The Vagus Nerve
The Vagus Nerve extends from the hypothalamus area of your brain, hitting the ear, then going down through the chest, diaphragm, and then down to the intestines, with branches wrapping around your heart and communicating with many, many other organs on the way.
This very important nerve impacts every system of the body in one way or another. To paraphrase what I heard a fellow footzone instructor, Brad Noall, say (more than once) when I took his class about 10 years into my own years as a footzone therapist, “The Vagus Nerve is, or could be, the answer to nearly every question on a footzone class final test.” It is my belief, based on years of experience, that the Vagus Nerve impacts and plays a role, somehow or another, as this quote from Brad illustrates, with every system of the body!
I would like to share with you, in this newsletter, a small part of the things we discuss about the Vagus Nerve when holding Foot Zone classes at ButterflyExpressions. (I love to teach, especially anatomy for any reason whatsoever, so teaching ‘the Zone’ is particularly fun for me!)
During sleep, our bodies should be working to support healthy brain function and maintain our physical health.
How is that working for you?
I hope very well! But, if not, I hope something in this article can help you! There are few things in life more frustrating—and more detrimental to our health—than lying awake, so very tired, but unable to sleep. Not getting enough good quality sleep is, however, more than just frustrating because sleep is a very essential function! Without sufficient rest/sleep, it is impossible for a person to be well either physically or emotionally! As you sleep, your body and mind get a chance to recharge. If that ‘recharging’ gets accomplished, you should wake up refreshed, energetic, and alert. If not . . .?
During childhood and into the teenage years, sleep also supports growth and development. Getting inadequate sleep over time increases the risk of chronic (long-term) health problems.
Studies show that when we don’t get quality sleep or enough sleep, our immune system gets disrupted and weakened. This, of course, makes it more likely that we will get sick when we have been exposed to any sort of illness. Our bodies need sleep to fight infections that are passed from one person to the next. Long-term lack of sleep also raises our risk of obesity, diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease.
I could go on and on here, but let’s just get on to possible solutions!
As I have said often and with emphasis over many years, “All drugs have side effects!”
As an introduction to this section on Alternative Pain Management, I am including parts of an “FDA Drug Safety Communication” issued on July 9, 2015. If you wish to read the entire communication (with pages of additional information for patients and consumers and even more information for Health Care Professionals along with a comprehensive Data Summary) I am providing the link to the FDA announcement itself on the U.S Food & Drug Administration’s web page.
This statement certainly is true of the drugs used for pain management, as is illustrated by these statements taken from the FDA website itself. The use of herbs, essential oils, and Blessed Water or Homeopathic remedies is an effective and safe way to manage pain.