Benefits of
Cardiac Coherence

Today, cardiac coherence practice encounters a great success amidst the public as well as health professionals.
First applied in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, it is increasingly used in programs of stress and anxiety management as well as regulation of the emotional response.

The principle of cardiac coherence biofeedback is based on the hypothesis that the stimulation of the vagal system, translated by an increase of the heart rate variability, can help you, via regular practice, to improve your health status or your performances.

By reinforcing the self-regulating adaptability of our physiological system, especially facing the stressing solicitations of our daily lives, the cardiac coherence will ensure a greater flexibility to fight against somatic and psychological pathologies and will help our body maintain a better cardio-respiratory and mental balance.

Several teams worldwide have recently conducted clinical studies on the relevance of reinforcing the vagal tone by cardiac coherence practice. Scientific references have largely demonstrated benefits for:

• Decreasing anxiety and depression levels
  HRV Biofeedback for Major Depression; Karavidas; 2008) (HRV Biofeedback as a Strategy for Dealing with Competitive Anxiety: A Case Study; Lagos et al;
• Decreasing blood pressure
  Slow Breathing Improves Arterial Baroreflex Sensitivity and decreases Blood Pressure in Essential Hypertension, Joseph et al, 2005
• Increasing mental state focus and achieving better performances
  HRV Biofeedback as a Strategy for Dealing with Competitive Anxiety: A Case Study; Lagos et al;
• Increasing heart rate variability, increasing lung capacity, preventing heart attack risk factors
  HRV biofeedback increases baroreflex gain and peak expiratory flow; Lehrer et al; 2003
• Increasing the heart rate variability of patients with coronary heart disease and being a useful tool for cardiovascular rehabilitation
  Biofeedback treatment increases HRV in patients with known coronary artery Disease; Del Pozzo; 2004
• Promoting proper pulmonary function, decreasing symptoms and helping reduce the use of medications in asthmatic patients
  Biofeedback Treatment for Asthma; Lehrer & Vaschillo; 2004
• Bringing relief to patients with fibromyalgia
  A pilot study of the efficacy of HRV biofeedback in patients with fibromyalgia; Hasset et al;2007
• Having an analgesic effect and reducing self-perceived physical pain
  Effects of HRV Biofeedback in Subjects with Stress-related Chronic Neck Pain; Hallman et al; 2011

The variability phenomenon is affected by several fluctuations caused by the subject or environmental stress factors. The values obtained must be interpreted as an indirect measure of the functioning of the autonomic nervous system, its main relevance resides in learning how to better modulate emotional reactions.