According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of adults with symptoms of anxiety increased from 36 percent to 41 percent from August 2020 to February 2021, the most recent dates data is available. Increases were largest for people between the ages of 18 and 29, so perhaps it’s not that surprising that many people in this age group have turned to social media to share both their struggles and solutions. One anxiety solution that is currently taking over TikTok is “vagus nerve icing,” describing laying a cold compress or ice pack on your chest to stimulate the vagus nerve, which signals the body to relax. This anxiety “hack” was originally posted by a user named Frankie Simmons and her post has been liked almost 700,000 times. “A couple of years ago, it was a very regular occurrence for me to wake up in the middle of the night with anxiety all the time,” Simmons shares in her video. Nothing, she says, worked for her, quite like icing the vagus nerve. Is there actually any scientific proof behind this viral solution? Here, doctors set the record straight on if icing the vagus nerve can actually help tame anxious symptoms.
The connection between the vagus nerve and anxiety
First, it’s helpful to know what the vagus nerve actually is and how it’s tied to our emotional state. “The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve in the body, and it contains both sensory and motor nerve fibers,” says Dr. Ellen Vora, MD, a Yale and Columbia University-educated board-certified psychiatrist. Dr. Peter Staats, MD, the founder of the Division of Pain Medicine in the Department of Anesthesia at Johns Hopkins University, says the vagus nerve is often referred to as the “wandering nerve” and plays a key role in the body’s nervous system. Dr. Staats explains that there are two parts of the nervous system: The sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system is a response to stress and activates the fight-or-flight response. Anyone who has ever had anxiety has experienced this response first-hand. You may have noticed your heart rate increasing or that you started sweating. Some experience digestive problems. All of this, Dr. Staats says, is because the fight-or-flight response was activated. “The parasympathetic nervous system is the opposite of fight-or-flight; it signals the body to relax,” Dr. Staats says. “And the vagus nerve is the main control of the parasympathetic nervous system.” This means, he says, when the vagus nerve is activated, it sends the signal to the body that it should relax. This slows down the heart rate and makes the whole body feel more at ease. Dr. Alex Dimitriu, MD, a dual board-certified psychiatrist and sleep doctor, says there are many ways to activate the vagus nerve, which will then send a body-wide signal that it’s time to relax. One popular way, he says, is deep breathing. “Breathing deeply from your diaphragm so your stomach expands outward is one very common way to activate the vagus nerve,” he says. But what about temperature? Can you really ice out anxiety like people are doing on TikTok?
How cold temperature affects the vagus nerve
According to all three experts, cold temperature can, in fact, activate the vagus nerve similarly to the way deep breathing can. “Cold temperature restricts blood vessels, which causes the vagus nerve to be activated,” Dr. Staats says. Scientific studies back up the connection. One study, published in the peer-reviewed journal JMIR Formative Research, found that when the cold temperature was applied to participants’ neck, right cheek, and right forearm for 16 seconds, it slowed down their heart rates. Another study, published in the journal Clinical Autonomic Research, had similar results. In this study, participants’ heart rates slowed after drinking ice cold water. While many on TikTok are activating the vagus nerve by putting a cold compress or ice on their chests, Dr. Staats says this isn’t the only to do it. He explains that the vagus nerve isn’t located just in the chest; it extends from the base of the brainstem at the top of the neck all the way through the abdomen. “You can activate the vagus nerve by sticking your face in cold water and it will work the same way as putting ice on your chest,” he says. There’s a good chance you’ve seen this in movies: During a stressful situation, the character will escape to the restroom and splash cold water on his or her face. As it turns out, this doesn’t just serve the purpose of getting a time-out. It actually helps calm the body down, too. Using cold temperature to activate the vagus nerve is something that works quickly, too. Dr. Dimitriu points out that in the JMIR Formative Research study, it took just 16 seconds. He also says taking a cold shower or going for a walk outside when it’s cold out works too. While there is scientific evidence to support icing the vagus nerve for anxiety, Dr. Vora says that it’s not a cure-all. Getting to the root cause of what’s causing your anxiety is key. “Perhaps most of all, we can improve our vagal tone by prioritizing rest and saying no to the things that overcrowd our schedules and leave us strung out,” she says. If you’re experiencing anxious feelings on a regular basis, it’s important to seek out a therapist who can help on a deeper level. With that in mind, consider icing your vagus nerve one tool in your anxiety-reducing toolbox. Similar to yoga, meditation, and exercise, it’s one option that’s there for when you need it to help feel more relaxed. Sometimes, you just have to give anxiety the cold shoulder. Up next, these are the three very best yoga poses to try next time you feel anxious.
Sources:
Dr. Ellen Vora, MD, a Yale and Columbia University-educated board-certified psychiatristDr. Peter Staats, MD, the founder of the Division of Pain Medicine in the Department of Anesthesia at Johns Hopkins UniversityDr. Alex Dimitriu, MD, a dual board-certified psychiatrist and sleep doctor
