Low vagal tone has been associated with various neurological, gastrointestinal, and autoimmune conditions, such as depression, anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and even Parkinson’s. By stimulating the vagus nerve, it's possible to regulate activity in the body, given its extensive connections to the gut, heart, lungs, throat, mouth, brain, as well as the endocrine and immune systems.
What is the Vagus Nerve?
The vagus nerve is the longest in the body, stretching from the base of the brain to the abdomen (which is why it’s often called the “gut-brain axis”).
This neural highway passes messages between your brain and organs and is the main component of the body’s parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The PNS regulates mood, immune response, digestion, and heart rate. If you’ve coughed, swallowed, or felt the sensation of having butterflies in your stomach, you’ve experienced the vagus nerve in action.
The PNS also sets off a calming response (known as rest-and-digest) after the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response. In this way, the PNS is like a brake pedal to slow the nervous system, while the SNS is like a gas pedal to speed up responses.
What is Vagal Tone?
How well your vagus nerve functioning can be measured by its tone. Vagal tone is a biological process that refers to vagus nerve activity. Increasing vagal tone activates the parasympathetic nervous system, initiating a calming physical response.
Low vagal tone may signal that your body is stuck in hypervigilance or that your fight-or-flight response is “switched on.” Signs of low vagal tone include:
- Rapid resting heartbeat
- Clamminess
- Shallow breathing
- Restlessness
- Other effects of stress
Some experts believe that the most reliable measure of vagal tone is heart-rate variability (HRV). The vagus nerve partly regulates this variation in time between heartbeats. Research shows that people with autoimmune diseases often have lower heart-rate variability.
Vagus Nerve Stimulation
The sympathetic nervous system constantly monitors your surroundings, but your parasympathetic system switches on and off. Intentionally stimulating your vagus nerve can make those periods of parasympathetic activity more frequent.
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) effectively influences inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Crohn’s disease. VNS also shows promise as a therapeutic option in treatment-resistant anxiety disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and for patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression.
Heart rate variability is your body’s ability to recover after nervous system stimulation (i.e., stressful experiences). Vagus nerve stimulation can have a positive impact on HRV.
If you have a wearable device like an Oura Ring, see if you notice an increase in your HRV after consistently practicing vagus nerve stimulation. The higher your HRV, the lower your risk of disease.
However, you don’t need special devices to increase your vagal tone. The following practices help to stimulate your vagus nerve:
|
Practice |
Benefits |
|
Breathing Exercises |
Activates the parasympathetic nervous system through breath work |
|
Cold Therapy or Contrast Hydrotherapy |
Improves circulation and lymphatic flow and supports immune function through temperature exposure |
|
Yoga |
Initiates parasympathetic nervous system processes through fluid movements and deep breathing |
|
Singing, Humming, Chanting |
Activates the parasympathetic nervous system by vibrating the vocal cords |
|
Gargling |
Stimulates the vocal cords through gargling water in the throat |
|
Tapping |
Stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system by gently tapping along the head, face, chest, and under the arms while processing emotions |
|
Psychological Exercises |
Creates calming emotional responses to cue the parasympathetic nervous system to rest and digest |
|
Social and Self Connection |
Cultivates positive emotions through meditation or connecting with friends and family who provide feelings of safety and security |
Understanding the vagus nerve and its role in influencing heart rate variability and modulating immune responses can help to maintain overall well-being. Whether through advanced medical interventions like vagus nerve stimulation or simple daily practices like deep breathing, stimulating the vagal tone can profoundly impact health.
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