https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog Neuroscience, pain science and systems biology made usable. Written by Tristan Siokos, Founder of Recalibrate. en Wed, 26 Aug 2026 17:08:59 GMT https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/cortisol-is-a-fuel-hormone-food-and-blood-sugar https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/cortisol-is-a-fuel-hormone-food-and-blood-sugar Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Lifestyle and Wellness Tristan Siokos Cortisol is a fuel hormone: it breaks down muscle protein and fat so the liver can make new glucose, then blocks muscle uptake so your brain gets what is left. That is why blood sugar crashes - not stress alone - drive most food effects on cortisol, why caffeine is the exception, why under-eating raises it, and why low cortisol in ME/CFS is exhaustion rather than calm. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/fascia-pain-not-muscle-soreness-doms https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/fascia-pain-not-muscle-soreness-doms Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Pain Science Tristan Siokos Delayed onset muscle soreness is mostly fascia, not muscle. The same irritant injected into fascia hurt 86% more, lasted up to twice as long and spread 65% wider than in muscle - because fascia is densely supplied with damage-signalling endings and muscle is not. Why no scan assesses it, why fascial layers glide 20% less in chronic low back pain, and why foam rolling works on nerves rather than tissue. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/neuroscience-of-self-trust-brain-keeps-a-record https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/neuroscience-of-self-trust-brain-keeps-a-record Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Psychology & Mind-Body Tristan Siokos Self-trust is a prediction, not a personality trait. Your brain updates on outcomes, not intentions - so tiny kept promises rebuild it and big broken ones dismantle it. The predictive-processing and self-efficacy evidence, the revised neuroscience of learned helplessness, and why chronic illness makes this so much harder. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/hormones-neurotransmitters-blood-brain-barrier-truth https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/hormones-neurotransmitters-blood-brain-barrier-truth Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Neuroscience Tristan Siokos Adrenaline cannot cross the blood-brain barrier - the alarm in your head is noradrenaline from the locus coeruleus. Circulating endorphins cannot get in either. Dopamine peaks before the reward, 90% of serotonin is in the gut, and cortisol degrades its own off-switch. What ten major hormones and neurotransmitters actually do, and where. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/natural-painkillers-plant-compounds-evidence https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/natural-painkillers-plant-compounds-evidence Sat, 08 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Lifestyle and Wellness Tristan Siokos Fourteen natural painkillers and the named compound inside each: eugenol in cloves, salicin in willow bark, boswellic acids, gingerols, curcumin, menthol, anthocyanins, bromelain and more. What the Cochrane reviews and randomised trials actually show, the dosing and absorption details that matter, and the medication interactions to check first. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/cervicogenic-headache-myodural-bridge-neck-driven-head-pain https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/cervicogenic-headache-myodural-bridge-neck-driven-head-pain Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Pain Science Tristan Siokos Rectus capitis posterior minor attaches to the dura via the myodural bridge, so the neck and head were never separate problems. How a cervicogenic headache behaves, the flexion-rotation test (44 degrees normal, under 30 positive), why upper-neck nerves are felt behind the eye through the trigeminocervical complex, and the 12-month trial evidence for neck exercise and manual therapy. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/descending-pain-modulation-brain-turns-pain-up-or-down https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/descending-pain-modulation-brain-turns-pain-up-or-down Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Pain Science Tristan Siokos Your brainstem sets the gain on pain. Descending inhibition turns signals down; descending facilitation turns them up. Add central sensitisation in the dorsal horn and you get allodynia and spreading pain with no new tissue damage. The neuroscience, explained - plus the 2026 meta-analysis showing pain education itself reduces pain, disability and fear of movement. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/hyoid-bone-throat-vagus-nerve-nervous-system https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/hyoid-bone-throat-vagus-nerve-nervous-system Sat, 25 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Neuroscience Tristan Siokos The hyoid bone is suspended in muscle and never touches another bone. Around it converge five cranial nerves including the vagus. This is the anatomy behind why breathing, humming and swallowing can shift your nervous system state - and why it matters in chronic pain. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/eating-for-calm-nervous-system-brain-nutrition https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/eating-for-calm-nervous-system-brain-nutrition Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Lifestyle and Wellness Tristan Siokos What you eat directly changes your nervous system chemistry. The neuroscience behind 12 foods - from sardines and BDNF to chamomile and GABA-A receptors - and how every meal supports or depletes the system. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/emotional-regulation-nervous-system-control-panel https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/emotional-regulation-nervous-system-control-panel Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Neuroscience Tristan Siokos Your emotional state is a physiological condition. The neuroscience behind 4 states - stressed, insecure, anxious, unmotivated - and exactly how to shift each one using breathing, posture, visual field and norepinephrine triggers. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/movement-brain-bdnf-sitting-nervous-system https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/movement-brain-bdnf-sitting-nervous-system Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Neuroscience Tristan Siokos Why sitting all day undoes your workout. The neuroscience of BDNF, cerebral blood flow, and proprioceptive input - and why movement throughout the day matters more than one session. With chronic illness nuance. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/types-of-neuroplasticity-adaptive-maladaptive https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/types-of-neuroplasticity-adaptive-maladaptive Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Neuroscience Tristan Siokos There are several types of neuroplasticity - structural, functional, synaptic (LTP/LTD), homeostatic, and neurogenesis. Understanding the adaptive vs maladaptive axis explains why chronic pain, fibromyalgia and central sensitisation are real physical changes - and why they can change. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/dendritic-spines-invisible-growth-brain https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/dendritic-spines-invisible-growth-brain Sun, 28 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Neuroscience Tristan Siokos Dendritic spines are the connection points along your neurons. They form, swell, shrink and vanish constantly - with 40% turning over in 4 days in the hippocampus. Here is the science of invisible brain growth and what it means for memory and chronic illness. