The Vagus Nerve and IBS: What You Need to Know
Discover why the “wandering nerve” is the key to understanding your gut symptoms – and how vagus nerve therapy can bring lasting relief.
If you've ever felt “butterflies” in your stomach before a big event, or had digestive issues during stressful times, you've experienced the vagus nerve in action.
The vagus nerve is your body's information superhighway between your brain and gut. Understanding how it works – and what happens when it doesn't work well – can transform how you approach IBS treatment.
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For years, doctors treated IBS as purely a gut problem. Antispasmodics, fiber supplements, dietary changes – all focused on the digestive system itself. These approaches helped some people, but many continued to suffer.
The breakthrough came when researchers started looking at the communication system between the brain and gut. And at the center of that system? The vagus nerve – now recognized as a key player in vagus nerve therapy for IBS and related conditions.
What You'll Learn
- What the vagus nerve actually does
- How vagus nerve dysfunction causes IBS
- Signs of low vagal tone
- How vagus nerve hypnotherapy works
- Research on vagus nerve and gut function
- Practical tips to support vagal function
What Is the Vagus Nerve?
The word “vagus” comes from Latin, meaning “wandering” – and that's exactly what this nerve does. Starting at your brainstem, the vagus nerve wanders through your body, connecting your brain to your heart, lungs, and – crucially – your entire digestive system.
Think of it as a two-lane highway:
- Lane 1 (downward): Your brain sends calming signals to your gut, telling it to relax, digest, and function normally
- Lane 2 (upward): Your gut sends information back to your brain – about 80% of the nerve's traffic flows this direction
The Vagus Nerve: Your Gut-Brain Highway
This is why your gut is sometimes called your “second brain.” It contains about 500 million neurons – more than your spinal cord – and produces 90% of your body's serotonin (a key mood and gut motility regulator).
The vagus nerve contains over 100,000 nerve fibers, making it the most complex cranial nerve in your body.
Source: Bonaz et al., Frontiers in Neuroscience (2018)
The vagus nerve also controls your parasympathetic nervous system – the “rest and digest” response that counterbalances your fight-or-flight stress response. When your vagus nerve is functioning well, your body can shift smoothly between alertness and relaxation. When it's not... that's where problems begin.
The Vagus Nerve-IBS Connection
Researchers now understand that IBS isn't just a gut problem – it's a gut-brain communication problem. And the vagus nerve is at the center of that communication breakdown.
Here's what happens when the vagus nerve and gut connection becomes dysregulated:
A 2018 study in Neurogastroenterology & Motility found that IBS patients have significantly reduced vagal tone compared to healthy controls. This means their vagus nerve is essentially “underperforming” – it's not sending adequate calming signals to the gut.
“Vagal dysfunction may represent a key pathophysiological mechanism in IBS, contributing to visceral hypersensitivity, altered gut motility, and the inflammatory component of the disorder.”
Signs of Low Vagal Tone
“Vagal tone” refers to how well your vagus nerve functions. High vagal tone means your body can efficiently switch between alertness and relaxation. Low vagal tone means you get stuck in stress mode.
Beyond IBS symptoms, low vagal tone often shows up as:
The good news? Unlike many things in your nervous system, vagal tone can be improved. Your vagus nerve responds to training, and this is exactly what vagus nerve hypnotherapy targets.
Think low vagal tone might be contributing to your IBS?
Gut-directed hypnotherapy specifically targets vagus nerve regulation.
Learn If This Could Help You →How Hypnotherapy Stimulates the Vagus Nerve
Here's where it gets exciting. Vagus nerve hypnotherapy doesn't just help you relax – it actively retrains your nervous system to function better.
During hypnotherapy, several things happen that directly stimulate and strengthen vagal function:
1Deep Diaphragmatic Breathing
Hypnotherapy sessions always include slow, deep breathing. This directly stimulates the vagus nerve, which runs alongside the diaphragm. Research shows that slow breathing (around 6 breaths/minute) maximizes vagal stimulation and shifts your body into parasympathetic mode.
2Activation of the Relaxation Response
The hypnotic state itself is characterized by increased parasympathetic activity. fMRI studies show that hypnosis activates brain regions associated with vagal control while deactivating areas associated with stress and vigilance.
3Gut-Directed Suggestions
During gut-directed hypnotherapy, specific suggestions are made about calming and normalizing gut function. Brain imaging shows these suggestions actually change how the brain processes gut signals – essentially rewiring the vagus nerve's messaging system.
4Neuroplastic Changes
With repeated sessions, the brain and nervous system physically change. This is why the benefits of hypnotherapy often last for years – you're not just learning a coping skill, you're rewiring your nervous system.
Studies show hypnotherapy increases heart rate variability (a direct measure of vagal tone) both during and after treatment.
Source: Keefer et al., American Journal of Gastroenterology
This is what makes hypnotherapy different from simple relaxation techniques or meditation apps. It's not just about feeling calm in the moment – it's about changing how your nervous system operates at baseline.
What the Research Shows
The connection between vagus nerve therapy and IBS isn't theoretical – it's backed by decades of clinical research.
