In today’s fast-paced world, stress has become a common experience for most people. Endless phone notifications, overflowing emails, noisy surroundings, and daily demands push us into a constant “fight or flight” mode. This ongoing stress overwhelms our ability to adapt, keeping the sympathetic nervous system in overdrive—a state known as Sympathetic Dominance (SD).

Being stuck in Sympathetic Dominance (SD) takes a serious toll on our health, leading to poor sleep, high blood pressure, a weakened immune system, difficulty concentrating, digestive issues, heightened pain sensitivity, inflammation, and even anxiety and depression.

However, it is not all bad news, as the other arm of our nervous system—the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS)— is our rest and digest response and plays a vital role in maintaining balance and promoting recovery in the body. It counteracts the “fight or flight” response and restores the body to a state of balance after stress or exertion, similar to the brake pedal in a car.  

How the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) Restores Balance

The PNS counteracts the “fight or flight” response of the SNS and regulates bodily functions that support long-term health, recovery, and maintenance. The PNS operates through messages sent via cranial nerves (such as the Vagus Nerve, which plays a dominant role) and sacral nerves, connecting the brain and body.

The Vagus Nerve: A Key Player

The term “vagus” means ‘wandering” in Latin, reflecting its widespread reach throughout the body.

The vagus nerve arises from the brainstem and travels a path through the neck into the chest, and abdomen and branches extensively to multiple organs.  It innervates the heart, lungs, digestive tract, liver, kidneys and other organs.

Essential for maintaining balance within our central nervous system the Vagus nerve’s influence extends from regulating vital functions to supporting mental well-being, making it a cornerstone of health and resilience.

The Vagus Nerve is central to the PNS and a critical player in influencing many systems:

• Cardiovascular: Slows heart rate and reduces blood pressure.
• Respiratory: Regulates breathing patterns.
• Digestive: Stimulates digestion and gut motility.
• Sensory: Provides feedback from organs to the brain (e.g., gut health, fullness, inflammation).
• Anti-inflammatory: Reduces inflammation, supporting immune health.
• Voice and Swallowing: Controls muscles involved in speech and swallowing.
• Energy Conservation: Constricts pupils to reduce light intake. Helps the body relax for restorative functions, including sleep.
• Excretory Functions: Regulates bladder function and promotes bowel movements.
• Recovery and Healing: Increases blood flow to organs for repair. Reduces cortisol production, helping reduce stress.

How to Stimulate the Vagus Nerve Naturally

Activating the vagus nerve can assist in stimulating your PNS into action improving parasympathetic tone, and promoting relaxation.

Some easy activities to stimulate the Vagus nerve include:

• Take a brisk walk, cycle or dance
• Deep breathing
• Brief exposure to cold: splashing face with cold water or cold showers 
• Meditation and Yoga
• Humming or singing
• Chiropractic adjustments specifically targeting vagus nerve stimulation
• Massage to the neck and ear targeting vagal nerve pathways.
  

What does Chiropractic have to do with this?

As Chiropractors, our primary aim is to assist people to have a healthy functioning spine and nervous system. This gives people the greatest opportunity for brain-to-body signals to accurately convey information to every organ, tissue and cell of the body. 

Chiropractic adjustments stimulate the vagus nerve, up-regulating the parasympathetic brake pedal and therefore down-regulating the sympathetic fight or flight mode. 

Chiropractic adjustments are like tuning an orchestra, so the symphony of all our instruments (respiration, cardiovascular, digestion, immune system, reproduction system) can sound amazing and it’s no wonder most people notice they feel calmer or ‘lighter’ throughout their chiropractic care.

Two of the highest noted changes in our patient outcomes after anywhere between 4 weeks to 4 months of chiropractic care are improved sleep patterns and improved ‘response to stress’ which are strong indicators the parasympathetic nervous system is being stimulated and the “car brakes are working well“

When it comes to stress in our lives we can change our external environment by addressing the stressors that are impacting our health and we can influence our internal environment so that we are more adaptable to the stressors with the help of chiropractic care.

By keeping the PNS active and balanced, the body can recover, digest, and repair more efficiently, fostering better long-term health.

Take Control of Your Nervous System Health

Chronic stress is unavoidable, but how your body responds to it can change. Chiropractic care empowers your body to adapt better, enhancing vagal tone and promoting nervous system balance.

Ready to reset your nervous system and reclaim your health?

Book your consultation with Connect Chiropractic today. Schedule your appointment today or book online or call (03) 9512 5822 and start your journey towards better sleep, less stress and a healthier your.