The Vagus Nerve is a paired nerve that exits the skull and connects to the majority of the organs in the thoracic cavity and the abdomen. The vagus nerve plays a key role in regulating essential PARASYMPATHETIC body functions, including heart rate, breathing, digestion, absorption, reproduction, inflammation, and immune response. Doctors and scientists now understand the importance of the VAGUS NERVE in virtually every healing process the body does. BEST OF ALL, WE CAN NOW RUN IN-OFFICE TESTS TO EVALUATE THE FUNCTION OF THE VAGUS NERVE.
VAGUS NERVE RESEARCH ARTICLES
1) Pavlov, V. A., & Tracey, K. J. (2012). The vagus nerve and the inflammatory reflex--linking immunity and metabolism. Nature reviews. Endocrinology, 8(12), 743–754. doi:10.1038/nrendo.2012.189 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4082307/
2) Browning, K. N., Verheijden, S., & Boeckxstaens, G. E. (2017). The Vagus Nerve in Appetite Regulation, Mood, and Intestinal Inflammation. Gastroenterology, 152(4), 730–744. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2016.10.046 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5337130/
3) Thus, we propose to routinely implement measurement of HRV to predict such Global Burden of Disease in populations, and to test in randomized controlled trials effects of non-invasive vagal nerve activation on prevention and treatment of GBD, reflecting possible neuro-modulation of health.
Gidron, Y., Deschepper, R., De Couck, M., Thayer, J. F., & Velkeniers, B. (2018). The Vagus Nerve Can Predict and Possibly Modulate Non-Communicable Chronic Diseases: Introducing a Neuroimmunological Paradigm to Public Health. Journal of clinical medicine, 7(10), 371. doi:10.3390/jcm7100371 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6210465/
4)These results are in line with possible vagal nerve protection in a fatal cancer, and propose that the mechanism may involve neuroimmuno-modulation. Future studies must test whether vagal nerve activation may help patients with advanced cancers.
Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2016 Apr;28(4):455-62. doi: 10.1111/nmo.12817. Vagal tone: effects on sensitivity, motility, and inflammation. Bonaz B
5)Based on all reviewed studies, it is concluded that the evidence supports a protective role of the vagus nerve in cancer and specifically in the metastatic stage.
6)Parasympathetic Functions in Children with Sensory Processing Disorder
Schaaf, R. C., Benevides, T., Blanche, E. I., Brett-Green, B. A., Burke, J. P., Cohn, E. S., … Schoen, S. A. (2010). Parasympathetic functions in children with sensory processing disorder. Frontiers in integrative neuroscience, 4, 4. doi:10.3389/fnint.2010.00004
8) The Parasympathetic Nervous System causes vasodilation, while activation of the Sympathetic Nervous System (fight or flight) causes Vasoconstriction, a contributing factor in HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5871626/
CHIROPRACTIC CARE IMPROVES HRV, AND THE FUNCTIONS OF THE VAGUS NERVE
1) Changes in autonomic nervous system function following reduction or correction of vertebral subluxation may be objectively assessed using heart rate variability
2)A new case series published in the Chiropractic Journal of Australia has shown sustained improvement in heart rate variability in six individuals. The retrospective case series, which used the Australian Spinal Research Foundation’s conceptual definition of the Vertebral Subluxation, is an excellent example of one way we can objectively measure the impact of chiropractic care beyond short-term pain management alone.
3) A greater parasympathetic response was found when stimulation was performed in the cervical and lumbar regions, whereas a greater sympathetic response was found when stimulation was performed in the thoracic region
5) A single pre-exercise SMT session induced an acute shift toward parasympathetic dominance and slightly impaired performance in recreational healthy athletes.
Valenzuela PL 2019 May 1 Spinal Manipulative Therapy Effects in Autonomic Regulation and Exercise Performance in Recreational Healthy Athletes: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Spine (Phila Pa 1976)
6) These data support the hypothesis that upper cervical spine manipulation can acutely affect measures of heart rate variability in healthy individuals.
7) Our results show that CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS shifted the sympathovagal balance towards an increase in the parasympathetic cardiovascular autonomic control in patients suffering from acute back pain. This effect is known to be beneficial to health.
