Chronic pain, vagal nerve, and depression

Have you heard about the vagal nervous system, or the gut-brain axis?

This is a very important part of your nervous system that you can tap into and control.  When you learn how, you can lower your pain, improve your depressive symptoms and break the cycle of pain.

When you have stress (emotional, mental, physical, verbal, environmental), your body responds by activating your sympathetic nervous system, or your fight or flight system.  This stimulation triggers:

1. Increase in production of Adrenalin
2. Increase in production of Cortisol
3. Increase in production of Cytokines
4. Increase in inflammation
5. Decrease in production of Serotonin
6. Increase in depression
7. Increase in pain

When living in chronic pain, you are living in a constant state of stress.  The cycle continues and you begin to hurt more.  

Your body does not know the different types of stress that you can be feeling, but it will always respond the same way.

The vagal nerve is a part of your nervous system that you can learn how to control.  Stimulating the vagal nerve will trigger the parasympathetic nervous system (calm and restore) turning off the cycle of chronic pain.

How do you do that?

1. Take a slow deep breath.  Your exhale should be longer than your inhale.  Do this for 3-4 minutes.
2. Take a walk in nature.
3. Cold exposure (cold shower)
4. Aromatherapy with high quality essential oils
5. Meditation
6. Yoga breathing
7. Positive imagery/thoughts

Watch this short video to learn more.

Want to read the research article I was talking about?  Click here.

Nicole

To stay in the know, join my monthly chronic pain newsletter.  Register below!