“What Fires Together, Wires Together”—The Nervous System’s Role in Thought and Movement

The phrase “what fires together, wires together,” popularized by Dr. Joe Dispenza, highlights the neuroplasticity of our brain: the ability of neurons to form and strengthen connections based on repeated activity. This concept is often discussed in the realm of thought patterns, behaviors, and emotional resilience, but its truth extends deeply into the domain of physical movement and the world of pain. Pain is not just a physical sensation; it’s a product of the nervous system. And just like with movement or thought, what fires together in the nervous system around pain can wire together, creating lasting patterns that can either help or hinder recovery. Let’s explore how this principle applies not only to rewiring our mental processes but also to optimizing our physical performance and recovery.

The Science Behind “Fires Together, Wires Together”

At its core, this phrase describes Hebb’s Rule, a foundational principle of neuroscience, which states that neurons that activate simultaneously are more likely to form a lasting connection. When this occurs, the brain becomes more efficient at triggering these neural pathways, making them stronger and easier to activate in the future.

This is why:

• Repeated negative thoughts can embed patterns of anxiety or depression.

• Practicing gratitude or positive thinking can cultivate resilience and optimism.

• Repeated movements, whether efficient or compensatory, become ingrained in our neuromuscular system.

Neuroplasticity in Movement: Wiring for Efficiency or Dysfunction?

When it comes to movement, your brain and nervous system act like a highly adaptive computer system. Each time you perform a movement, from walking to performing a squat, specific neural pathways are activated. Repetition strengthens these pathways, for better or worse.

• Efficient Movement: Practicing proper technique in physical activities helps engrain correct motor patterns, making movements more fluid and efficient over time.

• Compensatory Patterns: Conversely, compensating for an injury or moving with poor biomechanics reinforces faulty patterns. Over time, these compensatory pathways can lead to chronic pain or reduced performance.

This is why deliberate practice and conscious awareness of movement are crucial—your nervous system doesn’t differentiate between “good” or “bad” movement; it simply reinforces what you repeatedly do.

Pain and Neuroplasticity: A Vicious Cycle

Pain is often described as the body’s alarm system. It’s a signal from the nervous system that something needs attention—an injury, a threat, or inflammation. However, when pain becomes chronic, the nervous system can “learn” to keep sending those signals even after the original issue has resolved. This is called central sensitization.

Here’s how it happens:

• When pain signals repeatedly fire, the brain and spinal cord become more sensitive to those signals, amplifying the sensation of pain.

• Over time, the nervous system develops a stronger connection between certain stimuli (movement, stress, or even touch) and the experience of pain.

• These connections become so ingrained that pain can persist even in the absence of physical injury.

This is where “what fires together, wires together” becomes particularly relevant in the context of pain. The more pain pathways are activated, the more entrenched they become, turning acute pain into chronic pain.

Thoughts, Movement, and the Mind-Body Connection

The saying also reminds us that the nervous system doesn’t operate in isolation. Mental and emotional states influence how we move, and vice versa:

• Stress or fear can create tension in the body, affecting posture and movement efficiency.

• Relaxed, intentional movement—like our Flexibility for Optimal Aging Program—can calm the nervous system, encouraging neuroplasticity for healthier patterns.

Movement and Pain: The Double-Edged Sword

Movement is one of the most powerful ways to influence pain and break maladaptive patterns in the nervous system. However, the quality of that movement matters. Pain can cause the nervous system to create compensatory patterns that protect the body in the short term but reinforce dysfunction and perpetuate the pain cycle.

• Protective Patterns: When in pain, the body often alters movement to avoid discomfort. For example, limping after a knee injury shifts the load to other parts of the body, which can lead to pain elsewhere.

• Reinforced Dysfunction: Over time, these altered movement patterns become the norm, wiring the nervous system to expect and prepare for pain, even after the original injury has healed.

This is why chronic pain sufferers often describe feeling “stuck.” The nervous system is essentially stuck in a loop of pain and dysfunction, and it requires intentional intervention to break free.

Rewiring Pain Pathways: The Role of Intentional Practice

The good news is that the nervous system’s adaptability works both ways. By introducing new, intentional inputs, you can start to rewire the nervous system for healing and recovery. This applies to both pain and movement patterns.

1. Pain Education: Understanding that pain is a product of the nervous system—not just the tissues—can help reduce fear and anxiety, which amplify pain signals. Knowledge alone can start to disrupt maladaptive patterns.

2. Mindful Movement: Gentle, intentional movement helps reprogram the nervous system. Focus on moving without fear of pain, even in small, controlled ways. Techniques like graded exposure—gradually increasing movement in a safe way—help reduce the nervous system’s overreaction to stimuli.

3. Neuromuscular Re-education: Tools like Nuex NX PRO 500, frequency-specific microcurrent, or Cold Laser can enhance communication between nerves and muscles, helping to reset dysfunctional patterns. Our proprietary concepts of IPAT tie it all together.

4. Visualization and Breathwork: Visualization techniques, where you imagine pain-free movement, can activate neural pathways without physical strain. Breathwork further calms the nervous system, reducing pain sensitivity.

5. Breaking the Pain-Stress Loop: Chronic pain often triggers stress, which in turn heightens pain. Practices like meditation, cold exposure, or biofeedback can lower stress and reset the nervous system’s pain response

A Holistic Approach to Pain, Movement, and Recovery

Pain is a complex and deeply personal experience, but it’s not a life sentence. By understanding how neuroplasticity works, we can start to break the cycle of pain and dysfunction. It’s about retraining the nervous system—just as we would retrain a movement pattern or a thought process.

“What fires together, wires together” is both a warning and an invitation. It’s a warning that our habits, whether mental or physical, can reinforce pain if left unchecked. But it’s also an invitation to create new pathways—ones that prioritize healing, resilience, and efficient movement.

Call to Action

Are pain and movement challenges holding you back? Discover how we can help you rewire your nervous system for lasting relief. Book a consultation today to start your journey to optimal health.