Improving Vagus Nervous System Tone Therapeutic Gateway to the Immune-Nervous Supersystem
The Vagus Nerves exert a profound influence on the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary bodily functions such as heart rate, digestion, and respiratory rate. Specifically, the Vagus nerve is known to enable the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting a “rest and digest” response that counterbalances the sympathetic nervous system’s “fight or flight” mode. This activation is necessary to regulate heart rate, reduce stress, and enhance overall relaxation.
Moreover, the connection between the Vagus nerve and the immune system is a burgeoning area of research. The Vagus nerve has been found to have a bidirectional relationship with the immune system, enabling the brain to communicate with immune cells and vice versa. This crosstalk has significant implications for inflammation regulation, autoimmune diseases, and even mental health.
Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) has been explored and approved as a therapeutic intervention for various conditions, including epilepsy, depression, and chronic inflammatory disorders. By modulating Vagus nerve activity through electrical stimulation and lifestyle interventions, the aim is to harness the immune-brain connection to improve health outcomes. This innovative approach holds promise in advancing our understanding of how the nervous system, immune system, and brain interact and how we can leverage this knowledge to develop novel treatments for a wide range of health issues counterbalances the sympathetic nervous system’s “fight or flight” mode.
This educational program provided by the Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute in conjunction with Electrocore is focused on the development of understanding among health care practitioners of the important role that the Vagus nerve function has on health conditions associated with dysfunction in the connections between the immune and autonomic nervous systems. The two-hour virtual educational program will provide insight into the assessment of vagus nerve tone and its clinical manifestations in the management of stress and inflammation related health issues.
The faculty is composed of key opinion-leading experts in the field of both vagus nerve function and interventional approaches to improving vagal nerve tone and the resultant impact on the balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system function.
Key Learning Objectives:
- Understanding of the role that the Vagus nerve plays in sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system function.
- Understanding how vagal nerve tone is related to the function of the immune system and chronic inflammatory state characterized by inflammaging.
- Understanding of the clinical tools available to improve vagus nerve function.
- Describing the role that electrophysiological intervention has on improving vagus nerve function and its impact on the immune system.
Hourly Schedule
February 27, 2024
- 5:00 pm - 5:30 pm
- Introduction to the Connection Between Vagus Nerve Function and the Immune System
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Speakers:
Jeff Bland, PhD
- 5:30 pm - 6:00 pm
- “Pain, Inflammation and the Vagus Nerve”
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Speakers:
Peter Staats, MD, MBA, ABIPP, FIPP
- 6:00 pm - 6:30 pm
- ”Clinical Approaches to Improving Vagal Tone”
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Speakers:
Navaz Habib, DC
- 6:30 pm - 7:00 pm
- Panel Discussion among the faculty, moderated by Jeffrey Bland, Ph.D.
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Speakers:
Jeff Bland, PhD, Navaz Habib, DC, Peter Staats, MD, MBA, ABIPP, FIPP
Speakers
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Jeff Bland, PhDFunctional Medicine Founder and Pioneer
Dr. Jeffrey Bland is a personable and highly respected thought leader who has spent more than four decades focused on the improvement of human health.
He is known worldwide as the founder of the Functional Medicine movement, which represents his vision for a care model that is grounded in systems biology and informed by research that he has a unique ability to synthesize. His pioneering work has created the Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute (PLMI), as well as the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), the global leader in Functional Medicine education. Since 1991, hundreds of thousands of healthcare practitioners have participated in PLMI and IFM programs, and this collective knowledge has positively impacted the lives of patients all over the world.
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Navaz Habib, DCFounder of 'Health Upgraded'
Dr. Navaz Habib, is the bestselling author of ‘Activate Your Vagus Nerve’, and the newly released ‘Upgrade Your Vagus Nerve’ He is also the host of ‘The Health Upgrade Podcast’.
After graduating as class valedictorian from Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in 2010 and went on to practice traditional chiropractic for years, until he utilized the power of functional medicine to transform his own health.
He is the founder of ‘Health Upgraded’ an online functional health consulting clinic, supporting optimal health by elevating the awareness and function of the Vagus nerve.
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Peter Staats, MD, MBA, ABIPP, FIPP
Dr. Peter Staats is a renowned expert in pain medicine, known for founding the division of Pain Medicine at Johns Hopkins University, and as a founding partner in the Premier Pain Centers in New Jersey, which recently merged with National Spine and Pain Centers. He has served as the past President of esteemed societies like the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP), the North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS), the New Jersey Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, and the Southern Pain Society. With an extensive background in pain management and numerous publications in respected journals, including JAMA, Lancet, and Pain Medicine, Dr. Staats brings a wealth of knowledge to the discussion.
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