Method to Rebalance Autonomic Nervous System in 14 days?

RUkiddingME

New Member
thanks so much for posting this. I did my first 30 minutes today. It can't hurt! I've been sick for almost 7 years and function at about 30% of normal - needing wheelchair for any distance and mostly homebound. My feet are a deep purple when in the upright position maybe this will help. My first post on here but an old member of PR
 

Who Me?

Well-Known Member
thanks so much for posting this. I did my first 30 minutes today. It can't hurt! I've been sick for almost 7 years and function at about 30% of normal - needing wheelchair for any distance and mostly homebound. My feet are a deep purple when in the upright position maybe this will help. My first post on here but an old member of PR

I remember you from PR. Didn't you have some crazy avatar? I see something crazy in my brain but I can't quite remember. Lots of people you will know here.

I keep forgetting to do the chair thing. Half forgetting, half lazy, half too tired. Keep us posted.

And Welcome!!!:beaver:
 

Katie

Active Member
I recently returned to a physiotherapist for help with my lower back that was continually in spasm and I spent a good part of my time walking like Groucho Marx! Ha!
Among other simple back stretches-many similar to yoga stretches, he told me to lay on the floor with my legs up on a chair. It never occurred to me that it doesn't just relax the lower back it does relax everything. I'm not doing it (the chair thing) consistently but will start today. The other stretches have given me tremendous relief. I can only do them once a day as twice exhausts me way too much.
Good article
 

Who Me?

Well-Known Member

Attachments

  • image.jpeg
    image.jpeg
    31.2 KB · Views: 55

Remy

Administrator
A chiropracter on Facebook said left this message:
This position is about getting the blood flow that is pooling in your legs back into your two brains so that they may turn off the flight or fight alarm systems.

Sure, there are many structural problems that we face, including palate problems. And it is true that this position does not address all that and it may not even fix anything at all, but it's not really about the psoas or other muscles, or alignment, or any of that (even though they may be improved too as a side benefit). It's about the blood flow.

This isn't at all "neutral spine". I taught Pilates all through grad school and have a pretty good understanding of the body architecture. You can get neutral spine in this position with props if you should so desire (and there may be good reasons for doing so, depending on your goals) but you will not naturally be in neutral spine in this position and it is not required for the blood to flow.

I don't know of a position called "corrective rest" but I do know of an Alexander Technique position called "constructive rest" that looks very similar to this position...basically you lay down on the floor with your knees up and feel the floor supporting your body. This does feel very relaxing but it does not add the extra force of gravity to help move the blood where you want it to go.

I'm not at all saying this position will cure or help anyone. But it's not all these other things either, even though people may find them useful (or not) as well. There are other threads on this forum about postural changes in MECFS at the root and I think we've basically all agreed this is symptom management and not a cure.

I've been doing it for 6 days now. I am not cured. :) But I will say that my HRV is consistently better after the session and that is good enough for me to keep it up a bit longer since I've been sick for a long time and I lay down at night anyway to meditate. May as well lay down in a chair!
 

RUkiddingME

New Member
I remember you from PR. Didn't you have some crazy avatar? I see something crazy in my brain but I can't quite remember. Lots of people you will know here.

I keep forgetting to do the chair thing. Half forgetting, half lazy, half too tired. Keep us posted.

And Welcome!!!:beaver:
Thanks Who Me? Yes it's ME! Thanks for reminding me to put up my crazy avatar lol. Just a crazy pic that reminds me to stay goofy in spite of this horrible illness
 

Who Me?

Well-Known Member
Thanks Who Me? Yes it's ME! Thanks for reminding me to put up my crazy avatar lol. Just a crazy pic that reminds me to stay goofy in spite of this horrible illness

Yep. We all have to laugh.:D I love my avatar here. Kind of fits after my untimely demise from PR.
 

Remy

Administrator
image.png
Here's my HRV report from the session in the chair. You can see that it is super dreadful at about 35 starting out and then ended up about 60. It's supposed to be around 100 though so I still suck. :)

Interestingly though my HF (parasympathetic) is almost always lower than my LF (sympathetic) but it actually did reverse during this pose. Now to see if these changes will start to hold during the day ever...
 

San Diego

Well-Known Member
View attachment 1530 Here's my HRV report from the session in the chair. You can see that it is super dreadful at about 35 starting out and then ended up about 60. It's supposed to be around 100 though so I still suck. :)

Interestingly though my HF (parasympathetic) is almost always lower than my LF (sympathetic) but it actually did reverse during this pose. Now to see if these changes will start to hold during the day ever...
I’m not familiar with HF and LF.

But I do like the fact that this pose reversed your parasym and sym.

I’m on day 5. I’m not cured yet, but this is easy to slip in at the end of my day. It put me to sleep the first 2 nights. :)
 

Remy

Administrator
I’m not familiar with HF and LF.

