The autonomic nervous system regulates our innate stress response. There are two main divisions of this system:<\/p>\n
The vagus nerve (cranial nerve X)<\/a> runs along the anterior portion of the vertebral column.4<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0 The term \u201cvagus\u201d stems from \u201cvagabond,\u201d referring to the wandering nature of this nerve’s pathway through the body.<\/p>\n The vagus nerve is divided into four primary branches:<\/p>\n The sympathetic nerves affect how our bodies respond to stressors. A stressor is anything that disrupts homeostasis\u2014people, places, things, circumstances, or even imagined events. Stress is subjective; each individual perceives life\u2019s encounters differently. It is healthy for people to examine their stressors experienced in life.<\/p>\n There are two primary pathways of neuronal white matter tracts within the vagus nerve:<\/p>\n There are three major functional branches of the vagus nerve. The dorsal parasympathetic branches are the most primitive and are found in all mammals and invertebrates.6<\/a><\/sup> These are significant in evolution to see and perceive present dangers of natural forces. The sympathetic branches were next to develop in evolution and allowed animals to alter their stress responses. The ventral parasympathetic branches are the newest pathways. These facilitate patterns of social engagement unique to mammals. These days, we can protect ourselves fairly well from nature\u2019s forces so our biggest fears stem from other people.<\/p>\n Many people experience fainting episodes, called vasovagal syncope, during stressful situations. A sudden drop in blood pressure and heart rate occurs, resulting in the vagus nerve coordinating messages with the brain to facilitate the fainting bout. A victim Cranial nerves V (5), VII (7), IX (9), and XI (11) are affected by the neurological Commonly, doctors check the gag reflex. Failure of this reflex indicates damage of the Dr. Lee Henton, in The Secrets of Vagus Nerve Stimulation<\/em>, confirms that the intestinal (alimentary) tract produces the majority of serotonin, dopamine, and GABA neurotransmitters that directly affect the brain. These chemicals influence mood, behavior, cognition, and clarity of thought.2<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Eating a proper combination of probiotics and prebiotics can support this gut-brain connection.<\/p>\n There are many other means to aiding vagus nerve health and communication.<\/p>\n This gentle, non-invasive modality harmonizes vagus nerve healing. Soft touch is applied to the skull, vertebral, and sacral bones to guide them into alignment which regulates cerebrospinal fluid flow around the brain and spinal cord. This fluid regulation positively impacts intracranial pressure and neurological signaling through the body\u2019s central nervous system tissues.<\/p>\n Reiki is a light-touch energy modality that supports vagus nerve healing by calming the nervous system and encouraging a parasympathetic response. There are many forms and styles of Reiki. Be sure to inquire with Reiki practitioners on their level and nature of training.<\/p>\n While some clients may inquire about specific vagus nerve massage techniques, recent research suggests that such targeted methods may not be strictly necessary to promote vagal activation and deep relaxation. While there are not many studies on vagus nerve massage, one study explored whether massage can help people relax both mentally and physically by measuring heart rate variability<\/a> (a marker of vagus nerve activity) and asking participants how relaxed they felt.<\/p>\n The study found that both vagus nerve massage and gentle shoulder massage were effective in improving relaxation and increasing vagal tone. This suggests that even general massage approaches \u2014 like working the shoulders \u2014 can support nervous system regulation. Additionally, incorporating techniques that address the base of the head and neck may further enhance these effects by supporting vagus nerve function and heart rate variability.5<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Understanding the anatomy and physiology of the vagus nerve allows a practitioner a means to better understanding of how bodywork efforts can impact this nerve, thereby improving its functional role within therapy sessions.\u00a0 Facilitating a session inducing the body’s parasympathetic mode will yield healing within clients.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This article explores the vagus nerve and related anatomy as it pertains to Polyvagal Theory. Originated by Dr. Stephen Porges, this theory identifies a biological order of human response that is active in our everyday experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":6900,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6893","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-anatomy"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.integrativehealthcare.org\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6893","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.integrativehealthcare.org\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.integrativehealthcare.org\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.integrativehealthcare.org\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.integrativehealthcare.org\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6893"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.integrativehealthcare.org\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6893\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6956,"href":"https:\/\/www.integrativehealthcare.org\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6893\/revisions\/6956"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.integrativehealthcare.org\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6900"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.integrativehealthcare.org\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6893"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.integrativehealthcare.org\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6893"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.integrativehealthcare.org\/mt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6893"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
Neuroanatomy of the Vagus Nerve<\/h3>\n
\n
\nemotions pertaining to social connections.<\/li>\nEvolution of Functional Branches<\/h3>\n
Vasovagal Syncope \u2013 Fainting Bout<\/h2>\n
\nfaints and falls potentially resulting in bone, joint and head injuries.8<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nAssociated Cranial Nerves<\/h3>\n
\ncommunication between organs and the brain via the vagus nerve (10). These nerves
\nregulate head and neck organ, muscle, and skin activity.<\/p>\n\n
Vagus Nerve Testing and Challenges<\/h2>\n
\nvagus nerve. Potential symptoms of physical damage to the vagus nerve include<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n
Hautant\u2019s Test for Arterial and Vagus Nerve Injury<\/h3>\n
\n
\nIf stinging or electric shock occurs, stop immediately\u2014this may indicate vagus nerve damage.<\/li>\n
\nIf one cannot count backwards, the vertebral artery feeling the brain is being pinched.
\nStop test immediately at this point.1<\/a><\/sup><\/li>\n<\/ol>\nMeans to Aid Vagus Nerve Health and Communication<\/h2>\n
Lifestyle Support<\/h3>\n
\n
\nsignaling.<\/li>\nMassage and Bodywork<\/h2>\n
Cranial Sacral Therapy<\/a><\/h3>\n
Reiki<\/h3>\n
Vagus Nerve Massage<\/strong><\/h3>\n