Pelvic Health Tip of the Week: Rock the Vagus
Improving the function of the vagus nerve has been a strong topic of discussion lately -- specifically in areas of pain, digestion, and mental health. So, today, I want to dive into the Vagus nerve-- what is it? How do we stimulate it? And, does it really matter?
What Is The Vagus Nerve
The Vagus Nerve is the longest cranial nerve in the body. and it runs from the lower part of the brain through the chest and into the abdomen. The right and left vagal nerves contain around 75% of the parasympathetic nerves in the body! These nerves influence the immune system, our digestion, mood, heart rate, blood pressure, and much more!
How To Stimulate The Vagus Nerve
Clearly, this nerve does a lot... so, how do we stimulate the vagus nerve? Here are a few strategies you can easily implement at home!
Your voice--> Vocalization like humming and singing can increase vagal stimulation
Gargling for 1-2 minutes
Smiling/laughing (seriously-- I have been known to prescribe comedy!!)
Meditation/mindfulness based practices--> Yoga, Tai-chi, guided meditations/progressive relaxations, and much more!
Focused breathing exercises--> ie. square breathing, alternate nostril breathing, 4-7-8 breathing (see youtube to find any of these!!)
What does the research say About The Vagus Nerve
Mind-body activities have been found to improve symptoms in fibromyalgia and IBS (Islam et al., 2022)
Mindfulness and meditation improved pain severity symptoms and depression symptoms in people with chronic pain in this systematic review of 38 studies.
This 2016 study of mindfulness strategies and cognitive behavioral therapy found that both improved pain and function in people with chronic low back pain
Emerging research suggests that transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve may be helpful in improving chronic pain and other conditions(GI, mental health, and more!). (Side note: I've been very curious about vagus nerve electrical stimulation... so, I'm getting ready to do a little test myself!!) There are many device companies emerging-- like TruVaga, Pulsette, Neurostym, Sensate and more!
So- give it a go, and let us know what you think!