Discussion:Heart Rate Variability Analysis in the Acupuncture Clinic: Correlation with Clinical Outcomes

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The goal of having a non-invasive monitoring system that can detect subtle shifts with acupuncture physiologically is the thrust of the author’s research. Exploring HRV with acupuncture over the last several years revealed, somewhat counterintuitively, that there is an intra-treatment increase in HRV. This phenomenon has been corroborated in other studies[i][ii]. The Bäcker study saw only decreases in LFR, other studies have only seen changes in HF.[iii]. With more trustworthy HRV data collection and analysis, comparing of acupoints, various types of acupuncture stimulation, duration of treatment, and spacing of visits would be of interest also.

nThis study is far from scientific, but rather a case study in monitoring HRV in the actual acupuncture clinic, and the author felt compelled to share and tabulate the results of these recent efforts. Clinical outcomes are not graded per se in this study, but are the result of careful interviews on subsequent patient visits.

nHRV measurement and analysis is an exacting undertaking, but with the addition of nonlinear measurements, which are less affected by artifact, the results are more trustworthy. In this study there are noted outliers where there were strong responders who had significant and profound relief from symptoms, but their HRV did not reflect that (PeAl,GuPa,RuSu). The correlation is not perfect.

nComparing patients and treatment sessions instead of control groups, can still give interesting and provocative findings. In controlled studies not available to the clinical practitioner, these trends could hopefully be verified.

nAnd finally, there is an ever increasing focus on the adverse physiological effects of stress. Recent Nobel Prize winning research[iv] shows the effects on a cellular level of stress on aging. Traditionally, in Chinese Medicine, prevention and anti-aging are pillars of practice. If acupuncture can be shown to be an effective treatment option for physiological stress, not only will the ancient practitioners be vindicated, but we will be offering real preventative treatment.

[i] Acupuncture in migraine: investigation of autonomic effects Bäcker M, Clin J Pain. 2008 Feb;24(2):106-15

[ii] Effect of acupuncture on heart rate variability in primary dysmenorrheic women.
Kim E, Cho JH, Jung WS, Lee S, Pak SC.Am J Chin Med. 2011;39(2):243-9.

[iii] Auton Neurosci. 2011 Apr 26;161(1-2):116-20. Epub 2011 Jan 7.

Acupuncture to Danzhong but not to Zhongting increases the cardiac vagal component of heart rate variability.

Kurono Y, Minagawa M, Ishigami T, Yamada A, Kakamu T, Hayano J

[iv] Accelerated telomere shortening in response to life stress. PNAS 2004 Dec 7;101(49):17312-5 Blackburn E
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