The heart rate is controlled by electrical impulses that originate in the sinus node, which is located in the right atrium, or upper chamber, of the heart. While heart rates can vary from person to person, certain heart rates can be considered dangerous. Thus, cardiac arrhythmia or heart rate abnormalities increase mortality and diminish quality of life.

Acupuncture has been found effective for the prevention of Heart Rate Abnormalities.

Heart rate abnormalities Managed with Acupuncture.satory

Heart rate abnormalities Managed with Acupuncture

According to many studies reviewed in the literature, 87% to 100% of participants converted to normal sinus rhythm after acupuncture. Therefore, acupuncture seems to be effective in treating several cardiac arrhythmias.

In a groundbreaking laboratory experiment, the researchers proved that acupuncture prevents atrial fibrillation through restoration and remodeling of the right atrial appendage.

Acupuncture is a safe and effective therapy that may be applied, in conjunction with Western medicine, to prevent atrial fibrillation and exert an anti-arrhythmic effect, thus managing heart rate abnormalities.

Furthermore, the autonomic nervous system dynamically controls the response of the body to a range of external and internal stimuli, providing physiological stability. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is a measure of the naturally occurring beat-to-beat changes in heart rate. It serves as a critical method for gauging human health and resiliency. HRV measures regulation of the heart by the autonomic nervous system. It has been well documented in the literature that acupuncture improves HRV in humans.

References

  1. Li JL, Wang LQ, Zhang N, Su XT, Lin Y, Yang JW, Shi GX, Liu CZ. Acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy for arrhythmia: a Delphi expert consensus survey. Cardiovasc Diagn Ther. 2021 Oct;11(5):1067-1079.
  2. Olex S. Cardioversion of Atrial Fibrillation with Acupuncture. Medical Acupuncture.Jun 2021.235-239.
  3. Liu, Jing, Si-nai Li, Lu Liu, Kun Zhou, Yan Li, Xiao-yun Cui, Jie Wan et al. “Conventional acupuncture for cardiac arrhythmia: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.” Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine (2017): 1-9.
  4. Chung JW, Yan VC, Zhang H. Effect of acupuncture on heart rate variability: a systematic review. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:819871.
  5. VanWormer AM, Lindquist R, Sendelbach SE. The effects of acupuncture on cardiac arrhythmias: a literature review. Heart Lung. 2008 Nov-Dec;37(6):425-31.