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Vagus Nerve Stimulation

2/24/2022

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The vagus nerve is your body’s longest nerve, and the biggest parasympathetic nerve in your body.
The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for rest and digest functions in your body.
The vagus nerve is the tenth cranial nerve, and runs from your skull down both sides of the neck and chest to your abdomen and intestines.
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The word vagus stems from a latin word for wanderer, which describes the nature of the vagus nerve well, since it wanders to most organs on its way.
When stressed we tend to go into fight or flight mode, which is the sympathetic nervous system’s job. Most people nowadays spend way too much time in that state, which causes all kinds of problems.


​You can read more about that in the article about stress.

Stimulating the vagus nerve is one way of helping your body come back from the constant fight or flight and to calm down so that it can relax, heal and digest your food.
Most of the information in the vagus nerve runs from bottom up, ie from the organs, like the intestines, to your brain.
That is why being in your body and doing physical activities will help in relaxation and feelings of safety.

Here are some tips on how to stimulate the vagus nerve and help you to relax and get to a state of healing:
● Because of the way the nerve runs at the back of your throat, humming, chanting, gargling and singing all create a vibration that stimulates the nerve

● Laughing (and socialising), for the same reason as above, but also, you can’t be really socially engaged without being in parasympathetic state
● Deep breathing stimulates the vagus nerve. If you want it to be extra beneficial, breath out longer than you inhale.
● Cold immersion has been shown to increase vagus nerve tonus, so ending your morning shower with 30s to a few minutes of cold water immersion can be helpful. If that’s too much, you can just begin by immersing your face in cold water for short periods.
● Meditation and mindfulness
● Massage, especially foot massage
● Devices like Sensate that vibrate on your sternum.
● Osteopathy in the cranial field is a very efficient way of stimulating your parasympathetic nervous system and getting the body into a space where it can heal itself.

​You don’t have to do them all, just choose one or a couple that work for you and see how you go. Some might work better for you, and some for others, so you might have to go through some trial and error.

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As osteopaths we can work with you to bring your body back to nervous system balance, and we’d love to help you on your journey back to health. Please check out our website link below for more information or give us a call on 04 4991439.
​ www.cityosteopaths.co.nz

​References:
Forsythe P, Bienenstock J, Kunze WA. Vagal pathways for microbiome-brain-gut axis communication. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2014;817:115-133. doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-0897-4_5

Kalyani BG, Venkatasubramanian G, Arasappa R, et al. Neurohemodynamic correlates of 'OM' chanting: A pilot functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Int J Yoga. 2011;4(1):3-6. doi:10.4103/0973-6131.78171

Kok BE, Coffey KA, Cohn MA, et al. How positive emotions build physical health: perceived positive social connections account for the upward spiral between positive emotions and vagal tone [published correction appears in Psychol Sci. 2016 Jun;27(6):931]. Psychol Sci. 2013;24(7):1123-1132. doi:10.1177/0956797612470827
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Venla Kärki Reg Osteopath, MONZ
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Stress

2/23/2022

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                                                    Stress - the omnipresent bane of our existence.
​ Most people would say they have it, though not everybody realises how much it affects their life.
This article will cover some of the physical aspects of stress, how it affects our body and mind and what you can do about it.

Stress in itself isn’t negative but helps us to act in a tough situation (fight or flight) and to evolve (eg. workouts). The body will have a physical reaction to stress regardless of the type of stressor (physical, mental, emotional). 
A stressor is an event that takes the body out of homeostasis (balance). The stress response strives to bring the body back to a state of homeostasis (bodily functions are in balance). Hormones are secreted in stress; mostly adrenaline (epinephrine) and cortisol. Adrenaline is secreted rapidly and the effect lasts only a short while.
Cortisol, on the other hand, is secreted more slowly but the effect lasts longer. These hormones help us to fight or run away from danger. They release energy from the body’s reserves. They help regulate the blood flow to the vital organs and the muscles. Energy is spared from ‘unnecessary functions’ like digestion, reproduction, growth and healing. Also pain perception is altered; often people don’t feel the pain before the situation calms down.
​When lasting for a short while, all this is very good for our survival. It isn’t until it becomes chronic that it becomes a problem
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We as humans have a unique ability to cause ourselves stress with our thoughts. The body can’t distinguish psychological stressors from purely physical ones (“you have to run to survive”). And so a reaction that’s meant to last for a few minutes can last several days and weeks, which is not what Nature intended.
This causes the body to shift its attention away from important functions such as digestion, growth, recovery, reproduction etc. Symptoms such as tiredness, overwhelm, hair thinning, loss of libido, weight gain and poor sleep quality, are all signs of chronic stress. 

