Vagal maneuver

A vagal maneuver is an action used to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system by activating the vagus nerve.

The vagal maneuvers most often used for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes are those that can be reliably performed at bedside or in an office setting with minimal risk.

The vagus nerve exits the skull through the jugular foramen, moving down through the carotid sheath and dividing many times to influence multiple organ systems and directly innervating the pharynx, larynx, esophagus, heart, lung, and GI tract.

Due to this wide nerve distribution, many physiologic process may be influenced through its stimulation, including heart rate and blood pressure.

[14] Stimulation of the vagus nerve through vagal maneuvers is thought to effect afferent fibers that carry sensory information from its distribution throughout the body to the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) in the dorsal medullary complex, where it is then relayed to other areas of the brain.