One of the longest nerves in the body is known as the vagus nerve (VN). The VN is the 10th pair of cranial nerves that originates at the brain stem in the medulla oblongata. This nerve is part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is a part of the ANS. Research suggests ear acupuncture can activate the VN.
McCormick Templeton, PhD, DACM, MSOM
Dr. McCormick Templeman is an author and college professor with a background in traditional Chinese medicine. She holds an MSOM from AIMC Berkeley and a DACM from Pacific College of Health and Science. Her books have been published by multiple Penguin Random House imprints, and her short writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books and CJOM (now JAIM). A graduate of Reed College, she has a PhD in English and literary studies from the University of Denver, and teaches at Sweet Briar College in Sweet Briar, Va.