#167 The Vagus Nerve for Massage Therapists: What's Science and What's Wellness Hype? With Alanna Thompson, RMT , Founder Salience Education

If you spend any time on social media, you've probably heard someone talking about the vagus nerve.

Apparently, we're all supposed to be cold plunging, humming, breathing differently, doing eye exercises, and regulating our nervous systems.

But how much of this is actually science, and how much has been oversimplified into another wellness trend?

In this episode of The Radical Massage Therapist Podcast, I’m joined by Alanna Thompson, registered massage therapist, educator, and founder of Salience Education, to unpack what massage therapists actually need to know about the vagus nerve and nervous system regulation.

We talk about why the vagus nerve is suddenly everywhere, what popular “vagus nerve hacks” may actually be doing, and why the effectiveness of any intervention depends on the person in front of you.

Alanna also challenges something many of us assume: that massage is automatically relaxing.

We explore why some clients struggle to let go on the table, why relaxation itself may not always feel safe, how pain and pressure can influence the nervous system, and how massage therapists can become more intentional about creating treatments that support nervous system regulation.

We also talk about:

• Why the internet won't stop talking about the vagus nerve
• The science behind humming, breathing, cold exposure, meditation, eye exercises, and massage
• Why simple nervous system strategies can still create meaningful change
• Why massage doesn't automatically relax everyone
• The difference between simple and easy when changing chronic patterns
• How to talk about stress while staying within our scope as massage therapists
• Why slower treatments may sometimes be more effective
• The underrated power of face, scalp, ear, neck, and abdominal massage
• How nervous-system-informed massage can help you develop a unique and in-demand practice

One of my favourite takeaways from this conversation is that understanding the nervous system doesn't necessarily mean adding another complicated modality to your toolbox. It can help you become more intentional with the skills you already have.

And when we understand why we're doing what we're doing, we can create better experiences for our patients, build practices that stand out, and continue developing careers that give us freedom, flexibility, financial success, and work we genuinely enjoy.

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ABOUT ALANNA

Alanna Thompson (RMT, BKin) has been an engaging educator for 15 years, and a massage therapist for 4. Alanna has a thriving trauma-informed massage practice where she treats highly stressed patients - focusing on chronic pain, headaches, jaw dysfunction and nervous system conditions. She is passionate about understanding the nervous system and how we can work with it for life-changing results. Her courses are evidence-based, practical and engaging. She uses clinical examples to drive home the neuroscience content so that any massage therapist will feel able to treat complex patients with clarity and confidence.

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CONNECT WITH ALANNA THOMPSON

Salience Education
salienceeducation.com

hello@salienceeducation.com

instagram.com/salience.education/

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CONNECT WITH THE RADICAL MASSAGE THERAPIST

Email: krista@theradicalrmt.com
Website: www.theradicalrmt.com
Instagram: @theradicalmassagetherapist