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Daily and hourly bonuses, a loyalty program to help you boost your game credits, licensed slots games like The Walking Dead and The Amazing Race, and no need to spend any money… Heart of Vegas is a social casino and not a “for money” site.
Hi: Perhaps seeing a cardiologist who is also an electrophysiologist (EP) can help in the matter. Info for the masses The most common type of palpitations, premature ventricular contractions (PVCs, occurs even in many heart-healthy individuals), described that the heart is flip-flopping, jumping, pausing or stopping briefly (though it's actually not doing that), pounding, skipping, thumping. Since the vagus nerve is so important in the innervation of many organs, a large variety of symptoms of vagus nerve disorder can result. Starting from the muscles of the throat, damage to the vagus nerve can produce problems with the person’s voice as it supplies nerves to the vocal cords. The voice will sound strained, deep, and hoarse. If Heart of Vegas isn't loading properly on your Android device, there are a few basic steps we recommend. Many processes will vary by Android device and OS version, but even if the instructions. Heart of Vegas brings you:. The world's most popular REAL Vegas slot machines including 50 LIONS, SUN & MOON, 50 DRAGONS, MORE HEARTS, MISS KITTY, MORE CHILLI, DOLPHIN TREASURE, BIG RED, QUEEN OF THE NILE, and so many more!
You’ll be able to while away the hours on your favorite slot game and share your experience with your Facebook friends.
Heart of Vegas is a product of Product Madness as well as Aristocrat Gaming, so you’ll be able to play some of your favorite Aristocrat slots like Queen of the Nile, Big Red, and Buffalo for free. Of course, no investment on your part means no winnings to collect, but if you enjoy the experience of casino slots without the risk, then you’re golden with Heart of Vegas.
The casino emphasizes its Facebook platform, and you’ll get more benefit by logging into your social media account, but it’s not necessary. There’s an Apple, Amazon, and Google Play app, any of which will allow you to use your existing accounts should you want to buy some extra credits to keep the reels in motion.
Heart of Vegas launched in June of 2013 and was named one of the Top 10 New Games by Facebook. Not only that, but within a month it became one of the “Top 50 Grossing Apps” in the United States, so you’ve got to figure there’s something special here.
Who Can Play at the Heart of Vegas Casino?
As this is a casino-type gaming site, its use is primarily intended for 21s and over. But because it is a social gaming site and no real cash wagering is accepted, anyone 13 years of age or older can play but need to have a parent or guardian look over the terms and conditions.
As far as any geographic restrictions, there are very few. The company itself is based in San Francisco, and the games are offered to anyone across the United States as well as around the globe. The only exceptions are Cuba, Iraq, North Korea, Iran, and Syria.
Facebook users can only have one account, though, even if they have multiple Facebook registrations.
Software Suppliers
In 2012, the Aristocrat casino gaming company acquired Product Madness, Inc. Product Madness was a prominent social gaming company, so combining forces to produce social gaming featuring casino products was a common-sense strategy.
Aristocrat has a catalog of slots with some familiar in-casino titles like Buffalo and The Walking Dead, both of which are free-play versions hosted within Heart of Vegas.
The Good Stuff
All Games Are Unlocked
The best thing about Heart of Vegas is that players don’t have to jump through hoops to be able to play all of the games. Everything is open to everyone. The only difference is that, until you reach level 12, your stakes are more limited and you’re not eligible to win the Lightning-Link Grand Jackpot that awards winners with billions of coins. Most of the other social casinos only open up a few of the entry-level games to new users and require them to level up to unlock access to other, more appealing gaming choices. So, it’s appealing for new players to be welcomed to any of the games and not just given a few samples.
You Can Keep Your Budget Low
Unless you run out and are anxious to keep playing, you can get away without making a single microtransaction, whether you’re on Facebook or not. All players get a daily bonus from the Wheel, as well as smaller issuances every three hours. The Prize o’ Meter will also reward you for winning and reaching different coin levels. Facebook users have even more access to bonuses and bigger prizes. But if you do decide to make a purchase, you can select a package for as little as $2.99. Games where you can win money.
Aristocrat Gaming
With more than 60 years in the casino gaming business, Aristocrat may not be known by name but is undoubtedly recognized by its slot titles. Buffalo and Mr. Cashman are casino standards. And new licensed games like The Walking Dead and The Amazing Race will be appealing to many, even if they’ve never sat down at a slot machine. It’s a benefit to be able to offer some recognizable options and not close them off to the entry-level players of the casino.
The Bad Stuff
Facebook Users Get More Perks
The one downside to the casino, as publicly recognized by its players as well, is the heavy reliance on Facebook. Not only do you get a Facebook boost of a million coins, but you also receive better bonuses and more opportunities to stay in play. With standalone apps in the prominent stores like Apple, everyone should have the same type of benefits and gaming options. There are over two million Facebook followers, but still, not everyone gravitates to social media.
