Services · Vagus nerve care

Your body is stuck in fight-or-flight. There’s a reason — and a plan.

Specialized care that targets the root of chronic stress, anxiety and nervous-system dysregulation. We combine the MacDonald Safety Corridor Protocol with gentle, no-crack chiropractic technique to help your body rediscover calm, balance and health.

What the vagus nerve does

The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve in the body, running from the brainstem through the neck into the chest and abdomen. It connects the brain to nearly every major organ — heart, lungs, stomach, intestines, liver. As the main component of the parasympathetic nervous system it governs your ability to rest, digest and heal: heart-rate regulation, digestion, the inflammatory response, emotional regulation, social engagement and immune signalling.

When vagus nerve function is compromised — by physical trauma, chronic stress or emotional upheaval — the body can get stuck in hypervigilance or shutdown. That dysregulation sits underneath many chronic conditions that don’t respond to conventional treatment.

Polyvagal theory: three states, not two

The MacDonald Safety Corridor Protocol — five locks

Developed by Dr. Don MacDonald, the protocol integrates polyvagal theory with chiropractic care. Removing structural interference is only part of the job; we also actively introduce cues of safety so the nervous system can regulate. Five areas — “locks” — carry the neural traffic between brain and body:

1. Skull base & cervical spine — where the vagus nerve exits the cranium; ease here influences the social-engagement system and the cranial nerves for face, voice and hearing.
2. Upper ribs (1–6) — trapezius, scalenes, pectorals; the first rib sits where the vagus enters the chest. Free movement here sends strong safety signals.
3. Lower ribs & diaphragm — our primary breathing muscle and the upper viscera. Free diaphragm movement is essential for vagal tone.
4. Lumbar spine & pelvis — hip flexors, pelvic floor, and the enteric nervous system, our “gut brain”, which the dorsal vagal pathway influences.
5. Cranial bones — gentle cranial work completes the circuit.

How the care is delivered

Koren Specific Technique. No twisting, turning, cracking or popping. Gentle, specific corrections with very light force, guided by the occipital-drop feedback signal so each correction is targeted.

Functional testing. Lab tests often come back “normal” when you feel terrible. Our functional testing goes deeper — your body’s unique chemistry, nutritional deficiencies and metabolic imbalances.

What we watch. Heart-rate variability, posture, muscle tone, breathing pattern, facial expression and voice — all indicators of vagal tone. Most people describe a profound sense of relaxation during and after sessions: feeling “lighter”, calmer, tension they didn’t know they carried melting away.

Conditions that may benefit

Dr. Winters explains vagus nerve care

Often part of a plan for

Anxiety & nervous systemPost-viral recoveryAutoimmune conditionsQNRT