The Link Between Autonomic Nervous System and Rheumatoid Arthritis: From Bench to Bedside
Kristen Sparrow • February 04, 2023
As patients and readers of my blog know, I focus on the autonomic nervous system in my acupuncture practice. Autonomic balance has now been implicated in many different diseases, an important one is Rheumatoid Arthritis. Acupuncture improves autonomic balance and so does direct vagal stimulation. Both of these interventions improve autonomic balance and lower inflammatory markers, and improves Mood. As the ancients believed, it all spins together.
The link between the autonomic nervous system and RA has been established, with disruptions in the system linked to RA onset and activity. New research into the connection between the autonomic nervous system and the immune system has opened up new strategies for managing RA. Clinical evidence supports the idea that autonomic nervous system dysfunction plays a role in RA comorbidities, such as cardiovascular involvement and mood disorders, which can be influenced by pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Ingegnoli F, Buoli M, Antonucci F, Coletto LA, Esposito CM, Caporali R. The Link Between Autonomic Nervous System and Rheumatoid Arthritis: From Bench to Bedside. Front Med (Lausanne). 2020 Dec 7;7:589079. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2020.589079. PMID: 33365319; PMCID: PMC7750536.
Abstract
Neuronal stimulation is an emerging field of research focused on the management and treatment of various diseases through the reestablishment of physiological homeostasis. Electrical vagus nerve stimulation has recently been proposed as a revolutionary therapeutic option for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in combination with or even as a replacement for conventional and biological drugs. In the past few years, disruption of the autonomic system has been linked to RA onset and activity. Novel research on the link between the autonomic nervous system and the immune system (immune-autonomics) has paved the way for the development of innovative RA management strategies. Clinical evidence supports this approach. Cardiovascular involvement, in terms of reduced baroreflex sensitivity and heart rate variability-derived indices, and mood disorders, common comorbidities in patients with RA, have been linked to autonomic nervous system dysfunction, which in turn is influenced by increased levels of circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines. This narrative review provides an overview of the autonomic nervous system and RA connection, discussing most of the common cardiac and mental health-related RA comorbidities and their potential relationships to systemic and joint inflammation.
