Heart Rate Variability Analysis
The
Heart Rate Variability Test/Analysis (HRV) depicts a visual representation of
heart rhythm called rhythmography; which can graph the relationship between the
two components of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS).
This is your own unique
response, and it gives the doctors at CCVM vital information about your heart’s
electrical activity and how your ANS is functioning to control that activity at
rest and under stress.
The more ‘stressed’ your system is, the more imbalance we
will see between the Sympathetic Nervous System (fight or flight) and the
Parasympathetic Nervous System (rest and digest).
The body is in a continual
state of breakdown and repair and needs to do both efficiently to maintain
health. This test reflects the body's regulating process and can help determine
one's overall degree of physical fitness, and current psychological and
emotional states. Your nervous system must have strength in both the stressed
and regenerative divisions to maintain optimal health. At CCVM the doctors
believe that assessing a patient’s response to stress is a key factor in
promoting optimal health, and the HRV test can detect early signs of the
development of pathological processes or the presence of some functional
disorder which may not be revealed by an ordinary physical examination.
The data
for evaluation is gathered through computer monitoring of the R-R intervals
using a chest strap sensor applied to the subject's body. First the patient lies
down (supine position) for several minutes. Then, after a computer-generated
signal (beep), the subject stands up and remains standing. This takes about 7-10
minutes and the results can be viewed immediately either on screen or as a print
out. Your doctor will then be able to analyze and explain these results. It
allows an overall view into the functioning of your nervous system. When used in
conjunction with Computerized Regulation Thermography it can highlight which
system or tissue is compensating the most for the imbalance detected by HRV.
When we repeat this test in the future we will be able to monitor improvement in
your body’s ability to self-regulate in response to stresses.
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