Why is the Vagus Nerve so important?

What Does the Vagus Nerve Do? How Can I Improve My Vagal Tone?

The Vagus nerve is one of the longest running nerves in the body. The vagus nerve is a part of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for your “fight or flight” response in times of stress. The parasympathetic nervous system helps with “rest and digest”. The parasympathetic nervous system is particularly regulated by the Vagus Nerve, which is involved in controlling your heart rate, digestion, and assists in immune system function. Stimulating the Vagus Nerve can improve your emotional, mental, and physical well-being.

The activity of your Vagus Nerve is referred to as your Vagal Tone. The better your Vagal tone, the better your body’s response to stress can potentially be. Stress can be pain, fear, or true stress. One of the most common places people hold their “stress” is in their pelvic floor. Addressing Vagal tone can make a big impact on relaxing the pelvic floor and reducing stress.

Here are techniques to stimulate the Vagus Nerve and improve Vagal tone. The great thing about these Vagus nerve techniques is that it gives you control over your own nervous system. You can incorporate these throughout the day since they only take seconds to perform.

  • Deep Breathing: Breathe in deeply through your nose and out slowly through your mouth. Try to hold the inhale breath for a few seconds before you very slowly exhale. Breathe deep into your lower belly. The goal is to slow the rate of breathing to 6 breaths per minute.
  • Loud humming or singing can stimulate the Vagus Nerve because the nerve is connected to your vocal cords as well.
  • Cold Exposure: Acute cold exposure can stimulate your Vagus Nerve. Try turning your water to cold for 30 seconds during your next shower! If you are brave, there are now cryotherapy centers where you can immerse yourself in a cold bath or cryosphere.
  • Laughing stimulates the diaphragm which stimulates the Vagus Nerve.
  • Vagus Nerve Massage in the Carotid Sinus (gentle massage along the sides of your neck) along the Sternocleidomastoid muscle
  • Vagus Nerve Auricular Release (ear): You can massage directly behind the ear. You can also gently pull or stretch on your earlobe to stimulate the nerve. The external ear is one of the only places in the body that the Vagus nerve sends its peripheral branch to.

A Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist can help show you specific techniques to stimulate the Vagus Nerve and improve your Vagal tone!

Tips for Painful Periods

What Can I Do for My Painful Periods?

Discomfort during menstrual cycles has been normalized; however, something can be done besides reaching for the Midol!

Menstrual cramps occur due to a chemical compound called prostglandin. Prostglandin is naturally present in the body and its role is to help contract and relax the uterus. During your cycle, prostagladin is released in order for the uterus to contract and for the endometrium (uterine lining) to detach and flow out of the body. When excessive prostaglandin is released, the uterus contracts too strongly which causes a decrease in oxygen to the uterine muscle tissue contributing to cramps.

Dysmenorrhea is a medical term for having pain with menstrual cycles. Over 80% of women are affected by this at some point in their life.

There are two diagnosis categories of dysmenorrhea, primary and secondary. Primary dysmenorrhea lasts 1-2 days during the beginning of a period. Pain can range from mild to severe and be present in the abdomen, back, hips, and thighs. This is the more common type. Secondary dysmenorrhea is caused by a disorder in the reproductive organs such as endometriosis, fibroids, or pelvic inflammatory disease. This pain typically begins earlier in the menstrual cycle and lasts longer than primary.

Things you can do to relieve menstrual cycles without medications:

  • Use a TENS unit. This sends pulses through electrodes placed on the skin to nerves and helps to block pain signals to the brain. A Physical Therapist can help you identify a good TENS unit and the ideal pad placement.
  • Perform abdominal and pelvic girdle massage. This can help relax the tissue restrictions in the abdomen and muscles surrounding the pelvis that can be contributing to cramps and/or bloating. A Physical Therapist can teach you self-treatment techniques to employ.
  • Exercise. Women who exercise regularly often report less menstrual pain. When you exercise, a hormone called Endorphins are released which block pain receptors to the brain. Exercise also improves blood flow to the cramped blood vessels going to the uterus. A PT can teach you exercises to improve mobility in the spine and hips as well as help to relax the pelvic floor muscles.
  • Heating pads placed on the low back or abdomen can improve blood circulation and relax tight muscles.
  • Make sure you are staying hydrated! Try to aim for at least 50% of your body weight in fluid ounces of mostly water. Try to avoid alcohol and caffeine which can contribute to dehydration and make your cramping worse.
  • Try to eat anti-inflammatory foods such as fruits & vegetables and foods high in omega-3 fatty acids such as seeds, nuts, eggs, dark green vegetables and salmon. Do your best to avoid the cravings for junky, processed food!
  • Incorporating certain herbs into your diet can significantly help keep your hormones balanced. Ginger, dandelion root, basil, mint, raspberry leaves and other herbs can easily be incorporated into the foods you eat, or you can drink herbal tea.
  • Magnesium is known to decrease muscle cramping in various parts of the body and now some studies have suggested that magnesium supplementation may be very beneficial for menstrual cramps.

