While researching the vagus nerve I quickly discovered that there is a lot of controversy about how to treat the nerve when it becomes dysfunctional. Some people argue that the nerve needs stimulation while others argue that the nerve needs to be calmed. These theories stem from the belief that vagus nerve disorders are caused by the nerve being under or over active. If the vagus nerve is not functioning properly it can cause a variety of problems in the body. This is because the vagus nerve is directly connected to the brain, heart, intestine, stomach, liver, pancreas, kidney, gallbladder, ureter, spleen, lungs, fertility organs, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, tongue and ears. Thus the name vagus is appropriate because it it means wandering in Latin.
