HRV tells the Story
Have you ever wondered what those 3-minute heart rate variability scans are actually doing and how it related to your chiropractic check-ups? The HRV test measures the variation in time between each heartbeat. It is influenced by your parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) and sympathetic (“fight or flight”) nervous systems. A higher heart rate variability is better because it reflects your nervous system’s ability to be flexible and to adjust to daily stressors placed upon it. With that, your nervous system can flow back and forth between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems how it was designed to.
You might be wondering where chiropractic comes into this? By checking your nervous system, and adjusting specific subluxations, we are removing nerve interference that may be affecting the nerve’s ability to communicate back and forth between the brain and the body. In doing so, this allows the nerves to regulate the heart rhythms more effectively. With consistent specific chiropractic care, your nervous system is able to stay in a more balanced state, allowing it to flow between your systems more optimally increasing your bodies overall adaptability to stressors placed upon it.
Doing these HRV tests periodically gives us important feedback on the health of your nervous system and the frequency and type of care needed to support your body. Our ultimate goal is to help your nervous system function at its best so you can get the most out of life. If you have been experiencing some changes in your daily stressors like poor sleep, shifting routines, or lifestyle changes like your kids heading back to school, it could be affecting your nervous system more than you realize. Now is a great time to check in with a heart rate variability test to get a good picture of how your nervous system is adapting to stress. By understanding your HRV score, we can tailor your care to meet your body’s current needs.
Zhang J, Dean D, Nosco D, Strathopulos D, Floros M. Effect of chiropractic care on heart rate variability and pain in a multisite clinical study. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2006 May;29(4):267-74. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2006.03.010. PMID: 16690380.
