One way to diagnose chronic stress from an irritated 10th cranial nerve There are many health problems — physical, emotional and mental — that might be caused by an irritation the 10th cranial nerve. This nerve can be brought into a state of dysfunction by mechanical irritation at two critical places. The nerves pass through the membrane covering the jugular foramen, a small opening in joint between the temporal and occipital bones. Problems can also arise from misalignment between the base of the skull and the first vertebra of the neck, i.e, the atlanto-occipital joint. Restoring function to the 10th cranial nerve is possible, but requires a properly trained, skilled therapist. The function of the 10th cranial nerve (the vagal nerve) This nerve has several different physiological functions. Generally, the vagal nerve is responsible for bringing about changes to the viscera, which we associate with the relaxation response. If there is dysfunction of this nerve, the physiology of the client is locked into a stress response. In addition to this function of relaxation, the 10th cranial nerve is also a motor nerve for several muscles at the back of the mouth and in the throat. One of these muscles, the levator palatine velli is visible in most people and can be used as a guide to determine if there is proper function of the 10th cranial nerve. Chronic Stress is a widespread problem Most likely, the cause of the problem in children is misalignment of the bones of the skull and neck from mechanical stresses from the birth process. The number of people with chronic stress increases as people grow older. By the time people are 60, 1 out of 3 people are suffering from chronic stress from physical, mechanical causes. This increase from childhood is due to the various traumas that we receive as well as the effect of worsening posture with aging. For example, many whiplash injuries result in post-traumatic stress. EFTA01091792