Ear stimulation to Lower Blood Pressure: RAVANS or TAVNS
I’ve been looking at vagal activity with ear stimulation, or transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (TAVNS)in the clinic for several years. As readers know, acupuncture calms the stress response by increasing vagal activity. TAVNS should increase vagal activity also. If I can show this, it would give me added confidence in having people use a…
Read MoreHuberman: Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal, HRV and vagus
One of the mail goals of my practice is to improve patients’ autonomic balance and increase vagal activity. I firmly believe if we can encourage vagal activity, we will see benefits to mood, immunity, pain all of which leads to longer life. Besides acupuncture, TAVNS, exercise, probiotics and good sleep, breathing is a key lever…
Read MoreVagus Nerve as Modulator of the Brain-Gut Axis in Psychiatric and Inflammatory Disorders
I’ve been alerted to ever more mention of the vagus nerve in the popular press. I’ve been interested in the vagus nerve and parasympathetic activity for longer than I choose to admit. That is why I measure Heart Rate Variability in the clinic to get a glimpse into patients’ parasympathetic tone overall and how it…
Read MoreExpiratory-gated Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (taVNS) does not Further Augment Heart Rate Variability During Slow Breathing at 0.1 Hz
This study is relevant because of the RAVANs technology that synchronizes TAVNS with expiration. In these authors study they use 100Hz which may nor may not be optimal, just as tragus and cavum concha may not be optimal. But nonetheless, they saw now difference in HRV. TAVNS is running up against real problems in showing…
Read MoreHRV and Photobiomodulation for Vagal and Sympathetic ANS modulation
If nothing else, I aim to improve my patients’ autonomic balance by increasing their vagal activity. Stimulating the vagus nerve indirectly to increase parasympathetic activity and decreasing sympathetic activity. Acupuncture can increase vagal activity as well as transcutaneous auricular vagal stimulation. I am extremely excited by this study. Not only does it validate my approach of…
Read MorePodcast ZDoggMd and Rita Redberg: When Less is More
Readers of my blog might know that I have been so impressed with Rita Redberg, MD from UCSF. She has the courage to stand up to industry pressure and tell the truth about various very important topics. Some of these are the use of statins, overtesting for disease, the use of bisphosponates for bone density. …
Read MoreMedical Device Makers Spend Millions to loosen Regulations
This is an older article and back up for some of the writing I’m doing. It’s a good summary of the pressures to take these devices to market.
Read MoreNewsletter: Eat Your Way to Long Life or Pills?
Click here for the latest newsletter I have my first video featured… You have to start somewhere! Please click on the photo for my first attempt. Very, um, diy…
Read MoreEffects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation on the resting state of major depressive disorder
This study investigated the mechanism underlying the immediate effect of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on major depressive disorder (MDD). The study involved 58 MDD patients and 54 healthy controls who underwent taVNS treatment. They were looking at which brain areas were affected. . Their findings suggest that taVNS has an immediate modulatory effect…
Read MoreRita Redberg and Risks of Statins. Time to Curb Your Enthusiasm
I admire Dr. Redberg very much. She speaks truth to the “powers that be” pushing medications and imaging technologies and scantily researched medical interventions. (If you click on the photo it will take you to a great discussion on a podcast by ZDoggMD entitled “When Less is More in Health Care”). I’ve linked to her…
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