Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/885423
A B M P m e m b e r s e a r n F R E E C E a t w w w. a b m p . c o m / c e b y r e a d i n g M a s s a g e & B o d y w o r k m a g a z i n e 97 MYOFASCIAL TECHNIQUES The Vagus Nerve Technique The vagus's auricular branch is made up of afferent neurons, which means that stimulating sensation in the vagal- innervated parts of the ear (Image 3) excites greater vagal nerve activity. Since in most cases our aim is also to calm and reassure the client's nervous system, a gentle, confident, and sensitive touch (Image 4) is usually most effective, with one study (of infants' vagal reactions to massage) showing that moderate pressure yielded greater vagal effects than light touch. 6 Since some clients may not be accustomed to having their ears included in bodywork, be sure to ask permission first, and explain your purpose for proposing this technique. Could manual therapy with the ears be used to evoke some of the vagus's many beneficial effects? Clearly, touch wouldn't be expected to have the same effects as direct, longer-duration electrical stimulation; and though a few small studies have shown that hands-on work can measurably affect vagus tone, 7 other results have been limited or mixed, and so a definitive answer would require more investigation. But, understanding more about the vagus nerve can certainly stimulate our therapeutic imagination and creativity. Practitioners have long known that careful work with the ears, as well as relieving specific complaints like headaches and TMJ pain, can be extremely calming, perhaps because of the vagus nerve's power to soothe and relax both our body and mind. An extended version of this article, including full references, links, and a bibliography, is available at www.a-t.tv/ workingwiththevagusnerve. Notes 1. S. L. Oke and K. J. Tracey, "From CNI-1493 to the Immunological Homunculus: Physiology of the Inflammatory Reflex," Journal of Leukocyte Biology 83, no. 3 (March 2008): 512–17. 2. Adam Hadhazy, "Think Twice: How the Gut's 'Second Brain' Influences Mood and Well- Being," Scientific American, February 12, 2010, accessed September 2017, www. scientificamerican.com/article/gut-second-brain. 3. National Institute of Mental Health, "Brain Stimulation Therapies," 2016, accessed September 2017, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/brain-stimulation- therapies/brain-stimulation-therapies.shtml. 4. K. M. Gothard, "The Amygdalo-Motor Pathways and the Control of Facial Expressions," Frontiers in Neuroscience 8, no. 43 (2014). 5. R. H. Howland, "Vagus Nerve Stimulation," Current Behavioral Neuroscience Reports 1, no. 2 (2014): 64–73. 6. Tiffany Field et al., "Moderate Versus Light Pressure Massage Therapy Leads to Greater Weight Gain in Preterm Infants," Infant Behavior and Development 29, no. 4 (2006): 574–78. 7. J. Cottingham, S. Porges, and K. Richmond, "Shifts in Pelvic Inclination Angle and Parasympathetic Tone Produced by Rolfing Soft Tissue Manipulation," Physical Therapy 68, no. 9 (September 1988): 1364–70; J. Cottingham and J. Maitland, "A Three Paradigm Treatment Model Using Soft Tissue Mobilization and Guided Movement-Awareness Techniques for a Patient with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Case Study," Journal of Orthopedic Sports Physical Therapy 26, no. 3 (1997): 154–67. Til Luchau is the author of Advanced Myofascial Techniques (Handspring Publishing, 2016), a Certified Advanced Rolfer, and a member of the Advanced-Trainings.com faculty, which offers online learning and in-person seminars throughout the USA and abroad. He invites questions or comments via info@advanced-trainings.com and Advanced-Trainings.com's Facebook page. Gentle touch on the scalp's vagus nerve-innervated zone, just behind the ear, where the auricular branch emerges from the cranial vault through a small hole in the temporal bone. Courtesy Advanced-Trainings.com. The ear is the only place the vagus nerve reaches the surface of the body, via the auricular branch of the vagus nerve (dark green) and the ear structures it innervates (the concha and external auditory meatus; transparent green). Courtesy Primal Pictures, used by permission. White dots: facial nerve (VII): cutaneous fibers. Courtesy Advanced-Trainings.com. The Vagus Nerve Technique involves stimulating the vagus nerve's auricular branches via moderate pressure, gentle traction, and active movement. Courtesy Advanced- Trainings.com. 3 4 5 Cymba Concha Tragus Antitragus Lobule Helix Antihelix