What is the Vagus Nerve?
The vagus nerve (also called “Cranial nerve X”) is a major part of your autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system controls the processes in your body which happen “automatically,” without your input, like digestion, breathing, or your heart rate.
The autonomic nervous system can be divided into three parts:
- The Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS): The PNS runs your body while you’re at rest, and brings you back to a state of calm after stressful situations. It keeps everything in balance, keeps your metabolism running steady, and produces enzymes and hormones that help us feel happy and relaxed.
- The Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS): The SNS is responsible for our “fight-or-flight” response! It takes charge when we feel like we’re in danger – raising the heart rate and blood pressure, and slowing up other processes (like digestion) to free up more energy for running or fighting.
- The Enteric Nervous System (ENS): The ENS controls your digestive system, and is based entirely in your gut. It’s so complex and has such a strong influence on our behaviour (think “gut instinct”) that it’s been called “the second brain”!
The vagus nerve is the information highway that connects them all. It starts in the brain, and is deeply entwined with all three systems and every major organ in the body, but particularly with the parasympathetic nervous system.
When you’re in danger, signals travel along the vagus nerve to the SNS, to flood the body with adrenaline and activate your fight-or-flight. And when the danger is passed, signals travel back down the vagus nerve to the PNS, to calm you down and return you to a resting state (homeostasis).
If your vagus nerve is irritated or damaged, and you find yourself “stuck” in one state or the other, stimulating your vagus nerve can help you re-set your nervous system and return to homeostasis!
How do you stimulate the vagus nerve?
Since the vagus nerve is connected to our throat, lungs, stomach, and digestive tract, there are many ways to stimulate and soothe it, including:
- Deep, regular breathing (such as is practiced during yoga or meditation)
- Dipping your face into cold water (the diving instinct)
- Exercise
- Eating a healthy diet
The vagus nerve can also be stimulated manually using acupuncture or electrical stimulation, a.k.a., “electrical acupuncture”!
Electrically Stimulating the Vagus Nerve – a.k.a., Auricular Therapy
Part of the STOP Clinic method involves using mild, painless electrical currents to stimulate the vagus nerve through the “auricular nervous system” – a.k.a., through the ear.
This is one of the easiest places to access the vagus nerve – which, as you may remember, is the information highway that connects all your major organs and your autonomic nervous system.
Stopping smoking or cutting out addictions tends to send your body into panic mode, activating the sympathetic nervous system and causing stressful withdrawal symptoms.
But auricular therapy helps re-set the vagus nerve, activate calming hormones, block cravings, and reduce or eliminate withdrawal systems entirely.
Book your consultation with me today to hear more about how auricular therapy/electrical stimulation treatment can help you reclaim your life from addiction!
Sources & Further Reading
- Image Source: Wikimedia – Connections of the Parasympathetic Nervous System
- Function of the Vagus Nerve, by Dr Mark Circus
- The Autonomic Nervous System – The Cleveland Clinic
- The Sympathetic Nervous System – The Cleveland Clinic
- The Paraympathetic Nervous System – The Cleveland Clinic
- Overview of Tinnitus, Hyperacusis and Management Options to Help Patients Succeed – NC VSG (55min mark), from the Acoustic Neuroma Association
