it affects the body's ability to regulate blood pressure, blood sugar, and stress responses, contributing to symptoms like those seen in POTS.

The Role of Gut Health in Nervous System Function

The gut-brain axis represents a crucial connection that significantly influences autonomic nervous system function. Through our healing from within approach, we've observed how gut imbalances including dysbiosis, increased intestinal permeability, and inflammation directly affect nervous system regulation through multiple pathways.

The gut produces approximately 90% of the body's serotonin and houses a significant portion of the immune system, making gut health fundamental to both mood regulation and immune function. When gut imbalances exist, they create inflammatory signals that affect the vagus nerve and other pathways connecting the gut to the brain, contributing to autonomic dysregulation.

Our mind body medicine approach includes comprehensive gut assessment and healing protocols as essential components of addressing autonomic nervous system dysfunction. This often involves testing for infections, assessing digestive function, and implementing targeted interventions to restore healthy gut ecology.

Nutrient Deficiencies and Nervous System Health

Specific nutrient deficiencies can significantly impair autonomic nervous system function and contribute to conditions like POTS and vestibular migraines. Our personalised medicine approach includes assessment of key nutrients that support nervous system health including B vitamins, magnesium, vitamin D, iron, and others.

B vitamins play crucial roles in nervous system function, energy production, and neurotransmitter synthesis. Deficiencies in B12, folate, or other B vitamins can contribute to neurological symptoms and impair the body's ability to regulate autonomic functions. Similarly, magnesium deficiency affects nerve conduction, muscle function, and stress response regulation.

Iron deficiency represents another common contributor to POTS symptoms, as adequate iron is necessary for proper blood volume regulation and oxygen transport. Many individuals with POTS show low or suboptimal iron levels that contribute to their symptoms.

Detoxification Issues and Nervous System Function

The body's capacity to process and eliminate toxins significantly affects nervous system health. Through our whole body health approach, we've discovered how impaired detoxification contributes to autonomic dysregulation by allowing accumulation of substances that interfere with normal nervous system function.

Genetic variations affecting detoxification pathways, exposure to environmental toxins, and compromised liver or kidney function can all impair the body's ability to eliminate substances that affect nervous system health. Addressing these detoxification issues often represents an important component of comprehensive treatment for autonomic dysregulation.

The Metaphysical Dimension: Core Beliefs and Nervous System Health

Perhaps one of the most important yet overlooked aspects of healing autonomic dysregulation involves addressing the core beliefs that maintain nervous system activation. At Chris and Filly Functional Medicine, we've discovered how the belief "I'm not safe" keeps the nervous system locked in fight-or-flight activation that both contributes to and perpetuates symptoms.

This core belief often develops through traumatic experiences, chronic stress, or early life circumstances that taught the nervous system that the world is fundamentally unsafe. Once established, this belief operates unconsciously, maintaining chronic activation of stress responses that manifest as the various symptoms of autonomic dysregulation.

Our health optimisation approach recognises that addressing this metaphysical dimension through belief rewiring, nervous system regulation practices, and trauma healing represents an essential component of comprehensive treatment. Physical interventions alone often provide incomplete results when these deeper patterns remain unaddressed.

Integrating Physical and Metaphysical Healing

True healing from autonomic dysregulation requires addressing both the physical imbalances and the metaphysical patterns that maintain nervous system activation. Our preventative health philosophy integrates comprehensive functional medicine testing with nervous system rewiring practices, belief transformation work, and trauma healing.

This integrated approach recognises that physical imbalances affect beliefs and emotional states, while beliefs and emotional patterns influence physical function. By addressing both dimensions simultaneously, we create optimal conditions for comprehensive healing that extends beyond symptom management to genuine transformation.

Creating a Comprehensive Treatment Strategy

Developing an effective treatment strategy for autonomic dysregulation requires thorough assessment of all contributing factors followed by targeted interventions that address identified imbalances. Our functional nutrition and comprehensive wellness approach provides the framework for this systematic healing process.

Treatment typically includes immune system modulation, adrenal support, gut healing, nutrient repletion, detoxification support, and nervous system regulation practices. Alongside these physical interventions, belief rewiring work and practices that create felt safety in the nervous system support the metaphysical dimension of healing.

Ready to discover how addressing both the physical imbalances and core beliefs maintaining your autonomic dysregulation could create the breakthrough you've been seeking? We invite you to explore how our comprehensive approach to nervous system healing could support your recovery from POTS, vestibular migraines, and related symptoms. Book a Discovery Call with us to learn more about our integrative methodology, or take the first step through our Connect the Dots consultation to begin understanding the root causes of your autonomic dysfunction.

Remember, healing autonomic dysregulation requires addressing both what's happening in your body and what's happening in your nervous system at the belief level. When you're ready to explore this comprehensive approach to recovery, we're here to guide you on your journey back to regulated nervous system function and vibrant health.

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Chris & Filipa Bellette are the Founders of multi award-winning health practice Chris & Filly Functional Medicine, which is best known for ending body burnout (for good!) in “busy” people with energy, mood and gut issues. They have worked with over 2,000+ burned-out clients in the past combined 25+ years, with their own passion for ending body burnout coming from their own personal experience of body, mind, family & business breakdown, after a prolonged period of physical and mental stress.

Filipa is an accredited Clinical Nutritionist, Functional Medicine Practitioner, Coach & Trauma Therapist. She is also a Ph.D. Scholar, author & regularly featured the media, such as Forbes, Body+Soul and The Daily Telegraph. Chris is a Burnout Recovery Coach & an accredited Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) Master Practitioner, with a Bachelor of Human Movement Science. He has existed in high-performance realms of the sporting (think national athlete) & business industries and knows what it takes to get out of hustle-and-grind culture to thriving. 

They were recently awarded as the Tasmanian State Winner & National Finalist for the Telstra Best of Business Awards 2022, and Winner of the Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Awards 2022.