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/autonomic-nervous-system-sympathetic-parasympathetic https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/autonomic-nervous-system-sympathetic-parasympathetic Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Neuroscience Tristan Siokos The autonomic nervous system explained: sympathetic (fight or flight), parasympathetic (rest and recover) and the enteric "second brain" in your gut. How the balance works, why it gets stuck in chronic illness, and how to train it back to flexibility. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/twelve-cranial-nerves-explained https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/twelve-cranial-nerves-explained Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Neuroscience Tristan Siokos All 12 cranial nerves explained simply: olfactory, optic, oculomotor, trochlear, trigeminal, abducens, facial, vestibulocochlear, glossopharyngeal, vagus, accessory and hypoglossal. What each does and why the vagus matters for stress and recovery. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/types-of-glial-cells-nervous-system https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/types-of-glial-cells-nervous-system Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Neuroscience Tristan Siokos The 4 types of glial cells explained: astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia and ependymal cells. What each does, where they live, and how they drive myelination, neuroinflammation, central sensitisation, brain fog and recovery. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/functional-freeze-explained https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/functional-freeze-explained Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Neuroscience Tristan Siokos Functional freeze is dorsal vagal shutdown showing up as procrastination, fatigue, and the inability to start tasks - while you still look fine externally. Polyvagal neuroscience, signs, and evidence-based ways out. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/dorsal-vagal-shutdown-collapse https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/dorsal-vagal-shutdown-collapse Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Neuroscience Tristan Siokos Dorsal vagal shutdown is the parasympathetic collapse response - the oldest survival strategy in your nervous system. Polyvagal theory, signs of dorsal vagal state, and how to climb the polyvagal ladder back to ventral vagal safety. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/stuck-in-fight-or-flight https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/stuck-in-fight-or-flight Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Neuroscience Tristan Siokos Stuck in fight or flight? Chronic sympathetic activation is one of the most common forms of nervous system dysregulation. Symptoms, causes, why deep breathing alone is not enough, and the daily practices that actually shift the baseline. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/what-causes-brain-fog https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/what-causes-brain-fog Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Neuroscience Tristan Siokos What causes brain fog? The seven most common biological drivers - nervous system dysregulation, sleep architecture failure, neuroinflammation, blood sugar swings, dysautonomia, hormonal disruption, post-viral cognitive impairment. Plus how to track which one is yours. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/allostatic-load-explained https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/allostatic-load-explained Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Neuroscience Tristan Siokos Allostatic load is the biological cost of sustained stress and incomplete recovery. The neuroscience from Bruce McEwen, the 10 markers that index it, and how to start lowering yours - with Recalibrate built around the measurement loop. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/medical-gaslighting-chronic-illness https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/medical-gaslighting-chronic-illness Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Care and Support Tristan Siokos Medical gaslighting is the dismissal of real biological symptoms when doctors cannot explain them. The research, the disparities (women 2x more likely, people of colour worse), and the documented playbook for being believed in the next appointment. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/is-my-nervous-system-dysregulated https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/is-my-nervous-system-dysregulated Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Self-Management Tristan Siokos Free 24-question self-assessment to find out if your nervous system is dysregulated and which state (fight, flight, freeze, fawn) you spend most time in. Polyvagal-informed, evidence-based, and personalised to a regulation protocol. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/pots-tracker-symptoms-management https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/pots-tracker-symptoms-management Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Self-Management Tristan Siokos The best POTS tracker captures more than heart rate. Track orthostatic response, hydration, sodium, sleep, menstrual phase, weather, PEM and 12 other variables. The free Recalibrate POTS tracker is built for this. Get it now. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/measure-your-allostatic-load https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/measure-your-allostatic-load Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Self-Management Tristan Siokos Allostatic load can be measured with 10 specific biomarkers across HPA axis, autonomic, cardiovascular, immune and metabolic systems. How to track each one at home, and how Recalibrate combines them into one daily Stability Score. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/systems-biology-eleven-organ-systems-chronic-illness https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/systems-biology-eleven-organ-systems-chronic-illness Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Neuroscience Tristan Siokos You are not a body. You are eleven organ systems running in parallel. The systems biology perspective on why complex chronic conditions are so hard to diagnose and treat, and why you are not making it up. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/leisure-sickness-parasympathetic-rebound-neuroscience https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/leisure-sickness-parasympathetic-rebound-neuroscience Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Neuroscience Tristan Siokos Why do you get sick on holiday or the moment a deadline ends? The neuroscience of leisure sickness and parasympathetic rebound explained. Locus coeruleus, HPA axis, cortisol suppression, and allostatic load. Written by Recalibrate founder Tristan Siokos. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/four-types-of-neurons-nervous-system https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/four-types-of-neurons-nervous-system Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Neuroscience Tristan Siokos The 4 structural types of neurons explained: multipolar, pseudounipolar, bipolar, and unipolar. What each type does, where they are found, and how function, neurotransmitter type, and molecular identity add further layers to the classification. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/neuroscience-inflammation-mood-low-days https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/neuroscience-inflammation-mood-low-days Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Neuroscience Tristan Siokos Why your low days are rarely just psychological. The neuroscience of inflammation and mood: how cytokines (IL-6, TNF-alpha, CRP) cross the blood-brain barrier, trigger sickness behaviour, and overlap with depression. The gut-brain axis, chronic illness, and what actually lowers inflammation. https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/architecture-of-chronic-symptom-tracking https://www.recalibratepain.com/blog/architecture-of-chronic-symptom-tracking Sat, 23 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT Digital Health Tristan Siokos The architecture of chronic symptom tracking: what to track, how to avoid overload, and how structured health data helps people and clinicians find useful patterns.