Heart Rate Variability

HEART RATE VARIABILITY: Linking today’s technologies with timeless, healing principles

Written by Dr. Chadell Phillip, DC

As a chiropractor, I have had multiple experiences with new patients who sought out care for a symptom (e.g. low back pain, neck pain etc), but after consistent care, start noticing other areas of their health improving as well! Although chiropractic care is a great therapy to help decrease musculoskeletal symptoms, it has been proven through research time and time again that consistent chiropractic care can help with so much more, including improving your heart rate variability!

What is HRV anyway?

Unlike your basic HR (beats per minute), HRV is the variation in the time between each heart beat, primarily regulated by the electrical activity of your heart. Therefore, HRV is used to evaluate the intricate balance between the Sympathetic Nervous System (fight - flight system) and the Parasympathetic Nervous System (rest - repair system).

High or Low HRV?

High HRV means your body can quickly increase or decrease your heart rate depending on what your body needs at any given moment. It has been demonstrated that a high HRV is associated with health longevity and a higher ability for adaptation and resilience, ready and able to respond to life’s ever changing challenges. However, the opposite is true as well: low HRV has been linked to age-related organ and system depletion, chronic stress and anxiety, and overall inadequate function of the nervous system. This will impact your ability to recover day to day and leave your body more prone to injury or unable to heal from one you may currently have.

Book Your Assessment Today

There is some evidence that Chiropractic adjustments directly influence the autonomic nervous system, improving heart rate variability and increasing the heart’s ability to recognize and adapt to stressors. Unfortunately, back and spinal pain does not serve as a reliable indicator of nervous system balance, similar to how pain does not serve as a reliable indicator of high blood pressure. HRV is a great way to assess one’s health and longevity.

Dr. Chadell uses HRV as an objective outcome during consistent long term care. You can book an Initial Assessment and have your HRV measured to see how that might be affecting your health today!