The Vagus Nerve Connects Every Health Professional

The Vagus nerve, the tenth cranial nerve, is also called the wandering nerve as it is the longest cranial nerve in the body. It provides parasympathetic innervation to the major organs. As the command-and-control center for the body, the vagus nerve is involved in autonomic organ function, regulation of inflammation, perception of pain, and modification of disease. A mixed nerve, between 80-90% of the fibers are afferent, and 10-20% are efferent. Increasingly, researchers and clinicians are learning how to stimulate this nerve to improve outcomes in a variety of disease states.