Recently as the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, the terms ‘vagal tone’ has been discussed more than ever. Vagal tone is the activity of the vagus nerve which is the 10th cranial nerve that is a vital component of the parasympathetic nervous system (rest/digest/heal/repair).
The vagus nerve is responsible for a number of crucial functions including mood regulation, immune response, digestion and heart rate. It establishes one of the connections between the brain and the gastrointestinal tract and sends information about the state of the inner organs to the brain via afferent fibres.
Vagal tone is measured through the heart rate variability (HRV) which is today’s gold standard to analyse the overall effects of stress and anxiety. HRV scans are simple and accurate in using complex mathematical calculations to analyse the rates and rhythms of the resting heartbeat pattern. The data can be evaluated to reveal the intricate balance between the sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous systems.
If there is increased regularity of the heartbeat, there is decreased variability and vice versa. Increased sympathetic tone (low vagal tone) relates to decreased variability while increased parasympathetic tone (high vagal tone) increases variability.
Lower vagal tone is associated with cardiovascular conditions and strokes, depression, diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome, cognitive impairment and much higher rates of inflammatory conditions and many other chronic diseases.
The good news is, you can improve your vagal tone, which will help keep you healthy and allow your brain to better adapt to stress. As chiropractic adjustments remove interference to the nervous system, it also helps the brain and nervous system better adapt to stress.
Here at Provolution Health, we utilise the latest technology and equipment including the HRV scan. If you are interested in checking your heart rate variability or would like to have your spine checked, please contact us on 6299 2660 or at info@provolutionhealth.com.au
After suffering with low back pain related to her menstrual cycle as a teen, and finding incredible results and relief with Chiropractic care, Cindy knew by the age of 14 that she wanted to pursue Chiropractic to bring that same opportunity to you. Having studied at Macquarie University, she has graduated with a Bachelor of Chiropractic Science and a Master of Chiropractic. Dr. Cindy is grateful to be surrounded by a wonderful and exceptional team, and to be working in her chosen profession. She loves seeing the changes in people’s health and quality of life because of their body’s innate ability to heal.
Dr. Cindy Lam