Vagus Nerve Stimulation: The Gut-Brain Connection

What is the vagus nerve?

Vagus Nerve Stimulation: The longest and complicated of the twelve pairs of cranial nerves is the incredible vagus nerve. Coming from the Latin word “vagus” meaning “wandering,” the vagus nerve ‘wanders’ or emanates from the brain into the neck, chest, abdomen, and vital organs and is part of the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for involuntary body functions. You may also find that the vagus nerve is sometimes called cranial nerve X or the 10th cranial nerve.

What exactly does the vagus nerve affect in the body?

The vagus nerve is impressively responsible for a variety of functions in the body. However, they can be broken down into four main tasks: motor, sensory, special sensory, and parasympathetic. The sensory functions are responsible for roles in the throat, lungs, heart, and abdomen. Special sensory features are what provide us with sensations of taste. Motor skills encompass everything from speaking, swallowing, and muscle movement in the neck. And lastly, the parasympathetic functions include the heart rate, breathing, and digestion.

More on the parasympathetic system and its relationship with the vagus nerve

The human nervous system is into two main areas—sympathetic and parasympathetic. The sympathetic side is responsible for elevating the heart rate, elevating blood pressure, increasing alertness, increasing breathing rate, and increasing energy. On the contrary, the parasympathetic nervous system, greatly influenced by the vagus nerve, slows the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, decreases alertness, slows the breathing, and calms and relaxes the nerves. The parasympathetic nervous system is also responsible for digestion. Thus the vagus nerve is hugely involved with urination, defecation, as well as sexual arousal and stimulation.

Given that the vagus nerve plays such a significant role with the parasympathetic nervous system, some other vital effects that it plays on the human body include:

• Promoting relaxation – It’s been shown that deep breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, which, in turn, communicates with our brain, heart, and other organs, reminding us to calm down. With deep breaths, it can ‘trick’ your body into feeling relaxed, even in stressful situations.
• A gut-brain connection – The vagus nerve takes information from our gut and sends it to the brain. Gut health is also linked to mental health as well as fear management. With a healthy gut, a person is better able to recover from traumatic situations.
• Decreases inflammation – Since the vagus nerve is what helps tell the body to ‘calm down’ and ‘relax,’ it does the same thing with inflammation. By activating the vagus nerve, it sends an anti-inflammatory signal to any stress points in the body. There is also a very close connection between the vagus nerve and the functioning of the immune system.

What happens if the vagus nerve is not working correctly?

Vagus nerve functioning, also known as vagal tone, can have significant consequences on a person’s health. A person’s vagal tone can be disrupted for multiple reasons, including infections, inflammation, diseases, excessive stress, and even certain medications. When the vagus nerve is not functioning correctly, it affects breathing, digestion, sleeping, skin health, and more.

Other common problems associated with a poor-performing or overactive vagus nerve are:

• Headaches
• Migraines
• Seizures
• Arthritic inflammation
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Anxiety and depression
• Abdominal pain
• Weight gain
• Memory loss
• Fatigue
• Insomnia

Vagus Nerve Stimulation For Optimal Vagal Tone

By stimulating the vagus nerve, it can significantly improve both mental and physical health. There are both natural and surgical ways to stimulate the vagus nerve, depending on the severity of health symptoms. With a properly functioning vagus nerve, it will lead to a quicker recovery after trauma and stress, improved digestion, decreased inflammation, and more.

Natural ways to stimulate the vagus nerve

• Deep breathing and meditation – As mentioned earlier, deep breath can help ‘turn on’ the vagus nerve and help send signals to calm the body and brain, amping your parasympathetic nervous system. Try breathing in for 3 seconds, hold for one, then breathe out for 5 seconds.
• Humming – Although it might sound strange, humming can significantly influence the state of your nervous system. The vagus nerve passes through the vocal cords and inner ear. By humming, it stimulates a soothing sensation.
• Take a cold shower – Turn on your vagus nerve by taking a cold shower first thing in the morning. Studies have shown that acute cold exposure activates the nerve, shifting the parasympathetic nervous system.
• Connect with people – Having healthy connections with others can help us feel calm, relaxed, and close to one another. When we have people that are close to us in our lives, we are less likely to feel overly stressed; therefore, not overexerting your vagus nerve.

Surgical vagus nerve stimulation (VNS)

Another option for people with certain health conditions is a medical device that stimulates the vagus nerve through mild electrical impulses similar to a pacemaker. The effectiveness has been tested through clinical trials, and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the device to treat epilepsy and depression. However, VNS has been shown to help those with arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, bipolar disorder, and more.

A neurosurgeon performs a VNS device under general anesthesia—the entire procedure lasting approximately 45-90 minutes. The process requires two small incisions, one on the upper left side of the chest where the pulse generator is implanted, and a second on the left side of the lower neck where wires are inserted that connect to the vagus nerve. The device contains a battery that can last up to 15 years and is easily replaced via a much less invasive procedure re-opening only the chest incision site.

VNS has been shown to relieve the severity and length of seizures in epilepsy patients, as well as improved mood, alertness, and overall well-being. Vagus Nerve Stimulation is also currently undergoing studies on its effectiveness in treating those with Rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson’s, Chrohn’s, and other inflammatory diseases.

Stimulate Your Vagus Nerve Without Surgery

The Fisher Wallace Stimulator® is a wearable neurostimulation device that is indicated by the FDA to treat depression, anxiety and insomnia. The device works by stimulating serotonin production, alpha wave production and the default mode network while lowering cortisol (the stress hormone), as proven in published studies. Patients use the device at home for 20 minutes a day and typically experience symptom reduction within the first week of use.

A Parasympathetic (relaxed) State With Essential Oils

Turn on your body’s ability to relax with this all-natural essential oil blend made from a synergistic combination of clove and lime essential oils. Melt away stress, elevate mood, boost energy, improve digestion, and regain focus with Parasympathetic®. 

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