Help Section Could Use a Boost
You won’t even find a help section until you click “contact” from the settings area (symbol located at the top right of the screen). Once you do, though, a help section does open up to various categories and questions and answers. However, it doesn’t address everything. There isn’t a complete “how to use the casino” nor detailed information on claiming free chips. It would also be helpful to have some comparison information noted, so you know what you get based on the format you opt to use (i.e., Facebook, an app, mobile, etc.).
Game Selection
If you’re new to social casino gaming, you may not know that most of the apps or sites keep some of the slot libraries locked up to new players. You can see what games are available, but you can’t play until you attain a certain level.
For ExampleYou may see 50 slots but you can only play three of them, and they’re not the most enticing. The well-known games or branded and familiar ones are saved to encourage you to play and to play often.
Heart of Vegas doesn’t operate like that. There are 63 games, and you can play any of them. Their enticement to get you to devote more time is to open up new betting levels on each one.
Level 12 is the magic tier and opens up much higher-stake gaming, including the games in the High Roller room. They’re the same games, but you have a chance of winning more and playing for the Lightning-Link Progressive jackpot, which exceeds a billion credits. That’s billion, not million!
Don’t think about getting away with penny or dollar betting, though. If you take The Walking Dead game for an example, you’re entering at the 75,000-credit level. Of course, you’re also claiming some bigger daily prizes, but even so, you need to get some good payouts to keep those reels spinning for a long time and avoid having to purchase more credits.
As far as the games themselves, you may know some of Aristocrat’s titles, as they’re not strictly for social gaming. Buffalo, Queen of the Nile, and Dragon’s Gold are just a few of the classics from this software giant that’s been part of the casino industry since 1953.
You’ll note that you can only play slots at Heart of Vegas. No other casino gaming, like table games or video poker, is offered.
Jackpot Slots
You won’t be in the running for the top progressive jackpot or the high-roller exclusives until you’ve played for a while and made it to the 12th level. But you still have some opportunities to claim some other lower-tier jackpots. In fact, the Lightning-Link progressive unlocks the Minor and Minor prizes as soon as you reach level six.
- Pure Gold
- Miss Kitty
- More Chilli
- Dolphin Treasure
- Golden Peach
- Queen of the Nile
- Big Red
- The Bullfighter
- Tarzan Lord of the Jungle
- Wild Tooth
- Weird Wicked and Wild
Featured Games
You would need to be a casino player to recognize most of the titles, but The Walking Dead and The Amazing Race may jump out, as they are branded slots based on television shows.
The zombie-themed The Walking Dead game will open up 4,096 ways to win, with seven features and multi-tiered jackpots.
The Amazing Race slot version won’t be as amazing as circling the globe and vying for real money prizes. However, it can give you a few hours of entertainment with extra wilds, the chance to win up to 40 free games, and the ability to play from 9,000 to 180,000 per spin.
- Love Rocks (new game)
- Sahara Gold
- High Stakes
- More Hearts
- Mystical Sands
- Where’s the Gold
- Sun and Moon
- Goblin’s Gold (new game)
- Big Red 2
- Buffalo
- Flame of Olympus
- Dolphin Treasure
- Queen of Atlantis
- Wild Americoins
- The Bullfighter
- Rhino Charge
- Flamin’ Tiger
- Shaman’s Magic
- Wonder 4
- Polynesian Pearl
- Amazon Temple
- 5 Dragons Gold
- AMC The Walking Dead
- The Amazing Race
High-Roller Room
You do need to be a level 12 player or more senior to participate in high-roller action. The High Roller Super Jackpot is prominently displayed in the lobby and is consistently rising. This isn’t a prize that builds for days, months, or even years. It’s often awarded. In fact, within 24 hours, the jackpot was issued at least once as I was checking in on the progress. It’s typically in the 110-billion range, so that should keep you from microtransactions, at least for a little while.
- Wonder 4
- Buffalo
- Wonder 4 Starts
- Dragons Deluxe
- Big Red
- 5 Dragons Gold
- 50 Lions
Promotions
While Heart of Vegas benefits players by unlocking all of the games and providing more choices, there is one thing that isn’t as well-received by some of its users. Facebook is required for some of the promotions as well as special offers like “claim 1,000,000 coins by logging in with Facebook.”
Not only do you get that incentive, but bigger bonuses, special events, and friend bonuses, as well as the ability to save your progress. So, if you decide to make Heart of Vegas your go-to social casino, you won’t get the full experience unless you use the Facebook version.
While you will find many more opportunities to claim some playing coins, the following are some of the offers available to everyone, regardless of the app or format you’re using.
The Daily Wheel
As soon as you pull up the casino, you’re immediately greeted by the Daily Wheel, which resembles the Wheel of Fortune wheel. It displays prize amounts ranging from 1,000 to 250,000 coins. If you don’t click to spin it, it’ll self-start within a few seconds anyway, so you don’t miss out on anything.
The Daily Wheel spins once every 24 hours, and you just tap on “collect” to move your prize to your primary account balance. Your result is increased depending on your loyalty level, which I’ll get to in just a minute.
Three-Hour Bump
Just as the wheel will provide you with a daily prize, you’ll also get a smaller increase in your balance every three hours as long as you’re logged in and actively using the casino. You won’t just automatically get paid every three hours; you have to collect it.
