Recently, research has illuminated a little bit more information regarding the vagus nerve and its relation to brain functioning.
New research out of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center shows that the vagus nerve, a nerve that runs through the back of the neck and into the brain, is connected with learning centers within the brain. When stimulated, researchers believe that this may help those that have experienced an injury or are recovering from a stroke to recover a little bit more efficiently.
The team published their findings in the journal, Neuron. There’s a lot more research needed here, but it looks like this might be a very promising line of study for those that are experiencing cognitive difficulty.
The vagus nerve can be stimulated through massage in the back of the neck, near the base of the skull. This can even be done by an individual if flexibility is there.
Vagus nerve stimulation has shown to have positive effects in other parts of health, including calming and stress relief. However, because this is a sensitive part of the body, it is important to speak with a doctor before doing it, especially if there are health concerns. While the benefits might seem great, it’s important to do it correctly so that more harm than good isn’t done.
When a loved one suffers from a brain injury, suffers a stroke, or is battling dementia, seeing the cognitive decline that occurs can be quite difficult for family members. In some cases, improvement might very well be possible. But with things like dementia–particularly Alzheimer’s disease–there is not a cure at this time. Sometimes, the best way to help your loved one is to manage symptoms and take greater measures to ensure that they are safe, healthy, and comfortable.
Senior care can help with all of these things. Care is supposed to ease the burden so that your loved one doesn’t need to struggle to do the things that they used to. It’s supposed to bring a professional set of hands and eyes into the mix so that daily tasks are more manageable and that the issues that seniors with various difficulties face can be more easily spotted and addressed. It’s supposed to ease stress and make the quality of life that the entire family experiences much higher.
Care will look different depending on what your loved one’s needs are and where care is being applied. For some people, the needs might be severe enough that a nursing home or more intensive setting is a must. In other cases, the care that comes with someone being present, helping with day to day tasks is more than enough. This is where in-home care can be a huge benefit to your family. Because medical care isn’t part of it, the cost of in-home care tends to be much lower than the cost of a nursing home. It takes place in your own home, so your loved one doesn’t need to relocate, either. Rather than forcing someone that doesn’t want or need to relocate to do so, in-home care provides the needed help so that they can continue to live their life the way that they want, where they want to.
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