HRV – Heart Rate Variability

I think a lot of people would agree with me that we are living in a century of increased stress in our modern lives, as compared to simpler and earlier times.  I have patients telling me everyday….

“I don’t have time”

“We have to figure this out around kids schedules”

“I am not sleeping well”

More and more people live day-to-day in a stressed state.  This heightened state of arousal is a physiological response involving chronic over-activation of your ANS – autonomic nervous system.

What does that mean? 

Your ANS is linked to the stress response in your body.  There are studies that show a reduction in stress and normalization of ANS function with grounding.

I also see clinically a change on HRV after a patient gets adjusted.  Since the adjustment helps normalize nervous system function.

So what is HRV?  

HRV refers to beat-to-beat alterations in heart rate. As a chiropractor, I look to see how your body is balancing between a stress and rest response.  How much reserve or resiliency your body has at this time. So, HRV gives us non-invasive information on your ANS.

And how would you know if there is anything going on?

We really do not know how our ANS is functioning.  When you wake up in the morning, we do not go through every function and make sure it is working.  We do not do an inventory check…liver? heart? intestine? stomach? Etcetera.  That is why it is the autonomic nervous system.  It is automatic.

The HRV helps us check-in and determine how our ANS is doing.   It helps determine where your body is at objectively, and help determine what you can do for your best health.

The best thing people can do is SLOW DOWN.  Ask yourself, would this really matter in five, ten, fifteen years from now?  And then make a decision.  Take the time for yourself.  This is both philosophy and physiology.  You can not help others, if you are stressed out yourself.

References

1. Chevalier G, Mori K, Oschman JL.  The effect of earthing (grounding) on human physiology.  Eur boil Magn. 2006;2(1):600-621.
2. Chevalier G.  Changes in pulse rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygenation, perfusion index, skin conductance and their variability induced during and after grounding human subjects for forty minutes. J Altern Complement Med. 2010;16(1):81-87.
3. Chevalier G, Sinatra S.  Emotional Stress, Heart Rate Variability, Grounding, and Improved Autonomic Tone:  Clinical Applications.  Integ Med. 2011;10(3)16-21.