Ways to stimulate the vagus nerve for chronic pain

From gargling to deep breathing, here are a few ways of stimulating the vagus nerve.

Published on: Nov 17, 2023 6:00 AM IST

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The vagus nerve is the main nerve of the parasympathetic nervous system. When we stimulate the main nerve, the body begins the process of healing itself from chronic pain. "When you focus on stimulating the vagus nerve, you’re sending messages to the body that it is safe to rest and sending messages to the brain to turn down the dial on pain," wrote Therapist Faith Abbott. Here are a few ways to stimulate the nervous system.  (Unsplash)

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When we gargle, we stimulate the vocal cords and create vibrations in the muscle fibres – this helps the stimulation of the vagus nerve.  (Unsplash)

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Right light therapy has been effective in stimulating mitochondrial activity – this further can help in optimising cellular processes.  (Unsplash)

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When we sleep on our right side, the weight of the heart can create pressure on the vagus nerve and activate it.  (Unsplash)

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When we practice deep breathing, it changes the pressure in the chest cavity. This sends a signal to the brain to turn off pain.  (Unsplash)

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Massaging the back of the ear vertically helps in decreasing the pain from migraine and headache and stimulate the vagus nerve.  (Unsplash)