Vedapulse is a tools that measures heart rate variability and converts that information into a functional assessment of the patient’s health. In order to understand how this works some basic concepts about the heart and nervous system need to be understood.
Heart rate is controlled by input from the nervous system. Every second the nervous system senses what is going on through the body and adjust heart rate accordingly. Therefore, a healthy heart rate is one that shows some variability. This is a sign that the nervous system and heart are able to adapt to stress.
Heart rate variability is the difference in time from one heart beat to the next. When healthy it shows some variation in the length of each beat but not so much that it would be considered an an arrhythmia.
The nervous system is divided into two parts:
- Somatic nervous system is what we consciously control.
- Autonomic nervous system are things which happening automatically, without us thinking. Examples are the heart rate, breathing, digestion and immune system. This is the part of the nervous which Vedapulse can measure.
The autonomic nervous system is further divided into two parts:
- Sympathetic nervous system. Stimulates body for intense physical activity. Helps us response to acute stress. The so called "fight or flight" response that we have in emergency situations is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system.
- Para-sympathetic nervous system. Opposed the sympathetic nervous system. The phrase "rest and digest," is used to describe it’s actions. It decreases the heart rate, improves digestion and allows the body to repair itself.
Vedapulse works by measuring electrical impulses that come from each heart beat. It shows the pulse wave associated with each heart beat, as well as patterns in heart rate variability from one beat to the next.