You've heard massaging it can relieve stress—now experts have found the 27 million U.S. autoimmune sufferers could find therapy here, too.
New Research: Autoimmune Symptoms Could See Relief from Stimulating This Trending Body Part
Published on Feb. 06, 2025
If you’ve spent any time exploring health and wellness trends on social, chances are good you’ve come across vagus nerve massage. The vagal nerves, as the Cleveland Clinic explains, “contain 75% of your parasympathetic nervous system’s nerve fibers … [which] send information between your brain, heart and digestive system.” Some experts say targeting the vagus region on the back of the neck with methodical pressure can help release stress and calm the nervous system, since this site is ground zero for much of the body’s involuntary responses.
Turns out, the medical community doesn’t disagree and in fact have taken study of the vagal nerves even further. Namely, “vagus nerve stimulation” sends electrical impulses to the vagal nerves either invasively through a surgical implant, or non-invasively using electrodes placed on the skin’s surface. Vagus nerve stimulation has been approved as treatment for drug-resistant depression, epilepsy, and stroke recovery.
Now, a breaking analysis conducted by two medical researchers in the UK suggests that stimulating the vagus nerve could also help ease autoimmune conditions, such as those associated with rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and Type 1 diabetes.
Rheumatoid arthritis may be the first autoimmune disease to become approved for the treatment’s use. Implanted devices can reroute signals sent between the brain and body in order to control the immune system, reduce autoimmune symptoms, and slow disease progression. These signals appear to work primarily by curbing excessive inflammation, which is at the root of many autoimmune conditions.
In fact, another study, released by the American College of Rheumatology in October 2024, reviewed the efficacy of a vagus nerve stimulation device, and found that patients with rheumatoid arthritis saw improvements in their symptoms after just 12 weeks of vagus nerve stimulation. The product is currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is expected to reach a decision on the device’s approval by the end of 2025.
The Cleveland Clinic estimates that roughly 8% of Americans, or 27 million people, currently suffer from an autoimmune disease. Though it is not yet clear whether vagus nerve stimulating treatments are as effective as drug interventions, the possibility could offer hope to plenty of patients looking for relief from their autoimmune symptoms. If you’re struggling with your own set of symptoms, contact your care team to discuss your concerns and to explore which treatments may be available to you.
Since nearly 75% of autoimmune patients are women, this is yet another example of why gender-specific medical research is so crucial.
If any of this applies to you, but this neurological treatment seems out of reach, this might be the permission you need to at least go schedule that lovely massage you deserve.
For daily wellness updates, subscribe to The Healthy by Reader’s Digest newsletter and follow The Healthy on Facebook and Instagram. Keep reading:
