Is your vagus nerve ok?
Feel like you’re stuck in ‘fight or flight’ mode? Experiencing digestive issues, dizziness, palpitations? Sleep is poor and tiredness is there all the time. Tests at the doctors haven’t found anything specific but you just don’t feel right.
It could be the vagus nerve.
Our body is full of automatic functions such as how fast we breathe, our heart rate, the regulation of blood pressure and body temperature control to name a few. The autonomic nervous system is divided into two branches; the sympathetic nervous system which is responsible for that well known term ‘fight or flight’, and the parasympathetic nervous system, often referred to as the body’s ‘rest and digest’ system.
The vagus nerve is the longest and most influential nerve of the parasympathetic nervous system. Running from the brainstem through the neck and chest to the abdomen, the vagus nerve connects the brain with major organs including the heart, lungs, and digestive system. Its primary role is to regulate the functions we can’t consciously control. The vagus nerve plays a role in slowing the heart rate, supporting digestion, regulating inflammation, and calming the nervous system. When vagal tone – a measure of vagus nerve activity – is healthy, the body can respond to stress efficiently and return to a state of calm with ease.
Vagus nerve dysfunction (low vagal tone) can present with a wide range of symptoms. These may include digestive issues such as bloating, constipation, or irritable bowel symptoms; cardiovascular signs like palpitations or dizziness; difficulty managing stress or anxiety; poor sleep; fatigue; and chronic stress. Because the vagus nerve plays a crucial role in regulating multiple body systems, dysfunction can feel widespread and non-specific, making it challenging to identify.
There is not one specific, simple test that can be carried out to assess the vagus nerve. The GP is best placed to exclude other factors with known tests and referrals to specialists who can look at the symptoms in greater depth. As the vagus nerve has such wide reaching influence, specialist support may be best gained from different areas such as neurology, gastroenterology or cardiology depending on the symptoms presenting. It can be a challenge to find the right help and the stress of trying to understand what’s going on can add to the symptoms by causing additional stress.
How can breathing influence the vagus nerve?
Breathing is the most effective and easiest way to influence vagus nerve function. Unlike most autonomic processes, breathing can be consciously controlled, providing a direct pathway to communicate with the nervous system. Slow, controlled breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, increasing the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system and reducing the dominance of the fight or flight response.
Let’s be more specific
Heart Rate Variability - when we breathe in, heart rate naturally increases slightly; when we breathe out, it slows. See if you can feel the pulse in your neck. Breathe in and out slowly, the change in pace is subtle but it’s there. This variation, known as heart rate variability (HRV), is a marker of vagus nerve activity. Slow breathing, particularly with a longer exhale, enhances HRV and strengthens vagal tone meaning better regulation of your autonomic functions.
Diaphragmatic breathing - breathing into the lower ribs and abdomen, letting your tummy gently rise and fall with the breath, calms the nervous system by stimulating the vagus nerve and therefore the parasympathetic response.
Nasal Breathing - when the breath comes through the nose it better engages the diaphragm, enabling slower and deeper breathing for that connection to the parasympathetic nervous system. Nasal breathing improves the uptake of oxygen which can only be a good thing.
Paced Breathing - using specific breathing techniques to slow and optimise the breath can introduce a targeted practice which helps regulate vagus nerve activity. We should breathe out longer than we breathe in so typically breathing at a ratio of 1:2 is optimal to calm the nervous system. For example, breathing in for the count of 3 and out for the count of 6 helps to bring a paced rhythm to the breathing which the vagus nerve and parasympathetic nervous system finds soothing.
Over time, consistent breathing practice can retrain the nervous system, making it easier for the body to shift out of stress and into recovery even outside of formal exercises.
If you feel stuck in fight or flight mode, experiencing symptoms of vagus nerve dysfunction, breathing techniques offer a low-risk, empowering tool to support healing. While breathing alone may not address all underlying causes, bringing some calm into your day is a good place to start. By improving vagal tone, good breathing supports better communication between the brain and body, promoting balance, calm, and improved overall wellbeing.
Get in touch to see how Breathe and Move techniques can help.
Written by Jennie Harmsworth. Having qualified with a degree in Physiotherapy, Jennie spent more than 10-years working in intensive care and post-surgical rehabilitation at both University College London Hospital (UCLH) and Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital.
As a vastly experienced respiratory physiotherapist, Jennie has specialist expertise in dysfunctional breathing, breathlessness management, airway clearance and chronic cough as well as a range of respiratory conditions such as Asthma, COPD and bronchiectasis.