When I say Vagus I do not mean Vegas!
A solid argument can be made that the Vagus Nerve is the most important factor in how well you express health and well-being. It is certainly the most important nerve.
The Vagus Nerve is responsible for the regulation of internal organ function such as digestion, heart rate, and respiratory rate. Among the many functions of the Vagus Nerve are the following:
- Digestion
- Heart Rate
- Respiratory Rate
- Inflammatory Response
- Blood Pressure
- Immune Response
- Restorative Sleep
- Rest and Recovery
The Vagus Nerve is the primary nerve of the autonomic nervous system. The counterpart to the Vagus Nerve is the Sympathetic Nervous System.
The Vagus and the Parasympathetic System is referred to as the “Rest and Digest” system.
The Sympathetic System is referred to as the “Fight or Flight” system.
THE COMMON IMPACT IN ALL PAIN AND ILLNESS
Ok, so ALL might be a bit of an exaggeration! But, almost all are close to the truth.
For a number of reasons our modern lifestyle repeatedly turns up activity in the “fight or flight” system. This activation of the sympathetic system turns down or inhibits the Vagus Nerve.
Here’s another blog post I did on Correcting Vagus Nerve Imbalances.
The more the Sympathetic System gets activated the lower the activity of the Vagus Nerve. Over time the Vagus loses some of its ability to respond appropriately due to the almost constant Sympathetic activity.
CONSEQUENCES OF LOWERED VAGUS ACTIVITY
When the Vagus Nerve is lowered in its function for long enough a number of health challenges emerge. Which ones emerge when is dependent on a number of factors. Some of the many challenges that emerge with lowered Vagus Nerve function are:
- Elevated heart rate
- Impaired digestion
- Impaired sleep
- Impaired immune response
- Increased inflammation
- Increased muscle tension and pain
REDUCE PAIN AND IMPROVE SLEEP AND ANXIETY
I realize that much of the benefits of corrective chiropractic care come from the balancing of the autonomic nervous system.
In the upper neck the Vagus Nerve passes in front of the upper couple of vertebrae. If there is misalignment it can lower vagus nerve function. The pelvis is also an area that has a powerful impact on the vagus nerve.
In the mid and lower back misalignments tend to cause an increase in activity of the sympathetic “fight or flight” system
This combination of lowered vagus function and increased sympathetic function is a recipe for pain, fatigue, anxiety, and a wide range of chronic health challenges.
In my practice, Life Chiropractic of Grass Valley, CA www.lifewithinchiropractic.com my approach to balancing the autonomic nervous system has two primary components:
1. Corrective Chiropractic Care: the first step is to correct spinal misalignments or subluxations to remove irritation and pressure from the autonomic nervous system.
Corrective chiropractic is an advancement over traditional chiropractic as the focus is on restoring motion, correcting misalignments, and returning the structure to a state of balance.
2. Vagus Nerve Activating Practices: the longer you have had a chronic condition, the longer your autonomic system has been out of balance, the greater the chances are your vagus nerve is significantly impaired.
The vagus nerve always benefits from practices that activate it on a regular basis. I think of these practices as sort of waking up your vagus nerve from a deep slumber.
Maybe you are wondering if this is you. If you live in our society it is almost impossible not to have some autonomic system imbalance.
Here’s another blog post I wrote about Living in a Sympathetic Dominant State.
Our modern world is filled with triggers and stimuli that repeatedly activate the sympathetic system. The more it is activated the easier it is turned on. Over time we begin to live more and more in a state of sympathetic activation that is incompatible with robust health.
Are you ready to step out of the limitations of chronic sympathetic dominance?
Schedule your first visit to Life Chiropractic in Grass Valley here: Schedule Here.