Patient Case:
Greg, 50
Symptoms: Trouble sleeping, difficulty losing weight, severe depression, anxiety, constipation, and feelings of exhaustion.
Scans showed his Vagus Nerve was not functioning properly. Greg was stuck in sympathetic dominance, which is fight/flight. His nervous system was not in a state of ease and rest. Photos compare a Vagus Nerve that is not functioning properly vs. a well-balanced nervous system.
The Vagus Nerve, or vagal nerves, are not something we normally learn about in school. But they are the most important nerves in the human body. We should know about them.
The Vagus Nerve is very long and intricate, starting in the upper neck and extending down the neck and into the torso. It carries smells, sights, tastes, and sounds and controls muscles and glands. It has both motor and sensory functions and serves as the main nerves of your parasympathetic nervous system (involuntary like digestion, heart rate, immune function, etc.). So, the Vagus Nerve carries on two-way communication with your body and brain to report back and control important functions.
The Vagus Nerve controls:
- Eyes – sensory
- Ears – sensory
- Throat – sensory
- Tongue – sensory
- Heart – sensory
- Lungs – sensory
- Swallowing – motor
- Speech – motor
- Digestion – involuntary
- Breathing – involuntary
- Heart Rate – involuntary
- Inflammation
- Emotions
The Vagus Nerve can supply the body with health and wellness if it’s working right. If it’s not, it can cause all kinds of health issues. It can affect sleeping, eating, intestinal issues, anxiety, emotional issues, seizures, and more.
In Western culture, we are not taught to look for natural causes and remedies. But in the chiropractic profession, that’s exactly what we do. We look for stress in the nervous system and correct the root cause. That way, the body can function properly and heal itself the way nature intended.
VAGUS NERVE ISSUES IN CHILDREN
Children are particularly susceptible to presenting symptoms caused by Vagus Nerve disruptions. The kind of disruptions that the typical medical community may try to treat with prescription drugs or surgery, while chiropractors treat them naturally.
Some patients can struggle significantly with health issues that can be traced to the Vagus Nerve as the root cause. With proper treatment, some of these issues can subside quickly.
Because of how the Vagus Nerve is situated, it can be easily injured during birth and cause problems such as dysautonomia, which we will illustrate below.
VAGUS NERVE ISSUES IN ADULTS
The Vagus Nerve controls energy levels, sleep quality, mental health, heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, gut health, digestion, reproduction, and more.
THE PROBLEM
Many doctors dismiss conditions like colic, ear infections, constipation, and other common childhood maladies as “normal.” If normal means frequent, then maybe they’re right. But if 25% of children have problems that could be prevented or treated naturally, wouldn’t you want to help these children?
Conditions like:
- Colic
- Reflux
- Constipation
- Bedwetting
- Sleep issues
- Chronic ear infections
- Frequent sickness
- ADD
- ADHD
- OCD
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Autism
- Seizures
- Speech disorders
- Autoimmune disorders
- Delayed motor milestones
- Balance issues
If your child is struggling with these issues, it’s important to get them scanned to see how their nervous system is functioning. A pediatric chiropractor can help by removing the neurological interference and naturally allowing the body to function at its best.
HOW CHIROPRACTIC CAN HELP
Typical advice for treating Vagus Nerve problems includes medication, massage, and relaxation techniques. Some try natural approaches like diet, essential oils, aromatherapy, etc. But the proper chiropractic adjustment can be a powerful treatment that often goes unmentioned by the medical community.
While traditional medicine continues to make positive strides, and natural therapies prove to be helpful, proper chiropractic care can be a powerful ally in treating problems caused by a Vagus Nerve disruption.
INSIGHT SCANNING – SEE THE PROBLEM
The best first action is to get your Insight Scan from Bronson Heritage Chiropractic and see the problem for yourself.
The Insight Scan is a neurological scan and visual report that can help Dr. Bronson find out if subluxation or dysautonomia could be the issue. The scans take less than 30 minutes and include useful information for you and the doctor.
The scans do not emit any harmful radiation, are safe for everyone- newborns and pregnant women included and take 5 minutes. The scans show tension and inflammation patterns, along with heart rate variability, which measures stress on the nervous system.