Neurons are cells that are found in your brain, gut and central nervous system. The 500 million neurons in your gut are connected to your brain via nerves in your nervous system, one of the biggest of which is called your vagus nerve which sends signals in both directions (gut to brain and brain to gut). There have been studies that show that persons with IBS or Crohn’s disease had reduced vagal tone meaning a reduced functioning of the vagus nerve. And many of us know that stress can cause gastrointestinal problems because it inhibits the signals sent via the vagus nerve. Animal studies (as much as these turn our stomachs) have shown that feeding mice a more beneficial gut food reduces the amount of stress hormone in their blood. Yet, when the vagus nerve was severed, it had no effect on their stress hormones in their blood. This shows the critical two-way role that the vagus nerves plays and it is worth noting this animal study because many illnesses (physical and mental) have been traced back to vagal nerve damage (car accidents, falling off a horse or motorbike etc). Once the vagus nerve (and gut-brain, brain-gut messages) are impacted, your health can be severely impacted. Stretching, good posture and the assistance of physiotherapists and osteopaths can help to ensure that the spine is aligned so that the communication flow is open.