Stimulating the vagus nerve may be the answer for chronic pain, heart disease, depression, and more. In a clinical trial, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) involves using a small, pulse-generated device about the size of a jelly bean which is implanted under the skin on the left side of the neck. The pulse generator wraps around your vagus nerve, which is the body’s longest cranial nerve (actually two nerves), that run from the brain stem down through the neck on both sides of the body. The vagus nerve relays information between vital organs, including the heart, lungs, liver, pancreas, spleen, stomach, small intestine, colon, and the brain. For one minute each day, the small implanted device releases an electric pulse that travels through the vagus nerve to the brain. According to Dr. Kevin J. Tracey, neurosurgeon, president and CEO of Northwell Health’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, the device activates what we call the inflammatory reflex, which signals the vagus nerve to slow down inflammation. He says although vagus nerve stimulation can’t undo existing damage, it can reduce inflammation so significantly that pain and future damage can be decreased in as little as one week up to two and a half years or more after the implant.

Electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve, which is already used to treat some cases of epilepsy, may also have the potential to treat a range of conditions, including lupus, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), inflammatory bowel disease, fibromyalgia, and cardiac issues. In July, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an implantable SetPoint System – the first vagus nerve device used for treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which was developed based on research conducted by Dr. Tracey and his team. Also last year, a study in the journal “Brain Stimulation” confirmed the efficiency of VNS to manage treatment-resistant depression, paving the way for health coverage by insurance.

Dr. Tracy Centanni, director of the Genetics of Auditory and Visual Perception at the University of Florida, predicts we will see an explosion of VNS in the next five years. Researchers now know that VNS improves vagal tone — and the greater your vagal tone, the more active the nerve. A higher-functioning vagus nerve is key to regulating heart rate and blood pressure, controlling the release of digestive enzymes and gastric acid, and helping to move food through the digestive tract. These electrical signals can turn the body’s production of inflammation on and off. Inflammation significantly affects rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and is a contributing factor to many other diseases, including gastrointestinal problems such as acid reflux and irritable bowel syndrome as well as neural conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. While Dr. Tracey concedes that VNS doesn’t work for everyone, it can be an effective and less expensive alternative to using medications to treat many conditions, including stroke rehabilitation, spinal cord injuries, epilepsy, migraine headaches, and cluster headache.

A 2026 study conducted by Dr. Charles Conway and others at Washington State University, demonstrated that approximately 80% of patients with markedly treatment-resistant depression who responded to VNS after one year showed sustained benefits at the two-year mark.

A number of at-home VNS devices can be found for sale online. But at-home VNS devices, most of which do not have FDA approval, should never be used without first consulting your doctor, as they can be dangerous for those with heart conditions or implanted devices. At-home VNS devices, if approved by your doctor, can help with meditation or creating a sense of calm, but it’s unlikely that home users can place the device in a way that actually stimulates the vagus nerve itself. There are a number of device-free techniques that may harness the vagus nerve but can also calm your body in other ways. These include slow, deep breathing, which if done for a few minutes each day, stimulates the vagus nerve as the diaphragm moves and activates the body’s relaxation response. Breathe through your nose for a count of six and exhale through your mouth for a count of eight. Aerobic exercise that boosts the number of blood vessels that fuel your brain and enhances connectivity between brain cells, may also increase vagal tone. Brief exposure to very cold temperatures may stimulate vagus nerve pathways and reduce the body’s natural stress response. Rinsing your face with cold water or placing an ice pack for a few minutes on your neck can have an impact. Meditation may activate the vagus nerve by calming the network of nerves that control a wide array of physiological processes. Gentle massage of the shoulders, neck, and feet may help stimulate the vagus nerve.

— Quarles is a registered dietitian with the South Central Human Resource Agency Head Start.