Holistic therapies contribute a great deal to your sobriety success and overall wellness. From spending quality time in nature and meditation to biofeedback and progressive muscle relaxation, there are many methods you can use to reduce stress and stay calm. Vagus nerve stimulation is another helpful technique to try.
What’s the Vagus Nerve?
Your body’s central nervous system has two divisions. You’ve likely heard of “flight or fight”—the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). There’s also “rest and digest”—the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS):
- The SNS responds when you’re stressed, physically active, or in danger. It increases respiration and heart rate, and sharpens your eyesight. To enable these reactions, the SNS reduces other processes, such as digestion.
- The PNS automatically controls involuntary body functions such as your immune system, heart rate, digestion, respiration, and movement. Generally, you’re not able to consciously control these functions.
The vagus nerve, also known as cranial nerve X, is one of 12 cranial nerve pairs and the primary command center for the PNS. “Vagus” is Latin for “wandering,” and as this image shows, it’s the longest nerve in the body, originating in the brain stem, passing through the neck, and winding through the chest, heart, lungs, abdomen, and digestive system. Although it’s commonly referred to as a singular nerve, there are actually two of them—one on either side of your neck, and both are responsible for how involuntary body functions perform.
The vagus nerve is working behind the scenes all the time as the automatic connection between your brain and body. However, you can learn vagus nerve stimulation techniques to minimize the heightened response of the SNS and prompt a stronger reaction from the PNS. This practice may help control stress more effectively, manage addiction triggers and cravings, and improve overall well-being.
Benefits of Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Although it might not be something you’ve heard of before, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a procedure used in both conventional and functional medicine. According to the Mayo Clinic, “when the vagus nerve is stimulated, electrical impulses travel to areas of the brain. This alters brain activity to treat certain conditions.” The Clinic indicates that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved VNS for various conditions, including:
- Adults who have treatment-resistant depression, or who are non-responsive to certain medications, electroconvulsive therapy, or both combined.
- A potential remedy to minimize the intensity of migraines and cluster headaches.
- A dual approach of rehabilitation and VNS to help individuals recover hand and arm function after an ischemic stroke.
- As a treatment to reduce episodes of focal epilepsy, as well as a possible alternative for people who don’t respond well to anti-seizure medication.
Healthcare providers may suggest non-invasive techniques and devices as well as the surgical implantation of a specific stimulation device.
The National Library of Medicine also reports a link between stress and low vagal tone in both adolescents and adults. Vagal tone is a measurable factor that indicates how well the vagus nerve performs.
- From one study: “A review of research indicates that baseline levels of cardiac vagal tone and vagal tone reactivity abilities are associated with behavioral measures of reactivity, the expression of emotion, and self-regulation skills.”
- And another study: “Vagal tone is a measure of cardiovascular function that facilitates adaptive responses to environmental challenges. Low vagal tone is associated with poor emotional and attentional regulation and has been conceptualized as a marker of sensitivity to stress.”
So improving your vagal tone through VNS might be an option to enhance wellness.
Try These Vagus Nerve Exercises
Cedars Sinai states, “It turns out that many of the activities that we associate with calmness—things like deep breathing, meditation, massage, and even the experience of awe—create changes in the brain, in part, through increasing vagus nerve activity.” It suggests the following free and relatively easy techniques that you can do every day.
- Take deep(er) breaths. Okay, yes, we said that respiration is primarily an automatic function, but you can learn to control your breath to lessen your stress response and reduce pain. Breathe slowly through your nose, letting your rib cage and belly expand. Count to four. Then, lengthen your exhale for a count of eight, and release through your mouth. Do this for at least five or more full breath cycles—this prompts your relaxation response.
- Meditation or mindfulness. These practices “not only lower your heart rate, but they also reduce blood pressure levels,” notes Cedars Sinai.
- Loud gargling. Because its origin point is in the neck, your vagus nerve responds to the muscular movement as you gurgle water deep in your throat.
- Singing. Belting out your favorite tune creates vibrations throughout your chest and abdomen that stimulate the nerve. Humming, chanting, and laughing work well, too.
- Exercise. As if you needed another reason to move about, Cedars Sinai points out that “Exercise boosts the number of blood vessels that fuel your brain, spurs the development of new thought pathways, enhances connectivity between brain cells and stimulates the vagus nerve.”
- Cold water immersion. Whether you put your face into a basin of cold water or switch the shower from hot to cold for a few seconds at the end, research shows it increases PNS, especially after exercise.
Some experts also recommend improving vagal tone by avoiding certain processed foods and instead focusing on a whole-foods diet. You can also indulge in regular massages.
Willingway: Focused on Solutions
At Willingway’s Georgia and Florida addiction rehabilitation locations, our board-certified professionals believe that evidence-based treatment and lifestyle modifications provide a solid foundation for long-term health. If this solution-oriented approach is what you’re ready for to begin your healing journey, talk to a member of our admissions team today.