Manchester Studies (Whorwell et al.)
The pioneering research on gut-directed hypnotherapy showed 75-80% of patients experienced significant improvement in IBS symptoms, with benefits lasting 5+ years after treatment ended.
Lancet, Gut, and multiple follow-up studies (1984-present)Vagal Tone in IBS (Pellissier et al.)
Confirmed that IBS patients have significantly reduced vagal tone compared to healthy controls, and that this correlates with symptom severity.
PLOS ONE (2014)Vagus Nerve and Inflammation (Bonaz et al.)
Demonstrated that the vagus nerve has powerful anti-inflammatory effects in the gut, and that stimulating vagal activity can reduce gut inflammation.
Frontiers in Neuroscience (2018)Brain Imaging Studies (Lowén et al.)
fMRI research showing hypnotherapy changes brain activity in regions that process gut signals, explaining the mechanism behind symptom improvement.
Neurogastroenterology & Motility“The vagus nerve is emerging as a key target for treating functional gastrointestinal disorders. Interventions that enhance vagal tone may represent a novel therapeutic approach for IBS.”
Practical Ways to Support Your Vagus Nerve
While hypnotherapy provides the most powerful and lasting improvements in vagal tone, there are things you can do daily to support your vagus nerve function:
Slow Breathing
Practice breathing at 5-6 breaths per minute (5 seconds in, 5 seconds out) for 5 minutes daily. This directly stimulates the vagus nerve.
Cold Exposure
End showers with 30-60 seconds of cold water. Cold stimulates the vagus nerve and increases vagal tone over time.
Humming or Singing
The vagus nerve connects to your vocal cords. Humming, singing, or chanting “om” stimulates vagal activity.
Social Connection
Positive social interactions stimulate the vagus nerve. Isolation reduces vagal tone.
Regular Exercise
Moderate exercise increases vagal tone. Even daily walking makes a difference.
Meditation
Regular meditation practice increases heart rate variability and vagal tone.
Ready for professional vagus nerve therapy?
Gut-directed hypnotherapy provides the most powerful and lasting improvements in vagal function.
Apply to Work With Me →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I measure my vagal tone?
Yes – heart rate variability (HRV) is the most common measure. Many fitness trackers and apps can track HRV, giving you an indirect measure of vagal function.
How quickly can vagal tone improve?
Some improvements occur within weeks of starting vagus nerve therapy. More significant neuroplastic changes develop over 2-3 months of consistent treatment.
What about vagus nerve stimulation devices?
VNS devices exist and show promise, but they're more invasive and expensive. Hypnotherapy achieves similar vagal activation non-invasively and teaches self-regulation.
Is vagus nerve dysfunction the only cause of IBS?
No – IBS has multiple contributing factors. But vagal dysfunction is increasingly recognized as a key mechanism, especially for patients whose symptoms worsen with stress.
Can hypnotherapy help other vagus-related conditions?
Yes – improved vagal function can help with anxiety, chronic pain, inflammation, and other conditions where the nervous system plays a role.
How many sessions for vagus nerve therapy?
Typically 6-12 sessions over 2-3 months. This allows time for neuroplastic changes to develop and become permanent.
Key Takeaways
Ready to Retrain Your Nervous System?
The vagus nerve isn't something you hear about often, but it might be the missing piece in your IBS puzzle. When your gut and brain aren't communicating well, no amount of dietary restriction or medication will fully solve the problem.
Vagus nerve hypnotherapy works because it addresses this root cause. It retrains your nervous system to function the way it's supposed to – with your vagus nerve sending calm, regulating signals to your gut.
Your nervous system learned these patterns. It can unlearn them too.
— Danny
Ready to Explore Vagus Nerve Therapy?
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Danny Mohan
Probably the only credentialed fraud examiner for Fortune 100 companies turned Clinical Hypnotherapist on the planet. After 10+ years investigating high-profile corporate deception, Danny now applies that same ruthlessly analytical mindset to something more rewarding: helping people stop deceiving themselves. He specializes in anxiety, gut issues, and pain reduction.
Last updated: January 2026
Sources & Further Reading
- Bonaz, B., Bazin, T., & Pellissier, S. (2018). The vagus nerve at the interface of the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 12, 49.
- Pellissier, S., et al. (2014). Relationship between vagal tone, cortisol, TNF-alpha, epinephrine and negative affects in Crohn's disease and irritable bowel syndrome. PLOS ONE, 9(9), e105328.
- Breit, S., et al. (2018). Vagus nerve as modulator of the brain–gut axis in psychiatric and inflammatory disorders. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 9, 44.
- Whorwell, P. J., et al. (1984). Controlled trial of hypnotherapy in the treatment of severe refractory irritable-bowel syndrome. The Lancet, 324(8414), 1232-1234.
- Lowén, M. B., et al. (2013). Effect of hypnotherapy and educational intervention on brain response to visceral stimulus in the irritable bowel syndrome. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 37(12), 1184-1197.
- Keefer, L., & Blanchard, E. B. (2001). The effects of relaxation response meditation on the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 39(7), 801-811.