But I do like the fact that this pose reversed your parasym and sym.

I’m on day 5. I’m not cured yet, but this is easy to slip in at the end of my day. It put me to sleep the first 2 nights. :)
HF stands for high frequency and supposedly represents the parasympathetic activation.

LF is low frequency and represents sympathetic activation.

The whole HRV thing is kind of confusing though and I've listened to people who say they measuring it doesn't actually mean what others say it does in terms of the nervous system. But it seems to reflect my experience pretty well and at this point it costs me nothing to use it as a measure since I already have a chest strap and the app.

I am going to stick with it for at least a month. I've seen enough positive signs to make me think it's worthwhile. And look how long it took me to get into ketosis!
 

San Diego

Well-Known Member
Thanks, @Remy.

I am going to stick with it for at least a month. I've seen enough positive signs to make me think it's worthwhile. And look how long it took me to get into ketosis!
The thing I notice is that I get super relaxed and my digestion kicks in. It literally feels like my stomach and intestines are jumping around and my heart is beating in them. What an odd sensation.

Could be just coincidental due to position, or it could be the parasympathetic system is a bit more active. I sure hope it’s the latter!

What positive signs are you seeing? Do tell!
 

madie

Well-Known Member
I'm normally a pretty "chill" personality, so I'm surprised to notice that I feel a lot more relaxed, overall. I had no idea this deeper level existed, and I really like it.

I put a little pillow under my hips yesterday (@Remy) and didn't notice any immediate difference. But it's very comfortable, so I'll continue with it, to keep my head lower than my hips.
 

Cort

Founder of Health Rising and Phoenix Rising
Staff member
Thanks Who Me? Yes it's ME! Thanks for reminding me to put up my crazy avatar lol. Just a crazy pic that reminds me to stay goofy in spite of this horrible illness
Love the avatar RUkiddingME ;). A little lightness and humor is a good thing.
 

Cort

Founder of Health Rising and Phoenix Rising
Staff member
Hi @Remy

I'm intrigued by your post, but for the most part feel pretty baffled by the descriptions on how to do this exercise. Unfortunately, understanding directions on how to do various kinds of exercises similar to this has long been a challenge for me (since my brain dysfunction started).

I did do a fair amount of googling on this topic however, and watched a bunch of videos today on the vagus nerve. As much as I thought I knew about it, I feel I got quite an education today. One thing that caught my attention, was that it is apparently the key for initiating a parasympathetic response.

I ended up running across an intriguing 2-min. video on how to reset the vagus nerve. Interestingly, she says it only takes 15 seconds! Here's a link... --- Resetting the Vagus Nerve. She mentions in the video that the device she uses is the "Accu Point Pen". It costs about $15 at Amazon, and from the few comments I read, sounds fairly interesting.

I'm intrigued enough to consider getting it, as I feel my vagus nerve function was seriously affected by a head injury/whiplash when I was a teenager. --- BTW, one other thing I discovered today is that a "toned" vagus nerve is important to control inflammation, which made sense to me if it truly is the primary catalyst for initiating a parasympathetic response.
Hey Wayne if you do it please post on how it goes. Anything to help out that vagus nerve. I have a blog coming up on someone who's gotten great relief from an old vagus nerve drug.
 

weyland

Well-Known Member
Oh, that's it so far...the reversal of my sympathetic dominance afterwards according to my HRV app
How did you determine sympathetic dominance?

I'm guessing I'd have a horrible time trying something like this. On autonomic testing, my vagal tone was strong but I have neuropathy of my sympathetic cardiac nerve.
 

Remy

Administrator
How did you determine sympathetic dominance?
Supposedly the LF measurement corresponds to the sympathetic arm and the HF measurement corresponds to the parasympathetic. Typically, my LF number is much, much higher than the HF number. But after this position for 30 minutes, they are equal or the HF is actually higher than the LF for the first time ever.

FWIW, there is some controversy about how well HRV actually measures sympathetic tone but it's all I've got so I'm going with it...
 

Hezza

Active Member
Hi @Remy, what are you using to measure these HRV, LF, RF? Sorry if I'm asking something already answered, I'll blame brain fog ahead of time.:wacky:
 

Remy

Administrator
Hi @Remy, what are you using to measure these HRV, LF, RF? Sorry if I'm asking something already answered, I'll blame brain fog ahead of time.:wacky:
No, it's my fault. I use lots of abbreviations so feel free to ask me to decode if I forget.

HRV is heart rate variability.

LF is low frequency and HF is high frequency.

There are a couple of good podcasts out there on the theory behind using HRV if anyone is interested. I can dig them up if anyone wants.
 

Get Our Free ME/CFS and FM Blog!



Forum Tips

Support Our Work

DO IT MONTHLY

HEALTH RISING IS NOT A 501 (c) 3 NON-PROFIT

Shopping on Amazon.com For HR

Latest Resources

Top