Acupuncture Regulates the Heart Rate Variability

Acupuncture is widely used in clinical practice. According to traditional acupuncture theory, the Neiguan acupoint (PC6) is one of the most commonly used acupoints and is indicated for treating cardiovascular-related disorders. We present the case of a 27-year-old female who had been diagnosed with ventricular septal defect and had undergone surgery to repair the defect at the age of 11 years. The patient had no obvious symptoms, such as palpitations and difficulty breathing. However, while performing electrocardiography (ECG), we found that she suffered from arrhythmia, and therefore, we treated her by acupuncture at the left PC6. An ECG monitor was used to record data during the entire acupuncture procedure, which was divided into the following three segments: prior to, during, and after acupuncture. Various indices of heart rate variability (HRV) were then determined and analyzed. The results indicate that acupuncture can regulate the HRV effectively; however, more studies are needed to confirm this finding.