Stress Testing
York Mind-Body Health uses state-of-the-art technology, firmly grounded in
established science, to rapidly and non-invasively assess the physiological
impact of stress, to guide
the choice of therapeutic intervention, and to track clients' progress.
Heart Rate Variability and the Autonomic Nervous System
Many of the physiological symptoms of stress are driven by one of the body's main
control systems: the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). Computer analysis of the
patterns of change in heart rate over time (known as Heart Rate Variability or
HRV) can tell us a lot about the relative balance of the two branches of the
ANS, the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. These two work like
accelerator and brake respectively, in terms of the body's arousal level.
Broadly speaking, acute stress is linked with over-activation of the sympathetic
system. On the other hand the parasympathetic system is associated with
relaxation, but an over-predominance can express itself as fatigue and other
problems. Normally sympathetic-activating stress is balanced by a following
parasympathetic response - in other words, the ANS responds adaptively to
circumstances. Some health problems are the result of diminished responsiveness.
Cardiovascular System Assessment
Stress is known to affect the cardiovascular system. HRV analysis gives
information about the status of the cardiovascular system. More indicators are
provided by Pulse Wave Velocity analysis, another fast, easy and non-invasive
technology capable of detecting signs of stiffening of arteries (atheroclerosis)
long before clinical symptoms (such as high blood pressure) appear, and at stage
when you can take action to correct problems.