A specialty trained Physical Therapist can also perform additional hands-on techniques to assist with pain reduction. Additional techniques may include Dry Needling, Visceral Mobilization, and Spinal Manipulation.

 

If you are dealing with painful periods, either primary or secondary dysmenorrhea, Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy can help!

Magic City Physical Therapy

Hoover, AL

Phone 205-602-1848

Fax 205-293-3895

Instagram @magiccitypt

How Stress and Diet Relate to Pelvic Pain

Ever been in a foreign country and tried to order off of a long, complicated, alien looking menu? Did you use hand signals to describe the dish you wanted? Did you whip out your phone and hope Google has the answers? And, in the end, did you just close your eyes and trust that what landed on your plate was pork, not pizza? Yes, this situation can be frustrating, especially when you don’t end up getting what you want! Well, let me tell you a secret… when you’re in pain, your body is frantically waving hand signals, pointing at pictures, and speaking in a foreign language. Why? Because it needs you to give it what it wants.

Few of us think of pain as a language, and yet, it is. Foreign though it may be to many people, it is, in fact, a very detailed and specific way of communication. When you stub your toe, for example, your brain sends you a signal that something is wrong. You hop around looking sheepish for a while, but you also realize that putting a plaster over the nail, putting your foot up a bit, and wearing shoes next time is the right thing to do. So why would it be different when it comes to chronic pain? Back pains through to knee pains all have one thing in common: they’re signals from the body.

And if your body is speaking to you – and for some of you reading this, it might be screaming at you – it’s time to take some notice. But, that having been said, it’s a little easier said than done sometimes. If you’ve experienced ongoing, debilitating pain, it’s not always easy to listen properly. You might just not understand. And that’s why it’s absolutely vital to take a step back and start looking at the two most important factors that might be contributing to your pain: stress and diet.

Stress

For many of us, this five letter word has been so overused we don’t really understand what it means anymore. For some folks, general stress can push them forward, motivating them to challenge their professional and personal boundaries. But others – including many of you reading this now – might not even know what a holiday or ‘me-time’ is anymore. Quite possibly, you (and them) have been so focused on your work, family, or other activities, that you’ve not taken a moment to notice what the ongoing, accumulative stress is doing to your body.

You see, stress is a bit like moving a bucket of water from one end of a football pitch to the other. Continuously. You’re so focused on moving the bucket over the outer boundary that you don’t feel your knees and back giving way. You just keep going. Eventually – inevitably – the water spills and, well, you’re left to clean up the mess.

Yet what would happen if you set the bucket down? The boundary would be more attainable, you would start being critical about the ultimate goal of your back-and-forth race, and you would begin to slow down, look up the sky, and start contemplating a trip to the beach. What do I mean? You would start living the life you deserve and, miraculously, your knees and back just might have a chance to recuperate and heal, given that you take actions which facilitate this.

In the case of emotional stress, too, the concept remains the same. Because the brain processes stress as a trauma, akin in many ways to PTSD, it therefore suffers from the effects of anxiety and stress for a while after the body actually experiences them. Again, this type of stress needs to be dealt with. Action needs to be taken, otherwise the metaphorical bucket will always be close to tipping.

The pain in your pelvis, back, hips, and so forth, is your body telling you that something is very wrong with your routine. It’s time to listen. And, believe it or not, pain is not the only symptom of chronic stress: your appetite suffers too. Which brings us to signal number two…

Diet

So few people ever turn to how they fuel their body for answers relating to their chronic pain. And yet, there might be a direct link between the nutritional content of your food and the pain you’re going through.

Sugar, fat, and salt all contribute to the accumulation of a poor metabolism, fat storage in the body, poor blood pressure, and decreased circulation. The result? Pain. And sadly, as many people know, pain is really only the start. Cancer, diabetes, and a myriad of other diseases may well follow suit.

If you’re not sleeping, you’re experiencing chest pains, you’re suffering from panic attacks and headaches, and you’re feeling a general fatigue accompanying your pain, please take a look at what you’re ingesting. It’s absolutely vital to check-up on your diet.

Start including more vegetables and anti-oxidants into your diet. Include foods that are nutrient dense and well balanced. Decrease processed foods and drink more water. The key to health is to listen to your body, and a lack of appetite, an over-active appetite, or a generally nutrient deficient calorie intake, is a clear signal from your body to regroup and reconstruct your food choices.

Stress and diet are clear forms of language: when out of balance, they’re your body’s way of producing pain so that you are able to take notice and take action. Knowing which choices to make in order to alleviate your pain is absolutely vital. That’s exactly why we invite you to contact us, right now. For the best advice, professional hands-on physical therapy, and support you can count on, contact us today. We’re here to help. It’s time to start listening to your body, getting rid of stress, eating right, and accessing the pain free life you deserve.

Call us today and take action!

Magic City Physical Therapy

Hoover, AL

(205) 202-0874

C-section Mamas: Can Scar Tissue’s
effects be fixed?

