**🔼 Up:** [[The Definitive Guide to Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve]] **\#️⃣ Tags:** #NervousSystem --- This set of experiments enables you to test how your social engagement system is functioning. Unlike many arbitrary health tests, the function of your vagus nerve can be observed directly through physical tests like these. # Two Ways to Test the Vagus Nerve In Stanley Rosenberg's book[^1], he offers two ways of assessing vagal function of which he developed through decades in his clinical practice. These tests provide direct feedback about your nervous system state and can help you gauge whether the exercises are making a meaningful difference. ## The Soft Palate Test This test examines how well the pharyngeal branch of your ventral vagus nerve activates the muscles in your soft palate (the back of the roof of your mouth). If they're working well, these muscles should lift symmetrically when making an "ahh" sound. The test has pretty interesting historical roots. According to Rosenberg, there was a Greek physician Claudius Galen first described this branch of the vagus nerve after examining a gladiator who had lost his voice due to a neck wound. Galen discovered that the pharyngeal nerve had been severed which was responsible for connecting vocal function to this nerve pathway. ### Why It Matters The condition of this pharyngeal branch serves as a reliable indicator of your overall ventral vagal function. When your social engagement system is working well, the soft palate should lift evenly on both sides. Rosenberg says that improving function in this branch also improves breathing through the diaphragm. He observed that clients with dysfunction in this test often had irregular or shallow breathing which typically deepened and slowed after successful treatment. ### How To Do It 1. Sit comfortably in a chair with your face and neck relaxed. 2. Position yourself in front of a mirror with good lighting (you can the flashlight on your smartphone). 3. Open your mouth wide enough to see your uvula (the small soft tissue hanging at the back of your throat). 4. If your tongue blocks the view, gently press it down with your finger. 5. Say "ah ah ah" in short bursts (not one long "aaaaah" sound). 6. Watch the arches on either side of your uvula as you make the sound. **What you're looking for:** The soft palate should lift symmetrically on both sides when you make the "ah" sound. If one side lifts higher than the other, or if one side barely moves, it indicates the ventral vagus nerve isn't functioning optimally on that side. ## The Trap Squeeze Test This test looks at the function of cranial nerve 11 (the spinal accessory nerve) which controls the trapezius muscles on the tops of your shoulders. These muscles are often a source of pain and tension, but most practitioners don't connect this to ventral vagal function. Rosenberg discovered this test while searching for a less intrusive alternative to the Soft Palate Test—particularly for children or people on the autism spectrum who might be sensitive to any oral examination. ### Why It Matters In what Rosenberg describes as an "informal study" with eighty patients, he found a 100% correlation between the results of the Trap Squeeze Test and the Soft Palate Test. This means where there was sub-optimal function it one, it always appeared in the other as well. It shows us that tension patterns in our shoulders reflects the state of our vagus nerve. ### How To Do It The Trap Squeeze Test is best done with a partner who tests your muscles and assesses any difference in tension between sides. It can be done on yourself, although it is much more difficult to make direct comparisons and assess when reaching across your own body. If you are going to do it on yourself t is recommended to practice this test on a few people first to build the necessary sensitivity in your gingers. It takes practice to detect the subtle differences in muscle tension. 1. Gently take hold of the trapezius muscle on each side where it sits atop the shoulders. 2. Use a light touch. The less pressure, the better. 3. Lightly lift the muscle slightly away from the tissues underneath. 4. Compare how the muscles feel on each side. **What you're looking for:** Ideally you'd want to see that both sides feel similar and soft. If one side feels harder or more tense, that would suggest an imbalance in the function of the 11th cranial nerve which would indicate a sympathetic or dorsal vagal state rather than social engagement. # Resources ## 1. Stanley Rosenberg's Book If you've found this helpful, consider picking up Stanley Rosenberg's book. It's a little technical, but highly valuable: [[Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve by Stanley Rosenberg]]. # See Also - [[Vagal Assessment — Discovering Your Nervous System State]] - [[Salamander Exercise for the Vagus Nerve]] - [[SCM Exercise for the Vagus Nerve]] - [[Osteopathic Technique for Treating Hiatal Hernia]]