What is Heart Rate Variability?

Heart Rate Variability measures the time interval between each heartbeat. A healthy heart doesn’t tick evenly, but instead has constant variation. This can be affected by your breathing, hormone levels, metabolism, and exercise and is all controlled by your body’s autonomic nervous system. 

Your nervous system works to regulate your Heart Rate Variability and promote homeostasis in the body. 

Why does HRV matter?

Your HRV should fluctuate based on the amount of stress you  are experiencing. However, chronic stress can “overload” the system and get stuck with a low HRV and high levels of stress hormones. This can increase your risk for physical and mental health problems, which could lead to sickness and disease. 

How does chiropractic care help HRV? Disconnect in the nervous system may be caused by subluxations in the spine. Subluxations can increase the amount of stress on the body, reducing your HRV (putting the body at higher risk for sickness and disease). Chiropractic care works to reduce subluxations and promote a healthy, balanced nervous system.