Borborygmus is not a nonsense word, but the wonderfully onomatapoeic description from the ancient Greek for intestinal gurglings 😊
Our central nervous system is divided into the Sympathetic Nervous System [SNS] – the part which drives us into action to fend off marauding tribes or sabre-toothed tigers, or – in modern life, to cope with:- the daily commute, PTSD, paparazzi or the British tabloid press – and if prolonged this is what pushes us into stressed states of being and thinking.
The sympathetics are counterbalanced by our Parasympathetic Nervous System [PNS] – which is uppermost when we are at peace with the world, relaxing, sleeping – and when it is safe to digest our food.
Hence the gurglings 😊
When patients’ tummies gurgle during a cranial treatment and they apologise, I reassure them: “No need to apologise, that’s a good sign! It shows that you are relaxing 😊”
We need both parts, both the Sympathetics and the Parasympathetics, Â working together in balanced harmony, rather than the stressed part being pushed to the limit, and beyond – to breaking point and crashing.
It’s our sympathetic nervous system that drives us to achieve great things, especially when supported by the nurturing of our parasympathetic nervous system through meditation, a relaxing bath, soothing music – or indeed cranial osteopathy.
The cranial approach is wonderful for calming down an overactive SNS, and helping the PNS to unfurl and do its restorative work.
If stress is getting you down, and affecting your sleep, then some cranial osteopathy may well help.