How to know that vagus nerve is not working at optimal level?
- gastrointestinal disorders (abdominal pain, bloating, acid reflux,
gastroesophageal reflux disease, GERD and other symptoms),
- stress, depression, anxiety,
- headaches, migraines,
- epilepsy, fibromyalgia,
- changes to heart rate, blood pressure or blood sugar,
- difficulty swallowing or loss of gag reflex,
- dizziness or fainting,
- hoarseness, wheezing or loss of voice,
- loss of appetite, feeling full quickly or unexplained weight loss,
- nausea and vomiting,
- the vagus nerve innervates so many organs and structures in the body that problems with it can cause many different disorders and symptoms.
How to improve vagus nerve condition?
- deep diaphragmatic breathing, what happens here: the diaphragm that lowers activates vagus nerve and stretches it gently. Reach out to this
section to teach how to breathe properly
- long walks - they have a calming effect, fresh air also helps
- yoga, as well as many stretching positions for neck, shoulders and thoracic cage
- minerals: potassium, magnesium, sodium
- physical therapy, osteopathy, acupressure, manual therapy - all the techniques that allows to release the tension alongside the vagus nerve
References:
1.
Murray C, Lopez A. Cambridge, MA: Harcourt University Press; 1996. The Global Burden of Disease: A Comprehensive Assessment of Mortality and Disability from Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors in 1990 and Projected to 2020. [Google Scholar]
2.
Sackeim HA. The definition and meaning of treatment-resistant depression. J Clin Psychiatry. 2001;16:10–7. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
3.
Trivedi M, Rush A, Wisniewski S, et al. Evaluation of outcomes with citalopram for depression using measurement-based care in STAR*D: implications for clinical practice. Am J Psychiatry. 2006;163:28–40. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
4.
DeRubeis RJ, Hollon SD, Amsterdam JD, et al. Cognitive therapy vs medications in the treatment of moderate to severe depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2005;62:409–16. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
5.
Husain MM, Rush AJ, Fink M, et al. Speed of response and remission in major depressive disorder with acute electroconvulsive therapy (ECT): A Consortium for Research in ECT (CORE) report. J Clin Psychiatry. 2004;65:485–91. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
6.
Prudic J, Olfson M, Marcus SC, et al. Effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy in community settings.[see comment] Biologic Psychiatry. 2004;55:301–12. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
7.
Groves DA, Brown VJ. Vagal nerve stimulation: A review of its applications and potential mechanisms that mediate its clinical effects. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2005;29:493–500. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
8.
Harden CL, Pulver MC, Ravdin LD, et al. A pilot study of mood in epilepsy patients treated with vagus nerve stimulation. Epilepsy Behav. 2000:93–9. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
9.
Elger G, Hoppe C, Falkai P, et al. Vagus nerve stimulation is associated with mood improvements in epilepsy patients. Epilepsy Res. 2000;42:203–10. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
10.
Krahl SE, Clark KB, Smith DC, Browning RA. Locus coeruleus lesions suppress the seizure-attenuating effects of vagus nerve stimulation. Epilepsia. 1998;39:709–14. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
11.
Ben-Menachem E, Hamberger A, Hedner T, et al. Effects of vagus nerve stimulation on amino acids and other metabolites in the CSF of patients with partial seizures. Epilepsy Res. 1995;20:221–7. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
12.
Rush AJ, George MS, Sackeim HA, et al. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for treatment-resistant depressions: A multicenter study.[see comment] Biologic Psychiatry. 2000;47:276–86. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
13.
Sackeim HA, Rush AJ, George MS, et al. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for treatment-resistant depression: Efficacy, side effects, and predictors of outcome. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2001;25:713–28. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
14.
Rush AJ, Marangell LB, Sackeim HA, et al. Vagus nerve stimulation for treatment-resistant depression: A randomized, controlled acute phase trial. Biologic Psychiatry. 2005;58:347–54. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
15.
Marangell LB, Rush AJ, George MS, et al. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for major depressive episodes: one year outcomes. Biologic Psychiatry. 2002;51:280–7. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
16. Neurological Devices Panel of Medical Devices Advisory Committee FaDA. Report of 17th Meeting. 2004:1-433. Available at: www.fda.gov. Access date: December 1, 2005
17.
George MS, Rush AJ, Marangell LB, et al. A one-year comparison of vagus nerve stimulation with treatment as usual for treatment-resistant depression. Biologic Psychiatry. 2005;58:364–73. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
18.
Nahas Z, Marangell LB, Husain MM, et al. Two-year outcome of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for treatment of major depressive episodes. J Clin Psychiatry. 2005;66:1097–104. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
19.
Carlat D. Vagus nerve stimulation: Is the evidence convincing? Carlat Report on Psychiatric Treatment. 2006;4:1–8. [Google Scholar]
20. Device Won Approval Though F.D.A. Staff Objected. New York Times. February 16, 2006
21.
Maisel M. Medical device regulation: An introduction for the practicing physician. Ann Intern Med. 2004;146:296–302. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
22.
Chai J. Medical device regulation in the United States and the European Union: A comparative study. Food Drug Law J. 2005;55:57–80. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
23.
Ben-Menachem E. Vagus nerve stimulation, side effects, and long-term safety. J Clin Neurophysiol. 2001;18:415–8. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
24.
Rush AJ, Sackeim HA, Marangell LB, et al. Effects of 12 months of vagus nerve stimulation in treatment-resistant depression: A naturalistic study. Biologic Psychiatry. 2005;58:355–63. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
26.
Sackeim HA, Keilp JG, Rush AJ, et al. The effects of vagus nerve stimulation on cognitive performance in patients with treatment-resistant depression. Neuropsychiatry Neuropsychol Behav Neurol. 2001;14:53–62. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]