Your vagus nerve and you

 Your vagus nerve is the main nerve of the parasympathetic nervous system. It helps us rest, digest, and calm down. It consists of thousands of fibers organized into two bundles that run from your brain stem down through each side of your neck and into your torso, branching outward to your internal organs. It’s a two-way communication system, picking up information about your organs and sending information from your brain stem back to them, helping to control digestion, heart rate, voice, mood and immune system functions. Because of these functions, the vagus nerve is the target of various therapies.

Researchers are using a treatment called vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), which uses electrical impulses to stimulate centers in the brain that regulate mood, sleep, appetite, and motivation. The treatment has been used to help with epilepsy, diabetes, depression, PTSD, and inflammatory autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. A battery-operated, computer-controlled device is implanted in the chest. Wires attach the device to the left vagus nerve. When stimulated, the nerve sends signals up to the brain. Studies have shown that VNS therapy significantly helps around 30% of patients who have been treated for chronic depression or type two bipolar affective disorder. The therapeutic effects appear to accumulate over time.

As you can imagine, entrepreneurs have taken advantage of the research to create products for stimulating the vagus nerve. For example, in searching the Internet I found a “non-invasive” hand-held “nerve stimulation device,” now on sale for $299.00. You can also get vagus massage oil, vibrating bracelets, and pillow mists. TikTok videos with the hashtag “#vagusnerve” have been viewed more than 64 million times. Tips for “resetting” or “toning” the vagus nerve include plunging your face into ice water baths or lying on your back with ice packs on our chest.

Or, as neurosurgeon Dr. Kevin J. Tracey says, “For wellness, try to maintain high vagus nerve activity through mindfulness, exercise and paced breathing.” Beats plunging your face into ice water.

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