Montana Heartbeats

Have you ever wondered why we use the HRV scan and what it’s all about? What does putting fingers into a device for 3 minutes have to do with chiropractic?

Heart rate variability (HRV) is the precise measure of micro-changes in the amount of time between heartbeats, measured in fractions of a second. Different from pathologic “arrhythmias” with large differences in the rhythm, this healthy variability in the heart’s sinus (normal) rhythm is vital to our capacity to adapt to our external and internal environment. Assessing heart rate variability gives us an overall picture of the health and balance of the autonomic nervous system. (1).

The autonomic nervous system controls unconscious functions such as breathing rate, blood pressure and flow, skin temperature, digestion, stress hormones, and of course heart rate. It’s divided into two branches: sympathetic (“fight or flight”) and parasympathetic (“rest and digest”). Ideally, they work in perfect combination, like two children riding on a see-saw, enabling our bodies to quickly and quietly adapt to physical, chemical and emotional stresses in our environment. This concept of adaptation is fundamental. Biologically speaking, one of the seven characteristics true to all life is the ability to be responsive to the environment. Without adaptation, life cannot exist.

Not only does an HRV scan provide a helpful baseline of the body’s stress-response reserve, it can also show differences in adaptability over time. A highly micro-variable heart rate is evidence that our body is equipped to more effectively adapt to changes and be less stressed and feel happier. Low heart rate variability demonstrates lack of resilience and that our nervous system may struggle to respond in challenging situations.

Research shows that HRV scores can change with chiropractic care (2). High and low frequency HRV readings represent how both the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system can be influenced by chiropractic adjustments. (2) One small study found that “Patients receiving continuous chiropractic care to correct vertebral subluxation demonstrated a sustained improvement in HRV. This novel finding objectively demonstrates long-term change consistent with improved neurophysiological regulation, adaptability and resilience in patients undergoing chiropractic care, and suggests the utility of chiropractic care for outcomes greater than only musculoskeletal improvements.” (3) The benefits of chiropractic care include much more than back and neck pain!

Get checked, and keep the Montana heartbeat adapting!

References:

1) Heart Rate Variability (HRV)

my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21773-heart-rate-variability-hrv

2) Effect of chiropractic care on heart rate variability and pain in a multisite clinical study

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16690380/

3) Sustained Improvement of Heart Rate Variability in Patients Undergoing a Program of Chiropractic Care: A Retrospective Case Series. (2017) Chiropractic Journal of Australia

www.researchgate.net/publication/323934481_Sustained_improvement_of_heart_rate_variability_in_patients_undergoing_a_program_of_chiropractic_care_A_retrospective_case_series

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