Also when we get stressed we tend to tense up, especially in the neck and shoulders. We start breathing more shallowly and lose our sense of safety, being on high alert (hyper-arousal).
This is nature's way of protecting the important structures and preparing us for a fight or flight, if possible, or freeze, if the fight or flight is not a viable option in the situation.
Because we often don’t get to run away from our stress inducing thoughts, the stress becomes chronic and so do the changes in our bodies, leading to neck and shoulder pain, low back pain, tension headaches and even migraines. In chronic stress the body doesn’t get a chance to relax or heal.
Also digestive problems such as being too loose or constipated, increase because the body is in constant sympathetic overdrive (fight or flight) which means it doesn’t use its energy for digestion (parasympathetic => rest and digest).

                                                   
​                                                      So what can you then do to help yourself?

Ideally, the best course of action is to reduce the stressors in your life, whether they be physical or mental. The second best is to have daily practises that alleviate the effects of stress.
Your attitude matters: is it anxiety or excitement? You can change how you relate to stress, and the differences in physical reactions come from how you interpret them: If you feel stress more as a threat than a positive challenge, it will increase your cortisol secretion.
Short bursts (up to a minute) of intense exercise help to reduce the levels of stress hormones and use up the energy released by the stress hormones in the body by mimicking running away from the danger. Walks in nature also help to ground us and stay more present, which reduces stress. Also, meditation and mindfulness exercises help you to stay in the present and reduce stress when practised regularly. You can start with just 3-5 minutes a day!
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Deep breathing exercises and vagus nerve stimulation help to activate your parasympathetic nervous system, the rest and digest part of your body’s autonomic nervous system.

                                                    What can an osteopath do for you, to help with stress?
As osteopaths we treat the person as a whole, taking into consideration the physical, mental and emotional aspects. In addition to working on the tight muscles, we might suggest minor lifestyle changes and hacks for de-stressing, give recommendations for supplements and provide exercises to help you recover.
Cranial osteopathy is very beneficial in relaxing the body and restoring its energy, helping the body to calm to a state where it can once more heal itself.

In addition to treating the tight neck and back muscles which may be causing you pain and tension headaches, your osteopath can also work on your thoracic diaphragm to help you with deep breathing. This diaphragm tends to get tense if not used to its full capacity for deep breathing, and thus deep breathing can be challenging initially, although when done daily, or even several times a day, can produce very rewarding results.

If you’re ready to take control of your stress, get out of pain and be helped back to health, come and see our osteopaths at City Osteopaths for your individualised treatment plan to recover your health and feel really good again.
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Venla Kärki Reg Osteopath, MONZ
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A Simple Walking Meditation

4/5/2020

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In our current adaptation to isolation and social distancing I have found a good routine with daily walks. When walking I often practise a simple and practical meditation that I learned whilst I was staying at an ashram in India studying yoga therapy. I find this walking meditation very helpful for quieting my internal dialogue and getting into the physical experience of my body walking.

Walking meditation is a wonderful tool for practicing mind body connectedness and embodied awareness. It’s a grounding practice that can be practiced on its own, as an introduction to other meditations or to compliment physical exercise. Traditionally in yogic philosophy walking meditation is known as the Brahmin walk. Brahmin are spiritual teachers who would use this meditation when walking around ashrams and walking between villages to share their teachings.

This guided meditation has been designed to be practiced whilst walking or as a visualisation. Practicing the walking meditation as a visualisation is suitable for those unable to walk, whether that’s due to a physical disability or physical limitations such as transit or isolation.
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Walking Meditation (Brahmin Walk)


Begin walking at a natural, comfortable pace. Your pace may be a little slower than usual. Observe the pace of your gait and observe your breathing.


Take a deep breath into your whole body. As you exhale allow your whole body to soften into your walk - soften the neck, shoulders and face. Let your arms swing naturally with your gait, allowing the hands to soften too.

Become aware of sensations from your outside world. That may be noticing the breeze on your skin, the temperature of the air, the warmth of the sun or maybe the feeling of rain. Feel your feet connect with the earth below you. Feel your body walk.

Bring your awareness back to the breath. 

As you settle into your chosen pace to walk, begin to synchronise your breathing with your steps. Inhale for 3 steps... exhale for 3 steps...

If it feels comfortable for you, you may like to increase your steps to 5 steps for inhalation and 5 steps for exhalation.

It's good to choose an odd number for your walking meditation so that you continue to alternate leading sides.

Continue walking, breathing in time with your steps. Allow the breath, and the steps to be smooth and fluid.

When practicing a walking meditation, it’s good to determine the time or distance before you begin your walking to set your intention for the practice and keep you focused.
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I hope you enjoy practicing this meditation as much as I do. It’s a very effective tool to interalise your awareness and appreciate the beauty and synchronicity of our own natural rhythms - walking and breathing.
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Author

Rosie Wilson
B.Hlth.Sc., B.App.Sc. (Osteo), Reg Osteopath, MONZ
City Osteopaths
Wellington
New Zealand

To find out more about Rosie and her approach to osteopathic treatment, Click Here

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