Advancing continuing medical education (CME) for auricular vagus nerve stimulation (aVNS)...


Integration of both device- and direct-care approaches for aVNS within the overall management of patients, can supportively address necessary clinical needs:
  • options for conservative treatment
  • means for treatment optimization
  • effectiveness of multidisciplinary team meetings
  • advancement of holistic and integrative approaches from intake through rehabilitation

Complex chronic conditions, emotional trauma, and addiction, are among the healthcare challenges demanding more effective and efficient solutions. Beyond the narrowly defined parameters of FDA-approved biomedical devices, there is a need for interdisciplinary medical aVNS training for both device- and direct-care approaches.

The curriculum concept will be presented in a poster session at the North American Neuromodulation Society annual conference on January 31, 2025, at 5:00-6:30 pm (#NANS2025).

Why an aVNS Curriculum?

Supporting Continuum of Care
Supporting Interdisciplinary Consensus
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Supporting Provider Perspectives
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Supporting Central Role of Vagus Nerve
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CONtinuum of care

Advanced Practice Providers and allied health professionals are essential to the delivery of person-centered care across the lifecycle of care. Both non- and minimally-invasive auricular vagus nerve stimulation (ni/mi aVNS) support this lifecycle of care with effectiveness in pain, motor rehabilitation, anxiety, hypertension, depression, post-traumatic states, addiction, sleep disorders, and inflammatory conditions. 

interdisciplinary consensus

There is no continuing medical education (CME) to offer aVNS training, with interdisciplinary consensus, worldwide.
A multidisciplinary team (research, neurology, medical, pain management, neurofunctional acupuncture, nursing, pediatric, manual therapy, psychiatry, and continuing education) was
created in response to leading voices at several neuromodulation societies, calling for inclusive, interdisciplinary CME curricula to fill the void.

PROVIDER PERSPECTIVES

Auricular methods show potential to strengthen the profession of nursing — a profession often challenged with burnout. Beyond offering another tool in the toolbox, it is easy to integrate auricular in concert with other methods, to adjust to and meet patients’ needs, and increase professional self-confidence with a complement to ordinary care — all while using auricular stimulation to help influence the subjective experience of patients to gain control over their symptoms.

CENTRAL ROLE OF VAGUS NERVE

Healthy sympathetic-parasympathetic balance supports, and even considered necessary, for healing. Vagal stimulation can positively and safely affect biological and behavioral paths to stop the spiral of key complaints associated with many chronic health conditions. The vagus nerve plays a central role within the frameworks (theoretical and mechanisms of action) of health and pain. For example, the pain-sleep-anxiety spiral; unified behavioral and polyvagal theories for understanding pain; and relationships to inflammation and the gut biome/gut-brain axis.

person-centered care | increasing access to neuromodulation | the vagal healthcare paradigm | expanding neuromodulation in the continuum of care

About the Project

Related Educational Resources

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Auricular Neuromodulation Eases Preparation for EMDR and Other Mental Health Interventions

Ensuring a sense of security for the effective and safe administration of mental health interventions (such as EMDR) can be a challenge in patients coping with the dysregulation of trauma. Auricular neuromodulation offers easy and rapid means to bypass defense mechanisms.
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A New Healthcare Paradigm: The President of the World Institute of Pain (WIP) on Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Pain

As presented on Pain Talks, Dr. Peter Staats, discusses vagal nerve stimulation in terms of neuroanatomy, mechanisms of action, approaches, and clinical data.
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Auricular Trauma Protocol for Physicians

The Helms Medical Institute (HMI) offers courses in auricular stimulation for emotional trauma. See the external links to HMI for medical papers on...
Dr. Kajsa Landgren, PhD, RN, presents at the NADA UK Conference

National Acupuncture Detox Association (NADA) AcuDetox Protocol for Nursing

Addiction, and the associated pain-sleep-anxiety spiral, are being treated with auricular stimulation.
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Comprehensive training by the Canadian Institute of Auricular Medicine (CIAM)

Endorsed by the German Academy for Acupuncture and recognized as a Professional Development Provider (PDA) by  NCCAOM, MTWPAM, CPA (Deutsche Akademie für Akupunktur/DAA )
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The Harvard Asia Center Presents Social Historical Context on Auricular Stimulation 

Within the context of systemic racism and substance use disorders, Eana Meng, a historian of medicine and physician-in-training, traces the lesser known histories of the use of auricular stimulation by American activists (including those in the Black revolutionary movement).
Coming soon... the most comprehensive compilation of medical professionals offering training and treatment in auricular- and resonance-based fields of clinical practice — all to apply the neural portal of the ear for improved patient outcomes.
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