A 2018 Breakthrough Revisited 

In 2018, an article published in Oral Health Group quietly laid the groundwork for a shift in how clinicians and patients understand pain, fear, and anxiety—especially in the face, jaw, and head. Titled “An Understanding of the Trigeminal/Vagus Nerve Relationship Can Help One Tune Out Pain and Fear,” the article explored something revolutionary at the time: pain isn’t just about injury—it’s about how the nervous system processes information.

Seven years later, this insight feels more relevant than ever.

Let’s break down what that article revealed, in plain language.

Pain Isn’t a Light Switch—It’s a Volume Dial

One of the most important ideas from the article came from neuroscientist David Linden, who described pain as something the brain can turn up or turn down—much like a volume knob on a radio.

When the nervous system feels threatened, overwhelmed, or anxious, it turns the volume up. Pain feels louder, sharper, and more overwhelming. When the nervous system feels safe and regulated, the brain turns the volume down, even if the original signal is still present.

This means two people with the same physical issue can experience very different levels of pain—based entirely on what their nervous systems are doing.

Meet the Two Powerhouse Nerves: Trigeminal and Vagus

The article focused on two major nerves that act like opposing teams in the nervous system.

The Trigeminal Nerve: The Alarm System

The trigeminal nerve is the largest cranial nerve in the body. It carries sensation from the face, jaw, teeth, scalp, and parts of the neck. When it’s highly active, it tends to push the body into fight-or-flight mode.

Think of the trigeminal nerve as a sensitive motion detector—great for protecting you, but exhausting when it’s always on high alert.

This is why facial pain, jaw tension, migraines, and dental anxiety often feel intense and emotionally charged.

The Vagus Nerve: The Brake Pedal

The vagus nerve, on the other hand, is the body’s main calming pathway. It helps slow heart rate, regulate digestion, reduce inflammation, and signal safety to the brain.

If the trigeminal nerve is the accelerator, the vagus nerve is the brake pedal.

When the vagus nerve is functioning well, breathing slows, muscles relax, and pain signals are less threatening.

Why Their Relationship Matters

Here’s the key insight from the 2018 article:

The trigeminal and vagus nerves are connected. Stimulating one can influence the other.

This means that calming the trigeminal nerve—especially through carefully applied sensory input—can help activate the vagus nerve. When that happens, the entire nervous system begins to shift from “danger mode” into “safe mode.”

This isn’t about numbing pain. It’s about changing how the brain interprets it.

How Vibration Fits Into the Picture

The article explored how calibrated vibration, applied bilaterally (on both sides of the body), could influence this nerve interaction.

Imagine tapping someone on the shoulder to get their attention—except instead of attention, you’re signaling safety to the nervous system.

Vibration stimulates sensory receptors that send strong, non-threatening signals to the brain. These signals can override or “crowd out” pain messages—similar to how rubbing your elbow after bumping it makes it hurt less.

But the article went further, suggesting that vibration doesn’t just block pain locally—it may influence central nervous system regulation, including vagal activity.

What the Research Showed

In a university study referenced in the article, researchers used a Rezzimax® Tuner to apply vibration to three key areas associated with trigeminal and vagus nerve pathways.

Using ultrasound-based stiffness measurements, they found that muscle stiffness in the jaw decreased by nearly 50% after vibration.

That’s like loosening a tightly wound rope—not by pulling harder, but by relaxing it from the inside out.

Why This Still Matters Today

This 2018 article helped validate what many clinicians now recognize:

• Pain is often neurological before it’s structural
• Anxiety, fear, and inflammation amplify pain signals
• Regulating the nervous system can change outcomes dramatically

The implications extend far beyond dentistry—into chronic pain, headaches, TMJ disorders, trauma recovery, vocal performance, and overall wellbeing.

A New Way to Think About Relief

Rather than asking, “How do we fight pain?” this research encouraged a different question:

“How do we help the nervous system feel safe enough to turn the volume down?”

That shift—from force to regulation—continues to shape how Rezzimax devices are used today.

Sometimes the most powerful relief doesn’t come from doing more—but from helping the body remember how to calm itself.