Pelvic Health Blog

Vagus nerve support for digestion

5/10/2023

By Karen Bruno, PT

Support for your digestion, known as the microbiome, is assisted by the vagus nerve. The enteric nervous system, often referred to as the second brain, controls activity of the gastrointestinal tract which includes the stomach and intestines. (1) It has extensive nerve connections and communication between the central nervous system ( your brain and spinal cord) and the digestive system. The vagus nerve runs from the brain down to your organs, such as, the small and large intestines, regulating movement in the digestive tract. Signals are sent brain to gut and gut to brain.

This gentle exercise uses gateways, or touch points, to talk to the vagus nerve and to your gut health. Take one hand, cross it over your throat, and tuck it in the hollow space behind your ear (acupressure point Triple Warmer 17). Take the middle finger of the other hand and place it in your navel. Your touch pressure in both areas is very light. This hooks up the gut to the vagus nerve. Breathe in through the nose and out through the back of your throat to support the vagus nerve and digestive health. Take about 3-5 breathes; feel free to do it more if you have the time. Then switch your hands so that you connect the back of the ear on the opposite side and the belly button.

You can do this anytime during the day, for example, before or after a meal, before bed, first thing in the morning or whenever it is convenient. You can do this sitting, standing or laying down. This supports good vagus nerve connection from the brain to the gut and the gut back to the brain. (2)

(1) John B. Furness (2007) Enteric nervous system. Scholarpedia, 2(10):4064., revision #91225
(2) https://wellwithin.net/energy-medicine-for-gut-health/

Shock and trauma relief

11/16/2022

By Karen Bruno, PT

Shock is a condition that occurs when the body is not getting enough blood flow, oxygen, or nutrients to function properly. (1) Shock can be triggered by an intense physical and/or emotional response to trauma, an accident, violence, grief or upsetting news. (2) For proper function, the cells of the body need energy, oxygen, and glucose, so when a disruption occurs, many organs and systems in the body can be affected in a detrimental way. Many of the people who come to physical therapy have experienced shock and trauma at some time in their life. They may have managed to “move on” from the initial experience, their physical wounds may be healed, but their system may still be struggling with effects of the trauma, often unconsciously. Working with certain points in the body to restore balance can be a step in turning around this process.

Here are a few steps you can take to on your own to work with your shock points.

Press your thumbs into the ball of your foot for about 1 minute (K1 in acupoint).
Hold your fingers over your toes and comfortably squeeze the sides of your feet.
Press your thumbs into the “Shock point” in the middle of the heel. Hold this for 30-60 seconds.
Do these steps on each foot.
Place your hands on your heart and take 3-5 slow, conscious breaths, inhaling for a count of 4; exhaling for a count of 8.
Trace figure 8's around your eyes.

This is a basic self-help protocol to get you started. There is a more in-depth process that we can do as part of your physical therapy rehabilitation plan in our private Meditation Program.  Speak to primary physical therapist to schedule a session in the Meditation Program Series if you feel you would benefit this.

Making peace with your nervous system

9/26/2022

by Karen Bruno, PT

Sometimes we're looking for something easy and quick to help us regain balance during our busy day. Here is a quick vagus nerve-regulating exercise that can be done daily. It will help to:

Lower stress, heart rate and blood pressure
Decrease anxiety
Calm your nervous system
Support sleep issues
Reduce body pain.
It can be useful for fainting, POTS, seizures, and epilepsy.

This exercise provides general access to the vagus nerve where it comes around the ear. Please refer to the pictures.

Instructions

Tuck your middle fingers into the little hollow behind your earlobes.
No pressure is used; just make gentle, light contact.
Bring your palms together so they come together in front of your throat.
This connects into the vagus nerve in a variety of different ways.

Hand position

Peacemaker

Crossover peacemaker

Half peacemaker

Crossover half peacemaker

You can add some other techniques, such as humming, singing, toning, rocking or ujjayi breathing/dragon breath while you hold this position (see video).

