Chiropractic Adjustment Effects Heart Rate

Changes In Heart Rate and Variability With A Chiropractic Manipulation.

This is an interesting study looking at the effects of Chiropractic adjustments of the neck on heart rate and heart rate variability.

We tend to think of our bodies as a group of independent parts. This idea has become more and more prevalent with the trend of extreme specialization in medicine.

The truth is that our bodies don’t function as a bunch of independent parts. We function with everything working together through various and complex interactions.

Our nervous system controls everything with so many various inputs and outputs so that we can function properly.

Changes in muscle tension, joint position, and in movement change various inputs into the nervous system which result in changes in our autonomic nervous system. It has to be this way if we are to function properly.

If you think about it if you start moving, say you want to lift something with your arms… a huge number of things must happen.

Just a few of them would be that you have to:

• many things happen in the brain for planning, coordination, changes in muscle tone, and autonomics (organ function and fuel delivery),
• you need to stabilize your spine properly so that you don’t get injured,
• contract muscles in your arm,
• which now need more fuel so your autonomic nervous system would increase heart rate and blood flow/fuel delivery to the muscles so that they can do the work.

So we see that movement will change autonomics which is the balance between the sympathetic (‘fight or flight’) and parasympathetic (‘rest and digest’) nervous system.

Chiropractic adjustments obviously involve changes in movement that are done by a chiropractor versus yourself.

Other studies have shown changes in coordination, sensory processing, and various other nervous system activities with the adjustment.

The study mentioned at the beginning of this post looks at how a neck adjustment by a chiropractor effects both heart rate and heart rate variability.

Heart rate is how often a heart is beating. This is controlled through the autonomic nervous system.

Heart rate variability looks at the constantly shifting balance between the sympathetics and the parasympathetics. In general, more variability is better. If a person has too much sympathetic activity the variability will be reduced.

Increases in the ‘fight or flight’ sympathetics can cause a huge number of different symptoms ranging from pain to stomach problems, constipation, cold hands and feet, ‘brain fog’ (due to decreased blood flow), heachaches, arrhythmias, tachycardia, high blood pressure (hypertension), over active bladder, among so many other potential problems.

The Chiropractic Heart Rate and Variability Study

The study looked at the direct effects of cervical spine (neck) manipulation on heart rate and heart rate variability in healthy young adults.

Researchers used a cross over treatment, with a 1 week washout period between the cross over.

The manipulation (AKA an adjustment) was compared to a sham procedure.

The adjustment produced significant alterations in both heart rate and measures of heart rate variability which reflects a change in the balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic control of the heart.

Heart rate was measured with an ECG.

The sham procedure did not create these changes.

It should be noted that a chiropractic adjustment doesn’t treat the heart. It has been shown to create changes in heart rate and heart rate variability that is believed to be through autonomic changes and balance between the parasympathetics and the sympathetics.

This is interesting because the autonomics effect every organ system and fuel delivery to every part of the body.

There is a growing body of evidence that shows chiropractic adjustments have a significant impact on how our bodies function as a whole through changes in the nervous system.

Again interestingly, this is what was originally proposed by DD Palmer the founder of Chiropractic over a hundred years ago. He was wrong about the specific mechanisms (it’s generally not an un-pinching of a nerve) but appears to have been right about the big picture of chiropractic treatment.

Additional research will continue to look at what specifically happens with chiropractic care that will undoubtedly provide additional insight.

Beyond this, chiropractic is not just the adjustment.

At Hagebusch Chiropractic in Texarkana, we help people with many lifestyle changes that can have a profound impact on health.

These range from diet to exercise, reducing stress, sleep recommendations, rehabilitation, and a lot more.

Reference:
Autonomic Neuroscience. Volume 91, Issues 1–2, 13 August 2001, Pages 96-99. Innocuous mechanical stimulation of the neck and alterations in heart-rate variability in healthy young adults. Brian Budgell, Fumie Hirano.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S156607020100306X