Emotions are responses to stimuli received from the external world via the sensory organs. Their control and/or their effects on bodily functions occur in the brain.
The brain can react to these stimuli in 3 ways:
On the perceptive aspect through the component that recognizes (interprets) the situation as threatening, pleasant, scary, surprising, humorous, etc.
On the sensitive aspect through the component that records, the tone, the intensity of the feeling associated with the specific emotions of fury, anger, fear, pleasure, pain, etc.
On the physiological aspect, through the component, which controls spontaneous changes in the circulatory, respiratory, glandular, muscular and other systems of the body.
Physiologically, emotions represent a reactive pattern with characteristics that follow a simple reflex act. All this absolutely has an impact on the voice which lives and is an expression of emotion.
Emotions and physiological changes
The involuntary nervous system responds to emotional stimuli in a rapid, uniform and stereotyped manner. In the brain there are centers for the expression of emotion and for the maintenance of the primary (basic) functions of the body that concern the survival of the organism, for example circulation, maintenance of body temperature, circulation of body fluids, the combustion of sugars, etc.
When anger, fear or other intense emotional states are expressed, an automatic and stereotyped response occurs from the various systems of the body.
In such conditions, for example, gastrointestinal functions are inhibited and the flow of salivary, gastric and pancreatic juices can even be completely blocked.
On the contrary, the functions of the cardiovascular system are abruptly increased resulting in impaired coagulability of the blood, an increase in the number of red (circulating) blood cells and glucose (blood sugar), higher levels of lipids and serum cholesterol in the bloodstream . The genitourinary system undergoes an acceleration manifested by the need for the bladder. At the same time the musculoskeletal system tenses in anticipation of the expected physical action.
Chronic effects of emotions on bodily functions
Prolonged and uncompensated (managed) stress will lead to the development of organic symptoms and diseases related to an abnormal and prolonged hyperactivity of the involuntary nervous system, subjected to constant stress, historically defined as psycho-physiological, psycho-somatic or psychogenic disorders.
Those indicated here are from the literature, some of the disorders that chronic emotional stress can cause in the various systems of the body:
Muscle - skeletal: arthritis, myotensive headache, back pain, muscle cramps, psychogenic rheumatism.
Respiratory: asthma, colds, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, chronic bronchitis.
Cardiovascular: hypertension, migraine, tachycardia, vascular spasms, anginal syndrome.
Glandular: hyperthyroidism, diabetes, obesity.
Cutaneous: urticaria, allergic eczema.
Gastro-enteric: colitis, peptic ulcer, constipation, gastritis, hyperacidity, reflux, diarrhea.
Genitourinary: impotence, frigidity, menstrual disorders, false pregnancies (hysterical), sterility, painful urination, enuresis.
Nervous system: neurasthenia, reactive anxiety, body image disturbances.
ENT: disturbances in smell, hearing, taste
All these systems have an impact on vocal production in terms of organ stability and mobility, breath production and management, hydration, muscle reactivity, hormonal impact
How can an Osteopath help you?
All the disorders indicated create, if not compensated for, "management" difficulties which have repercussions on the somatic system (body) through stiffness, imbalance, pain, fatigue. The Osteopath, after having carried out a careful anamnesis, will initially investigate with palpatory analysis and specific tests the general and specific state and conditions of the patient's musculoskeletal and fascial system, looking for somatic dysfunctions, often primary or related secondarily, to the reported functional vocal disorder. Subsequently you will perform a specific evaluation of the biomechanical functionality of the larynx, the treatment of which will then be integrated with the work previously done at a global level.