The HEART of the Matter

All About a Healthy Heart

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is becoming a more popular way to assess health, and it allows us to see how well your body is adapting to your surroundings.

February is known as heart month, so, what better time to discuss the importance of measuring HRV and what to do with the information?

We utilize Heart Rate Variability in our office to assess how your nervous system is functioning and adapting to stress. Your autonomic nervous system has a direct line to your heart. This is the part of your brain and nervous system that operates without you having to even think about it.

It is divided into two main parts, your sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) and your parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest). Generally speaking, the sympathetic nervous system response comes in when there are high-stress situations; this typically looks like an increased heart rate, decreased digestion, and increased blood pressure. Our parasympathetic system helps balance out the sympathetic nervous system and controls our body’s natural relaxation response. This controls the slowing heart rate, decreases blood pressure, and allows for better digestion while you are taking it easy.

Your HRV will reflect how adaptable your body can be in different scenarios. Our technology allows us to see if you are chronically in a state of fight or flight, if your body is exhausted and run down, or if your body is doing a good job of achieving balance.

Why is this information important?

People with a low HRV have a higher risk of current or future health concerns. This is because your body shows less resiliency. On the flip side, if you have a high HRV, you are typically more adaptable to your daily stress, and you can bounce back more quickly. By collecting this data, we can better understand how stress is impacting your overall health and track how well your body is reacting and responding to positive changes such as consistent chiropractic care, improving diet and exercise, managing stress, and giving our bodies the proper amount of rest/sleep.

After all, a healthy nervous system leads to a healthy heart.