What is the Significance of the Heart Rate Variability Score?
If you have been a chiropractic patient here before, you likely have had a Heart Rate Variability (HRV) test done. It is that simple 3 minute assessment where you put your fingers on that little platform, and literally chill out.
How does the test work?
The test is very simple. We place your hand in a sensor and we collect the timing and the intervals of the heart beat. The data is populated through our computer.
So why do we do this test?
By looking at the HRV pattern, we can analyze the function of your autonomic nervous system – the part of the nervous system that controls the “automatic” functions in your body eg. digestion, breathing, heart health etc.
We can also measure your body’s resource level (how much battery charge does your body have left), and we can check if your body’s sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are balanced ie. if your body is stuck in “fight or flight”.
What does this mean?
When the HRV score is poor, very simply, the body suffers. A poor score means poor adaptability, which means low energy, poor sleep, brain fog, poor posture, poor digestion, and pain. All sorts of health issues arise when the HRV score is poor.
As chiropractors, we consider this a gold standard for assessing health as research shows people with poor HRV scores are predisposed to having chronic diseases.
So what can you do?
The key first of course is to know where you stand. What does your actual HRV score look like? When a test is done, we provide an interpretation and print out the scan results for you. Below is a sample scan reading.
Once we assess your HRV score, we can recommend what you can do. Less stress, meditation, deep breathing, exercise, healthy eating are a few areas that could be worked on. But chiropractic care is paramount.
Chiropractic care will help restore the tone of your autonomic nervous system, which helps keep your HRV score optimized. We have had countless patients have improved scores once they are under care (As an example, the torque release technique method we use specifically targets the autonomic nerves in the spine)
Interested in knowing your score?
If you are a patient and haven’t had your HRV checked in awhile, inform our front desk. We can schedule a scan for you (nominal fee of $10). If you’ve never been assessed by one of our chiropractors, let us know and we can also book a full assessment for you.
Any other questions? Let us know!