A trip to Cambridge to see my osteopath Mojo, resulted in a conversation about the vagus nerve and its relationship with autoimmune conditions. I got excited and obviously, this led to more research, I was convinced this was the missing link in my recovery journey. I had always felt there was a sub-conscious reason my recovery always seemed to plateau, despite on the surface feeling happy and positive, I felt something deep down, that I wasn’t aware of, was stalling my progress.
I had always been mindful of the link between the emotions and autoimmune conditions, in a sense I had always thought of autoimmune diseases as emotional conditions. This is not something I had read or heard from a doctor or practitioner, it was just a feeling I got from being someone who was suffering from autoimmunity. Therefore I genuinely thought I had found the reason for my illnesses – my vagus nerve was more or less inactive! So fix it and I’d be in remission, right? I’d be free of pain and able to get on with my life just like before? I wish it was that simple, but these are complex issues, usually requiring a several pronged approach. However, I was on the right track…..
The vagus nerve is the main nerve of the parasympathetic nervous system which controls specific body functions such as digestion, heart rate and immune system i.e. the ‘rest and digest’ functions as opposed to the ‘fight or flight’ response of the sympathetic nervous system. Vagal nerves carry signals between the brain, heart and digestive system and are the longest cranial nerves running either side of your body from your brain to your large intestine.
Those with immune conditions often have low vagal tone. There are many ways to strengthen the vagus nerve so your body’s balance is weighed more towards ‘rest and digest’ than ‘fight and flight’. There was one study where a lady was given a vagus nerve stimulating implant and after suffering from RA for 20 years, it put her condition into remission so this is an interesting field. I researched many devices on the market that are usually promoted for particular conditions such as epilepsy, depression and migraines. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) devices use electrical impulses to stimulate the left vagus nerve, sending impulses to the brain to calm down irregular electrical activity in the brain.
Get Sensate are a company that produce a device called the Pebble, an audio-vibrational pebble-shaped device which is laid on the sternum and works with an app on your phone to vibrate in time with some meditative sounds/music set at particular frequencies. The audio-vibrational combination is meant to stimulate the vagus nerve. Take a look at their website for more information. I’m using one at the moment so watch this space! Many users are finding it a great way to relax, destress, reduce anxiety and help sleep patterns.
Whilst we are on the subject of relaxation, I would highly recommend you try meditation as dealing with stress and the emotions plays a vital role in getting an immune condition in to remission. I wish I had tried it sooner as it is life changing. Try just 10 minutes, with Sensate or try my mini meditation course if you haven’t done it before and want to learn more.
Once again, not a cure-all but it set me on a path where I discovered there was going to be an online master class weekend with a host of vagus nerve experts run by a psychologist and holistic practitioner, called Dr Eva Dekto. Once again, I happened to research the vagus nerve at a time when the seminar was being advertised! It blew my mind and was yet another eureka moment in my life! It confirmed what I had always suspected, that there was a mental/emotional side to autoimmune conditions and if that was not addressed, the healing process would always stall or plateau.
My childhood was stressful and at times chaotic and current research says that this can lead to autoimmune conditions if you are genetically predisposed to developing a particular condition. But how to go about addressing the stuff in your head? A bit of meditation and yoga might not do it on their own…..
Well, as a result of the vagus nerve weekend, I was on the mailing list and a couple of years later, the wonderful Dr Eva sent out the opportunity to watch 3 videos on the triangle of healing – physical/emotional/energy. To simplify this theory, it highlights that all 3 areas need to be in balance in order for the body have the perfect environment for healing and how memories of past events trapped in our sub-conscious, can affect our biochemistry, resulting in poor health.
Watching the videos, I heard my own journey recited back at me and I decided to purchase the course – Addressing Psychoeneretic Root Causes of Chronic Illness Program. I now know doing this work, dealing with past traumas, setting positive behavioural patterns in place plus all the other physical work such as eating well, supplements, exercise etc. have actually started to reduce my thyroid antibodies and get me on the path to wellness.
I have spent literally £1000’s on supplements, practitioners and devices, some helpful, some excellent and some not so much BUT this has been the best investment of my life. For me, working on this past trauma, that I am not even totally aware of on a day to day basis, holds the key to getting my conditions into remission.
I can’t emphasise this enough, if your condition and recovery are plateauing, if you feel you heal and get to a certain point but then get no further or take a few steps back even, then consider your past. I urge you to look into this, either through Dr Eva or different sources. This is her book, it’s a smaller investment than the course, why not see if this work resonates with you?
I truly believe if my healing journey had started with this course, I would have been ill for a matter of months not years and I would have less damage in my joints. However it wouldn’t have led me to doing this to help you – so this is my journey, the way it was meant to be.
Another life changing device I have just invested in is the Healy, a bioresonance device to help to balance energy within the body – I’ve just started using it (Jan2023) and the results have been immediate for me. If you are interested in controlling your own health journey then email me for more information.