What Happens In Vagus

Not Sin City, but the little-known nerve that could hold the key to treating stress, anxiety, depression... and so much more.

- Victoria Woodhall

Discovering five bucks in the pocket of your old jeans. An early finish on a Friday arvo. These unexpected surprises take some topping, but let us try. Finding out the secret to optimum health and wellbeing is tucked away inside your body, just waiting for you to tap into it? Yeah, thought that might do the trick.

Introducing the vagus nerve, your body’s own built-in stress-buster. The vagus (pronounced vaygus, like the city) is one of the largest nerves in the body and among the most exciting – experts believe it could be key to treating stress-based conditions like anxiety, insomnia, IBS and depression. It runs from the brain stem, past the ear and down the back of the throat before branching out into the gut and passing messages between your organs and brain, like a broadband cable connecting body and mind.

Got a gut feeling? That’s your vagus talking. While vagus nerve stimulator implants are already being used to treat conditions such as epilepsy, migraine and tinnitus, the focus on the stress-reducing power of this nerve is relatively new. Researchers at the University of Texas are currently looking into how vagal stimulation can help alleviate post-traumatic stress disorder. What’s more, traditional ancient self-care practices such as yoga, meditation and chanting are increasingly being proven to have a measurable calming effect – and it’s all thanks to the vagus. Think of it as the ‘self-care nerve’; if you look after it, it’ll look after you.

Built-in brakes