Heart Rate Variability during Auricular Acupressure at Heart Point in Healthy Volunteers: A Pilot Study

Heart rate variability (HRV) is the variation in time between each heartbeat. Increasing HRV may contribute to improving autonomic nervous system dysfunctions. Acupuncture stimulation through the vagus plexus in the ear is considered as a method that can improve HRV. In this pilot study, we examined...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine 2022, Vol.2022, p.1019029-8
Main Authors: Trinh, Dieu-Thuong Thi, Nguyen, Que-Chi Thi, Bui, Minh-Man Pham, Nguyen, Van-Dan, Thai, Khac-Minh
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acupressure
Acupuncture
Autonomic nervous system
Blood pressure
Body mass index
Diabetic neuropathy
Ear
Electrocardiography
Heart rate
Nervous system
Statistical analysis
Values
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Summary:Heart rate variability (HRV) is the variation in time between each heartbeat. Increasing HRV may contribute to improving autonomic nervous system dysfunctions. Acupuncture stimulation through the vagus plexus in the ear is considered as a method that can improve HRV. In this pilot study, we examined 114 healthy volunteers at the Faculty of Traditional Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, from January to May 2020. During a 20-minute interval, participants were stimulated two times at the acupoint in the left ear with Semen seed. The heart rate and HRV values were monitored before, during, and after acupressure every 5 minutes. When we compared the experimental group with the control group, HRV significantly increased in the stage of ear-stimulated acupressure compared with the stage before and after the auricular acupressure (p=0.01, p=0.04, p=0.04 and p=0.02) and the difference was not statistically significant compared with the phase of nonstimulated (p=0.15, p=0.28). The changes in other values including SDNN (standard deviation of the average NN), RMSSD (root mean square of successive RR interval differences), LF (low-frequency power), and HF (high-frequency power) in all stages were not statistically significant p=>0.05 between groups. Based on the results, we can determine the increase in HRV when conducting auricular acupressure with stimulation at the heart acupoint on the left ear. This leads to a direction in further studies for clinical application for patients with autonomic nervous disorder.
ISSN:1741-427X
1741-4288
DOI:10.1155/2022/1019029