The vagus nerve derives its name from the latin word for wandering, since it weaves throughout the body from the brainstem to the colon. It’s the nerve that’s largely responsible for our parasympathetic nervous system, which tells the body to rest and digest. This relaxed state also allows the body to heal.
The parasympathetic light switch
If you’ve been following our blog for a while you’ve read about the difference between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems and the importance of relaxation to support healing.
We’ve talked a lot about the various ingredients that make up the recipe of wellbeing—different kinds of movement such as dance and exercising like a baby, breathing, sleep hygiene and spending time outside. Stimulating the vagus nerve is another tool that can to help you achieve the physical and emotional balance necessary to live your best life.
It can be like flipping the switch to move from our body’s fight, freeze, or run mode to its rest, digest, and heal mode.
Some benefits include:
Treats depression and migraines
Regulates your emotions
Reduces blood pressure
Lowers your heart rate
Reduces inflammation
How to switch it on
We all encounter stressful situations in life. When we’re able to stay clear-headed in a stormy moment, we’re able to make wiser decisions that lead to better outcomes.
For some cases of epilepsy or depression that aren’t treatable through other methods, there is a procedure to implant an electrical vagus nerve stimulator. But there are of course many low-tech ways to stimulate the vagus nerve indirectly, on your own.
We help tone our vagus nerve when we:
Sing, hum or say “Ommmmmmm”
Take a cold shower, or wash your face and hands with cold water
Gently massage along collarbones and neck
Socialize and laugh
Exercise
Meditate
Breath deeply (see our post about using the breath as a tool)
“Your vagus nerve plays a powerful role in your body. Keeping your vagus nerve strong and balanced can help you respond more effectively to a variety of emotional and physiological symptoms.”
Quick trick
Here’s one of those easy techniques we love, that you can do anytime, anywhere to calm your system down. Get to know the Ten Tigers!
Come visit us at Parkside
Whether you’re recovering from an injury or just need a tune-up, we’re here to help. We tailor our care to your specific condition and tap into your body’s natural healing ability. Make an appointment, or if you have any questions, contact us.