For more information on the vagus nerve, please refer to these Connect PT blog articles:

Get out of fight or flight with the vagus nerve

4/4/2022

By Karen Bruno, PT

Ever get queasy from a shot or the site of blood? Or experience something and feel like fainting? Sometimes, those feelings are due to the overstimulation of the vagus nerve. And on the other end, the vagus nerve can also initiate relaxation after stress. So it makes sense that when we’re in fight or flight mode, the vagus nerve comes into play.

Fun fact: the vagus nerve is responsible for our “gut feelings”.

So how can we use the vagus nerve to our benefit? Well, once we understand what it is, we can control it to breathe more easily, and control our heart rate when we’re in tense conversations or high-pressured situations at the office.

What is the Vagus Nerve?
The vagus nerve is part of our central nervous system, which is made up of our brain and spinal cord. The central nervous system communicates with the body and processes information. The vagus nerve, also known as the tenth cranial nerve, starts in the brainstem and travels into the neck, trunk and abdomen. Having extensive reach and influence, the vagus nerve is responsible for the functioning of our internal organs and processes such as:

digestion,
elimination,
heart rate,
respiration,
immune health,
inflammation,
physical tension,
our response and adaptability to stress,
and social and emotional engagement.

In short, our vagus nerve has a central role in every aspect of our lives. Our well-being is dependent upon our ability to adapt and on our nervous system’s capacity to function properly. Vagus nerve exercises help us get out of the stress related fight, flight and freeze response and move us into a calmer state of rest, restore, relax and digest. So, whether you have pain, a bowel, bladder or sexual condition, an issue with digestion, anxiety, trauma, or any combination these, your vagus nerve could use a boost.

Sample exercise
There are numerous ways to support optimal function of your vagus nerve. Here is a simple, 2-step exercise you can perform. This technique comes from Stanley Rosenberg’s "Accessing the Power of the Vagus Nerve, Self-Help for Anxiety, Depression, Trauma and Autism."

Step 1 - Place both hands behind your head, right at the bump behind your head.

Step 2

Turn your eyes to the right and hold them there for 30 to 60 seconds OR until you take a deep breath, swallow, sigh, or yawn.
Then, turn your eyes to center.
And finally, turn your eyes to the left and do the same thing, holding them for 30 to 60 seconds OR until you take a deep breath, swallow, sigh, or yawn.

Modifications

If you can't get both hands behind your head, just use one hand behind your head.
You can also do the same exercise with your arms at your side.
A third modification is taking your middle fingers and placing them gently behind your ear.

Here are some practical application suggestions to use the simple vagus nerve exercise.

If you are feeling neck pain, back pain, or pain of any kind, use this exercise.
Use it before doing an exercise routine.
Use it whenever you want to calm and relax your body and mind.
Use it to calm your body when you are experiencing urinary issues such as incontinence, urgency or frequency, or to relax your muscles when you are feeling constipated.
Use it before or after eating a meal to boost your digestion.
Use it before you go to sleep to get to sleep easier.
If you are prone to lightheadedness when you change positions, use this prior to changing positions.
Use it frequently if you experience ringing in the ear (tinnitus).
Use it to calm your nerves before meeting a new person, or engaging in a new activity or if you are feeling anxious.
Use it when you feel frustrated, irritated, angry, stressed, upset or sad.
Use it if you feel a headache beginning.
Use it to shift out of an anxiety state.
Vagus nerve exercises can be used for a rapid heart rate and for high blood pressure
If you get short of breath easily, use it before any activity such as walking up a flight of stairs.

Practice it daily and as often as needed throughout the day.

References:

Rosenberg, Stanley, Accessing the Power of the Vagus Nerve, Self-Help for Anxiety, Depression, Trauma and Autism (Berkeley, California: North Atlantic Books, 2017).
Front. Psychiatry, 13 March 2018 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00044
Tap Into Your Vagus Nerve’s Healing Power to Rewire Your Nervous System for Optimal Health, Energy Medicine to Restore Your Physical, Mental and Emotional Wellbeing, with Dr. Melanie Smith/Theshiftnetwork.com

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