Vagus Nerve Stimulation – a Rising Star in Mental Health Treatment

You’ve probably felt it before—that flutter in your stomach before a big moment, or the calm that washes over you during deep breathing. Those sensations may be thanks to your vagus nerve.

The vagus nerve is one of the most important communication lines between your brain and your body. It helps control things you rarely think about—like your heartbeat, your digestion, and even your mood. It’s part of the system that tells your body when to relax, reset, and recover after stress. And lately, science is tapping into its surprising power to treat some of the toughest mental health challenges.

In Canada and around the world, researchers are turning to vagus nerve stimulation (VNS)—a therapy that gently activates the nerve using tiny electrical pulses—to help people with treatment-resistant depression. For people who’ve tried medication after medication with little relief, this technology can offer real hope.

But it’s not just depression. Stimulating the vagus nerve is also showing promise in reducing anxiety, easing symptoms of PTSD, and has been prescribed to treat epilepsy in Canada since 1997. From implanted devices to soothing music therapy, new techniques are making this once-obscure nerve a rising star in mental health care.

What Is the Vagus Nerve and How Does It Work?

The vagus nerve may sound like something out of an anatomy textbook, but it plays a starring role in the gut-brain axis, and how your body stays balanced, especially when it comes to stress and mood.

Running from your brainstem all the way down to your heart, lungs, liver, spleen, stomach, intestines, and kidneys, the vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve in your body. It’s a core part of the parasympathetic nervous system—the “rest and digest” system that helps calm you down after stress.

Think of it as your body’s natural brake pedal. While the sympathetic nervous system revs you up (think fight-or-flight), the vagus nerve helps slow things down: steadying your heartbeat, deepening your breath, and easing your digestion.

But here’s what’s even more interesting: the vagus nerve doesn’t just help regulate your physical state. It also plays a crucial role in how you feel emotionally. It helps shape your mood, supports memory, and influences how your body responds to trauma and stress.

So when this nerve isn’t firing well, your mental health may suffer. And when it is stimulated—either naturally or with medical technology—your body can shift back into a calmer, more resilient state.

That’s the theory behind VNS, and why it’s gaining traction as a novel approach to treating hard-to-treat mental health conditions.

VNS for Treatment-Resistant Depression

Almost 8% of Canadians live with depression, and that number is on the rise. Finding the right treatment can be a long and frustrating journey; while antidepressants and therapy work well for some, around 22 per cent of Canadians living with depression experience treatment-resistant depression (TRD)—a form of depression that doesn’t improve after trying at least two standard treatments.

This is where VNS offers new hope.

What Is VNS?

In the most common form, a small device—like a pacemaker for the brain—is surgically implanted under the skin in the chest.

A thin wire runs from the device to the left vagus nerve in the neck. The device sends regular, programmed pulses to the nerve, which then sends signals to the brain areas involved in mood regulation, including the amygdala and prefrontal cortex.

How Effective Is It?

VNS isn’t a quick fix—but for people with severe, long-standing depression, it can be life-changing.

• In clinical studies, about 30 to 50 percent of people with treatment-resistant depression experience a significant improvement in symptoms after receiving VNS.
• Some people achieve long-term remission, especially those who stick with the treatment over time.
• The benefits tend to increase gradually, often taking several months to fully appear.

One important note: VNS isn’t typically offered as a first or even second-line treatment. It’s reserved for people who haven’t responded to other interventions, including medication, psychotherapy, and sometimes electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

Approved in Canada?

Yes—Health Canada has approved VNS for treatment-resistant depression (as well as for epilepsy). However, access may be limited to specialized centres, and coverage under provincial health plans varies (more on that below).

While implanted vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a powerful option for some people with severe depression, it’s not the only way to tap into the nerve’s calming power. In fact, researchers and therapists are exploring a wide range of non-invasive vagus nerve therapies—many of which can be used to help manage anxiety, PTSD, and even symptoms of burnout and trauma.

How the Vagus Nerve Affects Anxiety

Anxiety often triggers the body’s “fight or flight” response: faster heart rate, shallow breathing, racing thoughts. The vagus nerve helps to counteract that by activating the body’s natural “rest and digest” system. So when vagal tone (the strength of the nerve’s response) is strong, the body is better at calming itself down after stress. But when vagal tone is low, the body can stay stuck in a loop of anxious reactivity.

Stimulating the vagus nerve—either medically or naturally—may help interrupt that loop and restore emotional balance.

Non-Invasive Therapies That Stimulate the Vagus Nerve

Here are some evidence-based methods being explored for their impact on anxiety and emotional health:

Music Therapy: Slow, rhythmic music (especially with deep, resonant tones) can stimulate the auricular branch of the vagus nerve through the ear. Music therapy has been shown to lower heart rate and reduce anxiety in both clinical and at-home settings.

Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (tVNS): This is a non-surgical device that delivers mild electrical stimulation to the outer ear (where branches of the vagus nerve are accessible). Though not yet widely available in Canada, tVNS is gaining ground in Europe and the U.S. as a promising therapy for anxiety and depression.

Deep Breathing: Techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing, box breathing, or even slow counting while exhaling stimulate the vagus nerve and improve heart rate variability—a key marker of mental and physical resilience.

Cold Exposure: Splashing cold water on your face, or taking brief cold showers, activates the vagus nerve via the diving reflex—prompting the body to slow down and conserve energy.

Chanting, Humming, and Singing: Because the vagus nerve runs through the vocal cords, vocal exercises—especially those involving long, resonant exhalations—can stimulate the nerve and calm the nervous system.

Yoga and Meditation: Both practices encourage vagal activation through controlled breath, body awareness, and focused relaxation.

These approaches may not replace medical treatment for clinical mental illness, but they can be powerful additions to a holistic mental health plan. For people dealing with daily stress, chronic anxiety, or trauma, they offer low-risk, self-directed ways to regulate the nervous system and build emotional resilience.

✅ Resources: Vagus Nerve Support in Canada

Where to Ask About Implanted VNS

• CAMH (Toronto, ON) – Neuromodulation services
• UBC Mood Disorders Centre (Vancouver, BC) – Research and treatment access
• Montreal Neurological Institute (QC) – VNS for epilepsy and select mental health cases

Ask your psychiatrist for a referral to a specialist centre that offers neuromodulation.

Apps and Tools to Stimulate the Vagus Nerve

• Breathwrk – Guided breathing for stress and vagal activation
• Insight Timer – Free meditations, breathwork, and healing music
• iChill App (Somatic Experiencing) – Tools for calming the nervous system
• Apollo Neuro (wearable device, ships to Canada) – Uses vibration to stimulate the vagus nerve

Canadian Practitioners Offering Vagus-Informed Therapy

• Music therapists – Search via Canadian Association of Music Therapists
• Yoga therapists – Find one via International Association of Yoga Therapists
• Somatic therapy – Search directories like Psychology Today (filter by “body-centered therapy”)

Are Vagus Nerve Therapies Covered by Provincial Medicare in Canada?

If you’re considering vagus nerve stimulation as part of your mental health care, it’s important to know what’s available—and what it might cost.

Implanted VNS Devices

The surgically implanted vagus nerve stimulation device, which is Health Canada–approved for treatment-resistant depression and epilepsy, is only available in select Canadian hospitals—usually at major academic or research centres.

• Provincial coverage for the procedure varies:
  • In Ontario and British Columbia, VNS may be publicly funded when prescribed by a specialist and approved by a hospital program on a case-by-case basis.
  • In other provinces, access is limited or non-existent unless part of a clinical trial or paid out of pocket.
• The device itself and surgery can cost upwards of $20,000 to $30,000 CAD, making public coverage critical for most patients.

If you’re considering this option, your best first step is to speak with a neurologist or psychiatrist affiliated with a hospital that offers neuromodulation therapies. They can help determine whether you qualify and whether the cost may be covered by your province.

Non-Invasive Therapies

At this time, non-invasive vagus nerve therapies—such as tVNS devices, music therapy, yoga, breathwork, or cold exposure—are not covered by provincial Medicare. However:

• Some extended health insurance plans may cover music therapy, yoga therapy, or even tVNS if prescribed by a healthcare professional.
• Self-guided tools like breathing apps, guided meditation platforms, or cold therapy techniques are generally low-cost or free and can be used at home without a prescription.

While access to implanted VNS in Canada is limited and tightly regulated, interest is growing, and more research is paving the way for broader adoption. In the meantime, non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation methods are widely accessible and may offer relief—especially when combined with other mental health supports.

A New Frontier in Mental Health—Rooted in the Body

For years, mental health care has focused mainly on the mind. But treatments that engage the body’s nervous system—especially the vagus nerve—are opening up powerful new paths to healing.

Whether through implanted devices for treatment-resistant depression or gentle, natural methods like breathwork and music therapy, vagus nerve stimulation helps regulate stress, reduce anxiety, and rebuild emotional resilience.

While access to advanced therapies like implanted VNS may still be limited in Canada, there are many ways to begin working with your vagus nerve today—right at home, with tools that are safe, affordable, and backed by science.

As research grows and awareness increases, vagus nerve therapy could become a cornerstone of holistic mental health care—connecting the brain, the body, and the heart of healing.

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The information provided on TheHealthInsider.ca is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. TheHealthInsider.ca advises consulting a medical professional or healthcare provider when seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.