On the right side, it arises from the trunk of the vagus as it lies beside the trachea. On the left side, it originates from the recurrent laryngeal nerve only. These branches end in the deep part of the cardiac plexus.
The left vagal nerve runs down the left side of your neck, and the right vagal nerve runs down your right side. This nerve extends all the way from your brain to the large intestines: down your neck, through your chest, around your heart, around your lungs, and through your abdomen and intestines.
When the vagus nerve itself gets damaged, you'll obviously deal with some pain in your neck - but other weird symptoms will present themselves as well. You'll notice issues with your voice, problems with your throat, an increased heart rate, brain fog, excessively high or low blood pressure, and gut problems.
In the neck, the vagus nerve connects to the inferior, middle, and superior cervical sympathetic ganglion (SCSG), as well as the upper cervical nerves and many of the cranial nerves and descends all the way down to the celiac plexus, the nerves that innervate the abdomen.
Symptoms of Vagal Nerve Disorders
Abdominal pain. Gastric acid reflux. Swallowing difficulties. Hoarseness or speech difficulties.
Conclusions: Right lateral decubitus position leads to the highest vagal modulation in the controls, whereas the supine position leads to the lowest vagal modulation in the CAD patients.
In a vagus nerve massage, moderate pressure is applied to the area between the trapezius and sternocleidomastoid muscles in the neck/shoulder area and at the muscles below the base of the skull, with twisting or stroking motions [1].
Loud gargling with water or loud singing activates our vocal cords which in turn stimulates the vagus nerve. Foot massage: gentle or firm touch can assist in stimulation the vagus nerve. Cold water face immersion: immerse your forehead eyes and at least 2/3 of both cheeks into cold water.
There are two main causes of vagus nerve dysfunction: previous infection or inflammation and physical or psychological stress.
Considering the course of the vagal nerve in the cervical region, it is thought that conditions such as stiffness, tightness and decreased elasticity in this region may compress the vagal nerve andmay affect vagal function.
The vagal response (vasovagal reflex) is when stimulation of the vagus nerve causes symptoms such as lightheadedness, sweating, and blurred vision. This can happen because of stress, pain, heat, having a bowel movement, or even standing too long.
What the wellness community recommends for stimulating the vagus nerve—eye movements, meditation, massage, cold-water immersion, and singing and humming—, if it works, is likely to be beneficial through a very simple concept: relaxation.
There are a bunch of benefits of stimulating your vagus nerve: headache & migraine relief; reducing stress & anxiety; improving your digestion; reducing inflammation.
The left vagus nerve travels anterior to the aortic arch, behind the primary left bronchus and into the esophagus. The right vagus nerve travels behind the esophagus and primary right bronchus.
When stimulated, you feel calmer, more compassionate, and clearer. Stimulating the vagus benefits your autonomic nervous system and mental health. Healthy vagal tone means emotional regulation, greater connection, and better physical health as well.
The vagus nerve is connected to your vocal cords and the muscles at the back of your throat. Singing, humming, chanting and gargling can activate these muscles and stimulate your vagus nerve. And this has been shown to increase heart-rate variability and vagal tone (12).
You can manually stimulate the vagus nerve by massaging certain areas of the body. A neck massage along the carotid sinus, the right side of your throat, stimulates the vagus nerve. Foot massage can also increase vagal modulation, as well as help lower blood pressure.
Drinking water is also a stimulus to the vagus nerve, and may immediately stop a run of supraventricular tachycardia. Not having enough fluid (what people think of as “dehydration”) is another stimulus for fast heart rates, so some additional fluid is a second reason that water may help, though not instantly.
Vagus nerve injury is usually a result of direct neuronal injury from temperature rise during AF ablation [35,36]. It can also happen due to compression from edema resulting from radiofrequency ablation induced inflammatory state in mediastinum.
Some of the side effects and health problems associated with implanted vagus nerve stimulation can include: Voice changes. A hoarse voice. Throat pain.