Understanding Fight, Flight, Freeze & Fawn as Body Patterns
The Four Trauma Responses and the Body
Our bodies are deeply intelligent. When faced with stress or trauma, the nervous system activates instinctive patterns to help us survive. These four primary responses—fight, flight, freeze, and fawn—are not conscious choices but physiological reactions designed to keep us safe.
Over time, if the stress or trauma isn’t resolved, the body can stay “stuck” in one or more of these patterns. That chronic activation may show up as tight muscles, fatigue, anxiety or disconnection, even when life feels calm on the surface.
At Kaname Chiropractic, we approach these responses with compassion and curiosity, helping patients reconnect with safety through nervous system-based chiropractic care.
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Common Signs:
Jaw clenching or teeth grinding
Tight shoulders and neck pain
Tension headaches or migraines
Feeling easily irritated or reactive
In the fight response, the body builds energy to confront or control a perceived threat. You might notice a constant sense of “readiness,” a feeling that something needs to be fixed or defended. This response is rooted in mobilization, powered by the sympathetic nervous system.
While this energy once protected us, living in a chronic fight state can lead to inflammation, pain, and emotional burnout. Chiropractic adjustments help calm the sympathetic system, allowing your body to release that stored tension and soften protective armor patterns.
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Common Signs:
Racing heart or palpitations
Restlessness or inability to sit still
Anxiety or a sense of urgency
Shallow breathing or hyperventilation
In the flight response, your body wants to get away—to outrun the stress. You may feel the need to stay busy, multitask constantly, or avoid stillness because rest feels unsafe.
Gentle chiropractic care encourages parasympathetic activation—the “rest and digest” state. Adjustments, breathwork, and grounding exercises used in Kaname’s trauma-informed approach help the body feel safe enough to slow down, breathe deeper, and simply be.xt goes here
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Common Signs:
Numbness or detachment from body sensations
Brain fog or zoning out
Cold hands and feet
Fatigue or chronic pain
The freeze response is the body’s emergency brake. When danger feels too overwhelming to fight or flee, the nervous system immobilizes. You may feel “stuck,” unable to take action even when you want to.
This state is governed by the dorsal vagal complex—the part of the vagus nerve that slows everything down. Over time, it can manifest as depression, fatigue, or disconnection from your body.
Through chiropractic adjustments, the spine’s communication pathways are gently reopened. Restoring mobility in key areas like the upper neck and sacrum can improve vagal tone, helping your system move from shutdown to safety.
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Common Signs:
Collapsed posture or rounded shoulders
Softened or apologetic voice
Difficulty saying “no”
Overextending to care for others
The fawn response seeks safety through connection. When the nervous system senses that compliance or people-pleasing is the safest route, boundaries may blur. Over time, this can create physical strain—neck and shoulder pain, tension headaches, or shallow breathing patterns.
At Kaname Chiropractic, we view the fawn response as an adaptive strategy that deserves compassion, not shame. Our role is to help patients re-establish healthy alignment—physically and emotionally—so they can stand tall, breathe fully, and feel safe in their own boundaries again.
How Chiropractic Care Supports Nervous System Healing
Chiropractic care is more than alignment. It’s communication.
Each adjustment helps the brain and body reconnect, allowing your nervous system to regulate more efficiently. When vertebral tension is released, signals between the brainstem and the rest of the body become clearer, helping the system shift out of chronic survival modes.
Regular care can support:
Reduced muscle tension and pain
Calmer stress responses
Improved sleep and digestion
Emotional balance and resilience
A deeper sense of safety and connection
At Kaname Chiropractic, we meet your body where it is and not where it “should” be.
Healing unfolds naturally when the nervous system feels supported and seen.
Returning to Balance
Recognizing your patterns—whether fight, flight, freeze, or fawn—is the first step toward healing.
Your body is not broken. It’s communicating.
Chiropractic care offers a safe, body-based way to relearn trust and regulation, helping you move from survival to presence, from tension to flow.
Ready to Begin Your Nervous System Healing Journey?
Whether you’re in San Mateo or Castro Valley, our team offers care that honors both science and sensitivity.
Let’s work together to help your body shed old stress patterns and rediscover ease.