The autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for automatic functions such as heartbeat and breathing, has two modes: the parasympathetic, or “rest and digest,” and the sympathetic, or “fight or flight.”
The sympathetic nervous system is intended to come online in short bursts when survival is on the line. A state of constant SNS arousal could explain many central features of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and other disorders, including panic, intolerance of stress, sound or scents, and insomnia.
The SNS and PNS are mediated via the vagus nerve, a crucial nerve that regulates autonomic nervous system activity by sending signals from the brain down to most organs of the body.
Using Biofeedback Hardware
I used my biofeedback hardware to test the viability of different activities to activate the PNS. In theory, activating the PNS consistently for a period of months should correct most of the issues listed above.
My biofeedback hardware/software is from Unyte, a company with an earnest spiritual bent. Its biofeedback games are wonderful tools to de-stress and begin or deepen a meditation practice.
Their hardware monitors what they call “coherence,” or what’s generally known as heart rate variability. Heart rate variability is a measure of the balance of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
Compared to others using Unyte, my coherence scores are extremely low – typically in the teens to 40s (a percentage out of 100).
After reading articles on activating the PNS and increasing vagal nerve tone, I started testing various activities to see whether they successfully raised my coherence score.
I found a handful of easy activities that consistently raise coherence into the 60s, 70s or 80s, and when two are performed simultaneously, the results are even greater.
Dynamic Neural Retraining System
Psychological techniques for calming the nervous system long-term have been developed by Dan Neuffer (of ANS Rewire) and Annie Hopper (Dynamic Neural Retraining System).
After learning the Dynamic Neural Retraining System training via a series of DVDs, I began practicing the steps Annie developed. These entail vividly recalling happy memories from a time before you became ill, then imagining a happy event occurring in the future. I’ve already experienced improvement in some areas from this technique, which I’ll get into detail below.
Alpha Wave Audio
Binaural beats are a type of audio or music that, over headphones, bring the dominant brainwave to a desired frequency. Alpha waves are one of five types and create a state of calm focus. Youtube has many such alpha wave tracks, some lasting several hours for easy listening.
Deep Breathing
Breathe deeply by slowly inhaling through the nose while the stomach expands fully, pausing for a moment at the zenith, then slowly exhaling through the mouth until all the air leaves the body.
It may sound simple, but I highly recommend listening to deep breathing audio to facilitate this. The free Pacifica app has a deep breathing meditation mode with a single cycle lasting from 5 to 25 seconds. Choose the longest cycle that you can do comfortably and adjust upward if you find yourself improving your breathing capacity.
I used audio software (Audacity) to record several minutes of this deep breathing audio, and now set it on repeat on iTunes for several hours a day. It’s easy to do while doing other things on the computer, and I often listen to alpha wave audio simultaneously as well.
Gum
Chewing activates the PNS, though it takes something like 20 minutes to take effect. Gum is especially useful in keeping your cool while doing things outside the house if you’re noise intolerant or anxious. You can chew a couple of hours a day before the jaw starts to ache.
I sometimes listen to alpha wave audio while chewing gum. Deep breathing and gum chewing seem not to mix well.
Most gum sold today is sugar-free and contains stimulating artificial sweeteners (watch the package for warnings that it contains phenylalanine). Your mileage may vary as to whether you benefit from the stimulation or find it counterproductive.
Qi Gong
Biofeedback bears out the efficacy of Qi Gong in activating the PNS; Tai Chi and yoga are most likely similarly effective.
I use the DVD Qi Gong for Self-Healing by Lee Holden. The sitting routine on that DVD is particularly well-suited for people with CFS. I do this practice twice a day.
Cold
Biofeedback doesn’t support cold therapy, but my experience (and many other people’s!) does. The idea is to have goosebumps but not actually be shivering. There are a number of ways to be colder:
- Decrease heat in the house or wear fewer layers, if the weather is cool enough
- Drink ice water
- If you have short hair, are bald or have a shaved head, wear a freezable helmet, typically used to treat head injuries
- Take cold showers
- Take cold/ice baths
Runners use ice baths to decrease inflammation and treat muscle pain, so may be useful in the treatment of post-exertional malaise. The water actually only needs to be 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, or be cold enough to numb the body.
During a period of heightened anxiety, soaking in a cold bath dramatically improved my emotional symptoms.
TENS Therapy
As of 2019 I began using this TENS device to stimulate my vagus nerve directly. TENS (or Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) therapy stimulates nerves with gentle bursts of electricity.
The device linked above is geared towards treating pain, and the accompanying peripherals aren’t useful for our purpose, so you’ll need these clips as well. Position them on the ear on the same side as your non-dominant hand according to this image, with the thicker side of the clips on the front of the ear.
This is a highly affordable way to powerfully stimulate the vagus nerve.
Benefits
After only about 10 days of using Dynamic Neural Retraining System and other therapies above, I already noticed some positive changes.
- My mood is much brighter. DNRS in particular has the effect of turning back the clock on your emotions to your teenage years or childhood.
- My hearing is much less sensitive. Even with my young nephews in the house and five people visiting for Easter, I was able to get by without ear plugs. My ability to listen to dance music, which I love, has also noticeably improved.
- I’m drowsier – a sign the PNS is being successfully activated.
- I’m having more cold-like symptoms. CFSers typically experience illnesses like colds or fevers very rarely, an indication that their immune systems aren’t healthy enough to mount a response to invaders.
Wrap-Up
How frequently and how long do you need to do the activities above? The answer is, as frequently and as long as possible. I listen to alpha wave audio about three hours a days and do deep breathing perhaps six hours a day. The DNRS requires about an hour a day. The more you do these exercises, the greater the impact and the higher the likelihood of symptomatic improvement.
I’ll continue to conduct biofeedback experiments and report my results.
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