September is here, and with back-to-school schedules, changing seasons, and busy routines, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. That constant feeling of stress or tension often ties back to the health of your nervous system — specifically, the vagus nerve.
What is the Vagus Nerve?
The vagus nerve is one of the most important nerves in your body. It runs from your brainstem down through your chest and abdomen, connecting to major organs along the way. Think of it as the communication superhighway between your brain and your body, playing a key role in regulating stress, digestion, heart rate, immune function, and even emotional balance.
What is Vagal Tone?
“Vagal tone” refers to how well your vagus nerve functions. A high vagal tone means your body can relax and recover more easily after stress. A low vagal tone may leave you stuck in fight-or-flight mode, making it harder to stay calm, focus, and regulate emotions.
The good news? You can strengthen your vagal tone with simple, everyday practices.
The Polyvagal Theory – Why This Matters
The Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, explains how the vagus nerve influences our ability to feel safe, calm, and connected. It suggests that our nervous system has three main states:
- Fight-or-Flight (Sympathetic): When danger or stress is detected.
- Shutdown/Freeze (Dorsal Vagal): When the body feels overwhelmed and disconnects.
- Safety & Connection (Ventral Vagal): When the nervous system feels balanced, safe, and engaged.
The goal is to support your body in spending more time in the ventral vagal state, where you feel calm, resilient, and socially connected. That’s why caring for your vagus nerve is so powerful.
5 Simple Ways to Activate the Vagus Nerve
- Deep Breathing: Slow, diaphragmatic breathing stimulates the vagus nerve and helps calm the nervous system.
- Cold Exposure: Splashing your face with cold water or ending a shower with 30 seconds of cold water can activate the vagus nerve.
- Singing or Humming: These activities gently vibrate the vagus nerve, promoting relaxation.
- Movement & Exercise: Gentle physical activity, like walking, yoga, or stretching, supports nervous system balance.
- Chiropractic Care: Regular adjustments remove interference in the spine, allowing the nervous system (including the vagus nerve) to function optimally.
How Chiropractic Care Helps
Recent research, including the work of Dr. Heidi Haavik, is showing us that chiropractic care is about much more than just correcting “misalignments.” Adjustments have a direct influence on the way the nervous system functions — impacting how the brain perceives, processes, and responds to stress. In other words, it’s less about bones being out of place, and more about restoring tone and balance in the body’s communication system.
By improving the body’s ability to self-regulate, chiropractic adjustments can help the nervous system shift out of fight-or-flight and into a state of greater calm and adaptability. This makes it easier to access the ventral vagal state — where safety, connection, and resilience are possible.
One powerful approach is the Torque Release Technique (TRT). This gentle, precise method uses a handheld instrument to deliver light adjustments that influence the tone of the nervous system. TRT is designed to reduce stress patterns in the body, supporting a more efficient, flexible, and balanced state of health. Patients often notice less tension, more emotional ease, and an overall greater sense of well-being.
Chiropractic care, supported by modern neuroscience, is ultimately about helping your body function at its best — physically, mentally, and emotionally.### Feeling Overwhelmed? You’re Not Alone. Stress is part of life, but staying stuck in survival mode doesn’t have to be. Supporting your vagus nerve is one of the most effective ways to bring your body back into balance.
Feeling Overwhelmed? You’re Not Alone.
Stress is part of life, but staying stuck in survival mode doesn’t have to be. Supporting your vagus nerve is one of the most effective ways to bring your body back into balance.
Want to dive deeper? Check out our quick video on the Polyvagal Theory to learn how your nervous system responds to stress — and how you can reset it.