Simply put, HRV measures the amount of reserve that a person has to deal with the stressors in their lives. The balance between the divisions of the autonomic nervous system (ANS): the Sympathetic (S) and Parasympathetic (PS) must be maintained within a reasonable range or a fatiguing of the neurological response will occur.
This imbalance and loss of neural acuity can be associated with morbid health states such as cardiovascular disease, immune insufficiencies and a variety of psychological disorders. Most importantly, it has been found that chiropractic adjustments designed to reduce nerve interference, help restore the balance within the ANS.
- Under stressful situations, the S nerves will produce more neurotransmitters and the heartbeat will increase. This is a necessary and effective strategy in “fight or flight” situations. The PS system should react, in turn, to calm down and rebalance the heartbeat to its natural range within a reasonable time frame.
- Imagine if persistent lifestyle stressors keep the S nerves turned on. Now imagine if the “vagal braking” system responds poorly (remember the Vagus nerve is situated in close proximity to the upper cervical region). There will be a tendency for the HRV.
