Bend Health Guide Issue 7 Fall/Winter 2019

The Vagus Nerve in Trauma Recovery
by Dr. Arielle Schwartz
Many distressing symptoms of post-traumatic
stress are felt in the body - a tightness in the chest,
a sinking feeling in the stomach, a familiar knot in the
throat, or as a chronic feeling of exhaustion.
We now recognize that we must turn toward the body
as part of the healing process and as a result we have
seen a surge in the use of mind body therapies such
as: Yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong, Feldenkrais, Breathwork,
Massage, Craniosacral, Nutritional Counseling,
Acupuncture and Mindfulness for treatment of
post-traumatic stress.
Mind-body therapies help us be less vulnerable to
stress, less reactive, and less impulsive. We increase
our awareness of the choices we have to help us feel
grounded and calm. We feel more in control. One
way mind-body therapies work is by stimulating the
Vagus Nerve. Knowledge about how this nerve works
provides a fundamental understanding of traumatic
stress and facilitates our ability to heal.
Mind-body therapies work with the vagus nerve
to help you find balance. Through a process of
self-study and mindful body awareness, you can start
to learn strategies that help you restore a sense of
safety and heal from trauma.
Mind-body therapies are effective because they engage
physiological changes in the autonomic nervous
system as measured by changes in the functioning of
the vagus nerve.
The vagus nerve extends from the brainstem down
into the muscles of the face, inner ear, throat, heart,
lungs, stomach, and intestines. Mind-body therapies
create changes in how we orient to our environment
by inviting a soft gaze and invite us to explore new
patterns of breath or movement that directly interact
with these areas of the body.
Mind-body therapies are associated with changes in
health and wellbeing including:
• Reduced opiate and psychotropic use
Practices to Reset the Vagus Nerve
• Enhanced emotional well-being
• Better social relationships
• Reduced autonomic sympathetic activation
• Reduced blood pressure
• Improved neuro-endocrine activity
• Improved thyroid health
• Improved blood sugar management
• Improved digestive system health
• Reduced Inflammation & rheumatoid arthritis
• Decreased reported symptoms of PTSD
• Improved vagal tone
(as measured by increased heart rate variability (HRV)
48 BEND HEALTH GUIDE | Winter 2019