How to stimulate the vagus nerve

Stimulating the Vagus Nerve for CRPS and Autonomic Nervous System Disorders

The vagus nerve is the most important nerve inside the body outside of the spinal cord.  Vagus means” wanderer” because it wanders all over the body to different important organs.

The vagus nerve goes from the brain down to the abdomen connecting to the heart, lungs, stomach, intestines, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, kidneys, spleen and the female reproductive organs.  The vagus nerve supplies the motor parasympathetic fibers to all these organs. It’s part of the parasympathetic nervous system.

When the vagus nerve isn’t working correctly it will cause digestive disorders including dyspepsia, gastroparesis, GERD, colitis, ulcerative and to name a few.  It’s very common for people with CRPS to develop digestive issues that can start out mild like constipation, heartburn, indigestion and bloating.  As it progresses people may suffer from leaky gut, food allergies, chronic inflammation of the GI tract and Crohn’s.  In the more severe cases people with CRPS suffer from gastroparesis.

A malfunction of the vagus nerve can’t send signals to your stomach muscles, resulting in poor digestion of food and the slowing down of the emptying of your stomach.  People suffering from CRPS and digestive issues should be treated as a central nervous system malfunction instead of 2 separate conditions.

So, why is it so important for people with CRPS and other autonomic disorders to understand the vagus nerve?  People with CRPS suffer from sympathetic dominance causing the parasympathetic nervous system to be suppressed and to shut down.  Which makes the the vagus nerve underactive. In general the vagus nerve is responsible for slowing and calming things down, as well as sleep and healing.  

The vagus nerve is so important for proper digestion, sleep, relaxation and healing.  So, let talk about ways to stimulate the vagus nerve.

Ways to stimulate the Vagus Nerve

Singing, humming, mantra chanting, hymn singing and upbeat energetic singing.

Gargling with a glass of water each morning will help to contract the muscles in the back of your throat. This in turn helps to activate the vagus nerve and also stimulates the digestive tract.

Yoga is a parasympathetic activation exercise that improves digestion, blood flow, lung capacity and function.

Meditation there are two different types of meditation that have been shown to increase vagal tone including Loving-Kindness meditation as well as Guided Mindfulness Meditation

Slow and deep breathing also stimulates the vagus nerve. The baroreceptors, or pressure receptors in your neck and heart detect blood pressure and transmit the signal to your brain. This signal then in turn activates the vagus nerve, to help lower blood pressure and heart rate. This results in a lower sympathetic “fight or flight” response, as well as a higher parasympathetic “rest and digest” response. Slow breathing helps to increase the sensitivity of these receptors, increasing vagal activation.

Here’s an important tip: Breathe slowly, having your belly rise and fall. This is the intended action of your diaphragm muscle.

Probiotics, your gut is connected to your brain, and one of the most clear connections is through the vagus nerve. Within our gut, we have a population of normal and good bacteria and yeast called the Microbiome. These organisms have a direct effect on our brains as a significant percentage of our neurotransmitters including Serotonin, GABA and Dopamine are produced through actions of these bacteria helping to break down our foods. Often times we have less good bacteria and more bad bacteria within this population leading to poor neurochemistry and decreased vagal tone.

Pressure massages can activate the vagus nerve. Foot Massages can also increase vagus nerve activity.

Laughter is the best medicine. This can actually be true in the case of increased vagus nerve activity

Essential Oils that stimulate vagus nerve and increase vagal tone.

Serotonin– 5-HTP is a supplement you can take to increase serotonin

Coffee enemas-expanding the bowel increases vagus nerve activation, as is done with enemas.

Zinc- which is low in most people’s diet

Positive social relationships

EPA and DHA in seafood

Consider adding a few of these to your treatment protocol. For example, I like to hum and sing in the shower every morning.  I practice meditation and yoga a few times a week. Breathing exercises is something I also practice when I find myself getting stressed.  Probiotics are a part of my supplement protocol, I eat probiotic rich foods as well. I socialize with friends and family when I can and love to watch stand up comedy.  I eat a nutrient dense diet that includes foods with zinc, EPA and DHA. I use my essential oil roll on morning and night over the vagus nerve as I am doing my morning and evening routine.  So it doesn’t have to be complicated or a scheduled thing, you just want to be mindful about making sure you do it.