Vagus Nerve
Did you know that we have 12 Cranial Nerves in the body?
The Vagus Nerve is the longest one out of all of them and directly connects to the Brain Stem and also the gut. It branches off in many different directions like arms and connects to several organs-heart, lungs, stomach, intestines and upper digestive system. Your left and right Vagus Nerves run on either side of your body eventually meeting up in the gut.
Vagus means wandering in latin and is why this extremely important nerve is referred to as “The Wandering Nerve” This wandering that the nerve does throughout the body, helps the brain keep an eye on what is happening in different organs and important functions of the body.
Due to this brain/gut connection, we can literally help organize and ensure that the body is functioning optimally through several ways. We can even change what is happening in the body several times a day with small simple movements and decisions. This mind/body connection can help decide if we are working from the para-sympathetic Nervous system or Sympathetic Nervous system. Most of us walk around with a dominant sympathetic N.S. due to high stress, holding our breath, breathing reversed, lack of movement throughout the day, sitting more then we should, making unhealthy food choices to often, and suffering from chronic inflammation just to name a few.
How do you know if your Vagus Nerve needs some love?
Besides the fact that I believe that everyone should make a conscious effort to make this connection between the Vagus Nerve and how our body responds daily, there are some signs that you may need to purposefully focus.
Some of signs that your vagus nerve is not functioning properly (referred to as Poor vagal tone) include; digestive disorders, poor sleep health, fatigue, anxiety and depression, stubborn weight gain, and brain fog. You would also consider illness/diseases such as; Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, Organ issues, Dementia, allergies, Cancer, heart disease, inflammation related illnesses, obesity, diabetes, autoimmune conditions, and poor cardiovascular health.
The connection between your Vagus Nerve and how your organs are functioning is extremely relevant. Many studies have been conducted over the years in which poor kidney or bladder function was improved significantly through Vagus nerve stimulation. In fact, in the case of seizures have even been improved signficantly through stimulation of Vagus Nerve.
What can you do about this?
Vagal Tone can be improved in a various number of ways. Some simple and some more complex. We can all make an effort to do some of these daily/weekly and note your improvement.
*Yoga!!
*Breath exercises-Deep breath exercises/slow breath
*Aerobic Exercise
*Hiking
*Massage
*Cold showers-splashing cold water on your face/cold facecloth or icepack on back of neck
*Cold exposure
*Humming or Singing (So sing in your car or shower)
*Chanting -think OM (yoga) or Mantra
*Taking a probiotic will stimulate your microbiom and will trigger your Vagus Nerve due to its connection with your digestion.
*cod liver oil -has been shown to stimulate the vagus nerve due to its connection with the heart.
*Reflexology
*Natural Intermittent Fasting
*Laughing! -Yes laughing will stimulate and improve the vagal tone!
*Some Serotonin boosting supplements will help stimulate Vagal tone, such as 5-HTP and L’Theanine
*Acupuncture-professionals can also utilize an acupuncture pen to promote the connection.
*NIR/Red light Therapy
*Grounding-Sometimes called Earthing.
So give it a thought and pay close attention to your VAGUS Nerve and whether it could use some love! For those in Calgary, I offer NIR/Red light therapy, Yoga sessions and Laughter, so reach out if you need me!