v: Anthroposophical Views v: Anthroposophical Views
Cool, calm and collected Dora Wagner Nerves are the higher roots of our senses Novalis
In October, after a bicycle accident, I was diagnosed with a torn tendon in my right shoulder. All of a sudden there was a plethora of considerations to process, issues to sort out and decide. Fear, stress, deadlines, doctor’s visits, and hospitals overcrowded with Covid patients all left their mark. My nerves were on edge, resulting in restlessness, sometimes even panic. Beyond a certain point, I could no longer find restful sleep— not only because of the physical complaints, but because of my circling thoughts. After surgery at the end of November, my right arm was immobilised. Now suffering from aching nerves and tense muscles, I still couldn’t find a good night's sleep. Yet, although I can only write this article with some effort, I feel like a million dollars. I have two remedies to thank. Before surgery, Calmedoron— the anthroposophical ‘gift for our nervous system’ —became a very loyal friend. In this remedy, mother tinctures of Hops (Humulus lupulus), Valerian (Valeriana officinalis), Passionflower (Passiflora sp.), and Oats (Avena sativa) are combined with Coffee (Coffea arabica) in a highly diluted, homoeopathically potentised form. In convalescence I have fallen in love with Monkshood (Wolfsbane, Aconite, Aconitum napellus). These plants have spared no effort in relieving my overly stressed nervous system and easing my pain.
Hundreds of billions of nerve cells— neurons —provide the functional and structural units of our brain and entire nervous system. They enable the transmission of signals from our sensory organs to our brain— such as visual and auditory sensations, muscle movements, perceptions of temperature, pressure, and pain. Neurons also transmit signals from our brain to the organs and to our body’s periphery. To make this transmission of information possible, the nerve cells mainly receive electrical stimuli— so called ‘action potentials’ —and transmit them to one another. An infinite number of action potentials are sent back and forth to allow our nervous systems to function, enabling us to move our muscles, feel pain, dream. There are many different types of neurons, each specialised in form and function, that are as complex as they are fascinating. However, they all share certain common features. Each and every neuron has a relatively large cell body, the soma. The most obvious difference between neurons and other cells, however, are the long extensions that rise from the cell body— the dendrites and the axons. Dendrites are like small branches that function as neural terminals, receiving signals from nearby neurons and transmitting them to the soma, where metabolic activity takes place. In
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