If you’ve been paying attention to the most recent buzz around health it involves the Vagus Nerve. That buzz is well founded even if some of the solutions being offered are less than credible. That doesn’t diminish the importance of the Vagus Nerve in reducing stress, improving immune system response, rest, recovery and a wide range of other critical metrics in health and healing.

This is a reason why my chiropractic care at Life Chiropractic in Grass Valley takes what might be called a Polyvagal Informed Approach to helping people overcome a wide range of chronic issues such as:

• Neck pain
• Headaches
• Insomnia and poor sleep
• Anxiety
• Chronic Inflammation
• Chronic Stress and Fatigue
• Digestion Issues 

Here’s a little of what the famed Cleveland Clinic says about the role of the Vagus Nerve in human health:

• The Vagus Nerve carries signals between the brain, heart and digestive system.
• It plays important roles in digestion, heart rate, blood pressure, immune response, mood, 

According to the Cleveland Clinic some of the signs of Vagus Nerve problems include:

• Abdominal pain and bloating
• Acid Reflux
• Changes to heart rate and blood pressure
• Changes to blood sugar
• Difficulty swallowing or loss of gag reflex
• Hoarseness, wheezing, or loss of voice

The problem with lowered Vagus Nerve activity is it manifests in so many different ways and what is the medical approach to these problems?

• If it’s Acid Reflux you get what is called a PPI (Proton Pump Inhibitor) like Prilosec.
• If it’s High Blood Pressure you get medication for that
• If it’s High Blood Glucose you get a diabetic medication like Metformin

None of these address the underlying problem with the Vagus Nerve!

And, they all lead to more and more medications when the problem could be greatly improved or resolved by improving the function of the Vagus Nerve. 

CHECK YOUR VAGAL NERVE TONE WITH THIS SIMPLE CHECKLIST

This checklist is an easy guide to the tone of your Vagus Nerve.

Strong Vagal Tone = 2 or less boxes checked

Moderate Vagal Tone = 5 or less boxes checked

Low Vagal Tone = 6 or more boxes checked

𝥁  You often feel stressed and/or wired,  feel like you can’t calm down and relax even if    you try – things like meditation have you feeling worse/more wired.

𝥁  You experience feelings of sensory overload, feeling overwhelmed in busy places

𝥁  You suffer with chronic health complaints that nobody seems to be able to help with – chronic fatigue, migraines, fibromyalgia, anything else that is unexplained

𝥁  It takes you a long time to calm yourself after a stressful moment, and can feel like you’re not inside your body

𝥁  You can experience a decreased desire to be social, make eye contact, be around people, make conversation – preference to be alone in a quiet space – social activities leave you feeling drained and tired – you pick up on other’s energy easily

𝥁  You experience brain fog, need or rely on stimulants to get through your day, worse in busy, noisy situations

𝥁  It doesn’t take much to stress you out, eg. a loud bang can have you feeling stressed and anxious for a long time

𝥁  You may have labeled yourself as an empath, introvert, or with social anxiety

𝥁  You experience digestive complaints – irritable bowel, unexplained abdominal pain, bloating, constipation – heightened gag response, possibly unable to take tablets without gagging

𝥁  You have a history of childhood stress/trauma, which seemed to affect your personality into adulthood, and your ability to cope with stress or not

What is your score? 

How many boxes did you check?

That’s a simple, quick Vagus Nerve assessment. Even if those items don’t register with you there is still a good chance your Vagus Nerve is not functioning as it should. Why would I say that?

Because our modern world is filled with stresses and triggers that repeatedly activate the sympathetic “fight or flight” system and this in turn causes an inhibition of the Vagus Nerve. 

Here are a couple of related posts of mine:

Stress and the Vagus Nerve
The Link Between Stress And…
Vagus Nerve Your Wellness Foundation

CHIROPRACTIC AND THE VAGUS NERVE

At Life Chiropractic in Grass Valley our focus is on correction. There are areas of the spine that cause a combination of increased sympathetic activity and lowered vagus nerve activity.

Our primary focus is on correcting these areas of the spine by:

• Returning the body to structural balance
• Restoring alignment of the pelvis and spine
• Restoring motion to the small facet joints of the spine

Corrective chiropractic care is very effective at removing sources of irritation to the autonomic nervous system – both the sympathetic and the Vagus Nerve. This helps bring more balance to the system. 

However, with chronic autonomic nervous system imbalances it is essential to further improve Vagus Nerve tone.

At Life Chiropractic in Grass Valley we do this with a number of strategies but the most profound is using conscious breathing to reduce sympathetic activation and improve Vagus Nerve tone. 

If you would like to schedule a Consultation and Exam at Life Chiropractic you can do that here: Schedule Here.

About Dr. Berkowitz  

Bringing more than 3 decades of practice experience, Dr. Bill Berkowitz focuses on balancing and corrective care, applying his expertise to provide patients with predictable, repeatable and measurable results.

Dr. Bill consistently strives to enhance the well-being of his patients by addressing the root imbalances of their problems and promoting optimal balance, alignment, and function of the spine and nervous system.  

Bill’s wealth of knowledge and experience has allowed him to develop a nuanced understanding of the human body and its intricate connections. With each adjustment, he supports the body in returning to a state of balance that goes beyond mere symptom relief, focusing instead on long-term correction for his patients’ well-being.