Improvement in Vagal Function in a Post Breast Cancer Patient Receiving Chiropractic Care: A Case Study

Abstract

Heart rate variability (HRV) is widely used to demonstrate the vagal function and sympathetic function of the autonomic nervous system and evaluate autonomic dysregulation. Current literature demonstrated that the HRV of women who have gone through breast cancer, surgery and chemotherapy stays low for possibly up to a year or more. The purpose of this paper was to chronicle the consistent improvements in salutogenesis, measured through HRV, in a 43-year-old woman post breast cancer following a course of chiropractic care focused on vertebral subluxation correction. Chiropractic care was provided to a 43-year-old woman following bilateral radical mastectomy and chemotherapy for management of breast cancer. Chiropractic care was focused on the assessment and correction of vertebral subluxation. The parameter numbers used were the standard interbeat interval (Sd IBI) from the heart rate analysis. Chiropractic care was provided over a period of 34 weeks. HRV assessment was performed at the initiation of care and again at weeks 4, 6, 13 and 34. The Sd IBI measurements recorded during the respective assessment visits indicated significant improvement compared to normative data for the same population. A course of chiropractic care focused on the assessment and correction of vertebral subluxation was associated with a salutogenic response in a woman post breast cancer, as measured via HRV.




J Med Cases. 2019;10(6):171-178
doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jmc3306