Give your parasympathetic nervous system a boost for recovery from stress
Summary
The sympathetic division of the central nervous system conducts the "fight or flight" response to danger. However, the parasympathetic division of the central nervous system conducts the "rest and digest" functions throughout the body.
Biomedical engineer Nick Hool, PhD, has invented a device called VeRelief for boosting parasympathetic function, speeding recovery from stress, and releasing anxiety by stimulating the vagus nerve.
VeRelief for Rapid Relaxation
I first met Nick Hool when he was a biomedical engineering doctoral student at Arizona State University, when he led a team that won a student entrepreneurship contest based on a vagus nerve stimulation prototype they pitched. That was the beginning of Hoolest, the venture based on the technology he first presented then. I've tried Hoolest, and my experience supports Hool's science. The stimulation of the vagus nerve by touching electrodes to the skin behind the ear speeds relaxation and releases anxiety from the body. The fact that the VeRelief fits in a pocket means that you can bring it anywhere you don't have access to and ice bath!
Here are the highlights from our conversation:
Critique of Meditation Apps:
Hool argues that many people, such as first responders, lack the time needed to benefit from meditation. For example, VeRelief can accelerate recovery from a stressful police or fire call, and help the officer stay prepared for the next call, or recover from their shift.
VeRelief Functionality and Use:
The device, about the size of a cigarette lighter, applies a current to electrodes touching the skin behind the ear. There, it stimulates the auricular branch of the vagus nerve. You'll know it when you've touched the electrodes to the right spot, because you will feel a buzz indicating nerve activation. The recommended protocol involves holding the device on each side for about 60 seconds at a comfortable intensity.
Physiological Explanation:
Vagus nerve stimulation can shift the body from a stress (sympathetic) response to a relaxation (parasympathetic) response. Hool explains what people mean when they use the term "vagal tone" to describe the health of the vagus nerve.
Benefits and Applications:
Benefits include reducing stress, aiding in management of Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder, panic attacks, and potentially aiding in addiction recovery. It's noted to be particularly useful for high-stress professions like firefighters and first responders for quick stress relief.
Product Development and Market Strategy:
Hool's transition from academia (after earning his doctorate) to entrepreneurship in unusual. There's very little about doctoral training that prepares an entrepreneur for business strategy, marketing or sales. For example, the initial focus at Hoolest was on getting FDA approval, which turned out to be unnecessary for their claims.
Future Innovations:
In a new design, Hoolest will integrate the electrodes into a headphone that plays music.
Combination with Ice Baths?
To date, no one has tested the VeRelief in combination with an ice bath or cold plunges, although there may be some synergy for stress management and mental health enhancement, including a boost in Heart Rate Variability.
To read more, visit the Hoolest page at Morozko.
About the Authors
Thomas P Seager, PhD is an Associate Professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering at Arizona State University. Seager co-founded the Morozko Forge ice bath company and is an expert in the use of ice baths for building metabolic and psychological resilience.
Nick Hool, PhD, is a biomedical engineer, founder and CEO of Hoolest, which is a startup health technology company that manufactures electrical stimulation devices to promote relaxation.
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