08/29/23 Headaches

One fibromyalgia symptoms I and many others have, is headaches. There are many things you can do to relieve headaches. One thing I teach to students is to stimulate the vagus nerve. Stimulating the vagus nerve blocks pain signals to prevent or relieve head pain. You can do this by: Humming, or making a "vooooooo" or "om" sound stimulates the vocal cords and facilitates long slow exhalation. Exhale against a closed airway by keeping your mouth closed and pinching your nose while trying to breathe out. It increases the pressure inside of your chest cavity thereby stimulating your vagus nerve. Laugh out loud! A full belly laugh stimulates the vagus nerve and is contagious! Gargling activates the vagus nerve by activating the muscles in the back of the throat while exhaling slowly.