Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve: Self-Help Exercises for Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, and Autism

by Stanley D. Rosenberg

In addition to reducing breathing capacity, the loss of internal chest space puts pressure on the heart and crowds the blood vessels that go to and from the heart. FHP also compresses the spaces between the vertebrae of the neck and upper thorax, putting pressure on the spinal nerves of the neck and the upper thoracic spine. Furthermore, forward head posture compresses the vertebral arter-ies that carry blood up to the head, diminishing blood supply to the face, parts of the brain, and the brainstem, where the social-engagement cranial nerves V, VII, IX, X, and XI originate. When this occurs, as we might expect, we look pale, lack spontaneous facial expression, and are not socially engaged. If these five cranial nerves do not receive adequate blood circulation, they can fail to function properly, and we are likely to be in a state of chronic stress or dorsal vagal activity. Many aches, pains, and stiffnesses develop over time due to deterio-rating posture. According to a Mayo Clinic newsletter, “Forward head posture leads to long-term muscle strain, herniated discs, arthritis, and pinched nerves.”57