Trauma, Thermoregulation, and Sleep
Background
A female client in her mid-30s, came in requesting a deep tissue massage. After discussing her complaints, which I believed to be neurological, and assessing her spinal and pelvic alignment, I recommended NRT as the appropriate approach to address her symptoms. She expressed that she wanted deep tissue style work, but I explained why I didn't think that would be effective for her complaints. The session that followed was a bit tense - in 18 years of practice, it's the only treatment I've ever ended early, stopping at 59 minutes. I genuinely didn't expect to see her again, and honestly, I didn't think I wanted to.
An Unexpected Return
The patient came back to the clinic the very next day, asking what technique I had used on her and what it had done. I explained that I had used NRT to relax her nervous system and realign her spine and pelvis.
She then shared her story. Seven years earlier, she had survived a home invasion in which she was robbed, beaten, and left for dead after the house was set on fire. She suffered severe burns requiring extensive skin grafting on her legs, and had spent over $100,000 on related plastic surgeries. Ever since the trauma, she had constantly felt overheated - her legs would feel hot to the touch, she couldn't tolerate hot showers or baths, and she relied on cold showers, cooling off in the lake after work or sitting in the snow for relief. She also experienced the same recurring nightmare almost every night: being chased by someone or something.
The Night After Treatment
For the first time in seven years:
The lake felt freezing cold to her, rather than pleasant, prompting her to go home and take a hot shower - something she hadn't been able to do since the trauma.
She had a pleasant dream, surrounded by friends, instead of her usual chase nightmare.
Clinical Reflection
The patient's autonomic nervous system appeared to regain the ability to thermoregulate, her chronic pain resolved, and her dream patterns shifted - all following a single NRT treatment. She returned for treatment every two weeks for the rest of that year.
Curious to explore NRT further?
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These case studies reflect individual patient experiences and outcomes. Results vary by patient and are not a guarantee of similar results for any other individual.
