The Vagus Nerve & Your Gut—How to Heal Your Digestive System from the Top Down

The Vagus Nerve & Your Gut—How to Heal Your Digestive System from the Top Down

You could be eating all the right foods—and still struggling with gas, bloating, fatigue, or leaky gut.

Why? Because your nervous system is stuck in fight or flight, and your vagus nerve isn’t doing its job.

This blog unpacks how spinal alignment, nervous system balance, and vagus nerve activation are foundational to gut healing.

What’s the Vagus Nerve—and Why It Matters

The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve in your body. It exits the base of your brain, loops through your upper neck (atlas vertebra), and branches out to your lungs, heart, liver, and entire digestive system.

• It governs rest, digest, breathe, and repair.

• It sends 90% of its signals UPWARD from the gut to the brain.

When this nerve is compressed, inflamed, or underactive, your gut can’t function.

The Atlas Alignment: Your Gut’s Gatekeeper

If your atlas (first cervical vertebra) is subluxated, it can pressure the vagus nerve.

That leads to:

• Constipation or diarrhea

• Gut inflammation

• Poor motility (stuck food)

• Leaky gut

• Brain fog and anxiety

Regular chiropractic care ensures the vagus nerve is free to function.

Chiropractic: The Non-Negotiable Gut Tool

You brush your teeth daily. You move your body. You eat clean.

Why wouldn’t you check the health of your spinal nervous system?

I tell every patient: chiropractic is foundational. For your immune system. Your brain. Your digestion. Your life.

Study Says: Vagus Activation Heals IBS, Inflammation & Mood

In 2018, Frontiers in Psychiatry published that improving vagus function helped:

• IBS symptoms

• Gut motility

• Inflammatory disorders

• Anxiety, depression, and PTSD

And how do you stimulate the vagus nerve?

• Spinal adjustments

• Movement (yes, just getting up and moving your limbs)

• Relaxed mealtime rituals

Three Keys to Move Your Bowels (and Heal Your Gut)

1. Hydration – not just water, but minerals too

2. Movement – your colon loves motion

3. Fiber – the favorite food of your gut microbes

It’s simple, but powerful. These daily rituals activate your gut naturally.

Leaky Gut = Leaky Brain

You’ve heard of leaky gut—but did you know your brain barrier is built the same way?

Inflamed gut = inflamed brain.

• Brain fog

• Poor focus

• Anxiety

• Fatigue

Gut dysfunction never stays in the gut. It travels north via the vagus and enters the brain.

The Nervous System Doesn’t Lie

Most patients look calm—but under the surface, they’re stuck in sympathetic dominance.

That’s why we measure your autonomic balance using:

• Heart Rate Variability (HRV)

• Thermal scans

• Structural X-rays

We want to know: are you living in stress—or healing?

Final Word from Dr. Dan Yachter

Your spine and nervous system govern your gut. Your gut, in turn, governs your immune system, your brain, and your life.

Want true gut healing? Start at the top—with your brain and spine.