Scar tissue can be an ongoing hindrance for many of us. From an obstacle when it comes to movement, to a constant stretching feeling, dealing with scar tissue is oftentimes a daily, frustrating struggle. Luckily, you don’t have to fight that battle alone, and the happy truth is that you can overcome your nemesis. In this post, we’re the exposing truth behind scar tissue, and revealing how you can say goodbye to the nagging, pulling, stiff, numb sensations left in the wake of surgery or physical injury.


Firstly, then, we need to understand what scar tissue really is. Technically, it’s unorganized collagen that eventually becomes healthy scar tissue. What that means is, scar tissue is really the disorganized product of your body trying to heal itself after an injury. In other words, there’s absolutely nothing abnormal about scar tissue – it’s a perfectly normal physical reaction, albeit uncomfortable and oftentimes painful, alongside.


That having been said, scar tissue can have various causes. It’s not quite as straight-forward as you may have thought. We know the most common ones: surgery, scrapes, and cuts. But what about the lesser known causes? Scar tissue is not only the byproduct of the surgeon’s knife, such as after knee replacements or C-sections. It can also be the result of sprains, muscle tears, and various other muscular injuries endured during daily life. It may be that nagging pain in your elbow since you swung a bit too hard on the 18th hole, or it may be the tightness you feel in your calf after you tried to break a personal hiking record. Either way, you may not even realize you have scar tissue, as it isn’t physically apparent. As you can tell, then, scar tissue isn’t necessarily an external manifestation of physical injury: it can be hidden inside the body, connected to the muscles, and as an accompaniment to what may be considered fleeting injury. Scar tissue is often not just superficial, but can be attached to deep layers of muscle, for which these muscles need to be retrained how to work appropriately.


Yet despite its cause, you feel its effects. And so, the big question is, what can be done? If you’re currently struggling with a stubborn ankle injury, or stiff, tender, or numb tissue in/around an area you had surgery on (C-section mamas), then you know how aggravating and frustrating your daily battle against the irritation and pain can be. Quite possibly, you’ve tried every available cure out there: from tissue oil, to hot and cold packs, and even painkillers! And quite possibly, also, you’ve found very little relief and your health seems to be in jeopardy as a result. We understand how debilitating it can be, and we know that it may seem as though the hindrance will never stop. Happily, though, that isn’t true! In fact, there is a sure-fire way of alleviating the irritation related to scar tissue… and the answer is: physical therapy.


Physical therapy is the most effective way to treat the discomfort, pain, or lack of sensation associated with scar tissue. Why? Because it’s hands-on, targeted, and holistic. If you’ve never considered physical therapy as a way to treat your scar tissue problem, now is a great time to re-think the possibility. Here are a just a few of the ways physical therapy, administered by a professional, hands-on physical therapist, can help you overcome your struggle with scar tissue:


Massaging

Hands-on, targeted, massage is an amazing way of alleviating the pain and discomfort associated with scar tissue. Far from being a general massage, the techniques practiced by a skilled, professional, hands-on physical therapist are able to address the very essence of the problem, thereby releasing the tension and stiffness within the scar and muscles surrounding it. Physical therapy massage techniques offer a permanent solution to your nagging scar tissue troubles.


Myofascial Release

A little known aspect of scar tissue is its close relation to the fascia tissues, that is, a band of collagen tissues just below the skin. When this band is disrupted and altered, such as after surgery or other injuries, the tissues struggle to realign properly, thereby causing tightness and stiffness. With myofascial release, these tissues are manipulated, stretched, and made more elastic, thereby giving you more movement in that area. When done by a professional, hands-on physical therapist, this is a crucial step in overcoming the pain and stiffness associated with scar tissue. It’s an absolutely pivotal step on your road to health.


Microcurrent Point Stimulation

In addition to the techniques mentioned above, a professional physical therapist may also administer microcurrent point stimulation, a technical name for dry needling combined with low electrical pulses. These pulses actually have the ability to release tension, relax muscles, and calm the nervous system, all of which aid greatly in the alleviation of stiffness and immobility in scar tissue. And not only that, but microcurrent point stimulation releases endorphins, too! Alongside the other treatments you’ll receive from your physical therapist, this therapeutic technique is a fantastic accompaniment.


Stretches

While physical therapy provides life-changing hands-on techniques, you will also receive, and be guided through, stretches tailor-made for your specific issue. These stretches can be done at home, thereby ensuring that your journey to health is given a jump start and is, ultimately, maintained. Remember, a physical therapist releases the muscular tension as well as the irregular pulling of the collagen tissues. As such, it’s imperative that the scarred area is stretched and given attention, as this maintains its malleability – that is the true key to overcoming the discomfort associated with scar tissue.


Remember, scar tissue doesn’t have to be permanent. And you certainly do not have to struggle against the discomfort associated with it for even a day longer. A physical therapist can help you get back to the active, mobile, pain-free life you long for and deserve. We understand that the struggle you face is more than just a scar – it’s a daily battle against discomfort and pain. And that is why we sincerely want to help. Call us today to speak to one of our dedicated, professional physical therapists – find out how you can overcome the pain and stiffness related to scar tissue, right now. We’re very excited to hear from you!


Magic City Physical Therapy

Hoover, AL

Call us at 205-202-0874!