Also called the pneumogastric nerve, this is the tenth cranial nerve, with many fibers leading to parasympathetic ganglia in internal organs, and can be considered the presynapse starter for the upper parts of the parasympathetic functions.

	Arrhythmias/Dysrhythmias Recommendation Massage "In cases of supraventricular tachycardia, stimulation of the vagus nerve is a commonly employed technique to help return the heart rate to normal..." Excessive Yawning The Condition "...Potentially adversive stimuli, such as needle pricks or even generalized anxiety about some future event, can lead to increased activity in the vagus nerve..." Intestinal Obstruction The Condition "...The wall of the small bowel contains layers of smooth muscle and the nerve supply to this smooth muscle is from both the parasympathetic (vagus nerve) and sympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system..." Poor Small Intestine Health The Condition "...trypsin, chymotrypsin and sodium bicarbonate are received from the pancreas upon hormonal signals from pancreozymin and other hormones (produced in the small intestine) and neural signals from the vagus nerve..."

Last updated: Feb 28, 2008