Prize o’ Meter
Located at the top right of the screen, you’ll see a gold heart symbol, and that’s your Prize o’ Meter indicator. You have to win to fill it. If you win two million in coins, you’ll fill the meter and claim a smaller prize amount (29,000). The higher you go, the higher the prize. This is all based on your wins, though, and not your playing time.
“Player’s World” Heart of Vegas Loyalty Program
As with all of the social casinos, the loyalty program is the central hub of activity. Your “level” determines the perks you receive, as well as their value.
There are five levels of this loyalty program, and you can tell where you stand by the progress bar. Click on the symbol that shows a star within a circle to reveal your current status, as well as how far you need to go to reach the next level.
Here’s the kicker, though. It doesn’t matter how active you are as a player. Your loyalty level is determined by how much you spend. While I haven’t gotten into the purchase program as yet, there are packages you can buy that will extend your playing time depending on how much you’re willing to pay. They range from $2.99 to $99.99.
Those purchases are your ticket to advancing in the loyalty program. But your status may only stick for three months, as the casino re-evaluates each player quarterly.
Levels:
- Member (no perks)
- Bronze
- Silver
- Gold
- Platinum
Perks:
- Daily Cashback – starting at the Bronze level, but increasing to 200% at the Platinum; issued after the daily wheel spin
- Cash Back Cap – two million for Bronze; 25 million for Platinum
- Prioritized Support – every level except “member” is offered this, but higher levels jump to the head of the line
- Special Events – for Silver, Gold, and Platinum members only
Also, keep in mind that your status acts as a multiplier for different bonuses, so there are other ways to take advantage of a higher loyalty level.
Off-Site Perks
If you’re one of the two-million-plus followers of Heart of Vegas on Facebook, you can also take advantage of different bonuses and events that are posted. Additionally, there’s a separate page at facebook.com/heartofvegasfans where players share information and could give you some insight on how to increase your balance. Anything to keep cash out of the equation is always a good thing, right?
Banking
Unlike the real gambling sites that require transfers into the betting account, social gambling sites are structured differently.
They provide purchase opportunities, so they have some dedicated payment methods, but keep in mind that you won’t be withdrawing anything – ever. There are no prizes issued from Heart of Vegas, cash or otherwise.
Purchases revolve around boosting your player’s account balance, meaning the virtual coins that are available for play. With the required high stakes of the slots, you can go through your “gifts” very quickly and may be interested in purchasing from time to time.
Not only will you have more playing resources, but these buys will help you to level up through the loyalty club.
You can purchase coins through the payment system already set up within your app. For example, if you have a Google Play account already in place, you can use that.
These are the payment methods listed in the Heart of Vegas help section:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- American Express
- Discover
- PayPal
- iTunes gift cards or certificates
- ClickandBuy
- UnionPay
Your Menu of Options
Heart of Vegas makes things as easy as possible for its players. In fact, you even know how many loyalty points you can get based on your purchase. If you’re on the fence about spending $2.99 or $8.99, maybe a 60-loyalty-point difference will help you to decide.
Coins | Loyalty Points | Money |
---|---|---|
150,000 | 30 Points | $2.99 |
900,000 | 90 Points | $8.99 |
2,700,000 | 180 Points | $17.99 |
9,000,000 | 300 Points | $29.99 |
33,000,000 | 600 Points | $59.99 |
105,000,000 | 1000 Points | $99.99 |
As a new player, you may also see a popup when you first click the “Buy” button. Currently, the casino is offering a $4.99 first-purchaser offer for 1,250,000 coins. You’ll also find other specials and sales from time to time, especially if you’re following the Facebook feeds.
The VIP Service
It’s not technically a VIP Lounge per se, but there is an “invite only” level that goes beyond Platinum in the Player’s World Club. These special VIP invitees would receive even more benefit than the top-tier players.
Higher daily cashback, special events, and front of the line for support requests are just a few of the perks.
Customer Service
Heart of Vegas is a free app, so don’t expect to see the level of customer service that you’ll find (or, at least, you should find) through a traditional casino site.
All service is handled on a ticket system, and the higher your Player’s World level, the faster you’ll get a response. Yes, this is a situation where not everyone is equal.
Would I Play at Heart of Vegas?
While I’m never a fan of investing money in gaming that doesn’t give me the chance to get it back or, preferably, increase it, Heart of Vegas does open up all of its games to everyone. It doesn’t matter if you make a $99.99 purchase, spend $2.99, or stick with your free-play opportunities.
I’ve looked at other social gaming sites that entice you by waving some entertaining slots and other casino games in your face and then basically telling you “nope – you can’t play until you pay.”
Granted, $2.99 isn’t comparatively much of an investment, but you only get 150,000 coins, so it’s not going to last you long unless you come up with some significant wins along the way. But there are plenty of ways to extend your playing time if you take the time to investigate your options.
The downside to Heart of Vegas is that Facebook is the only way to take advantage of all of the “free coin” opportunities available. Even though there are standalone Heart of Vegas Casino apps in the Apple, Google Play, and Amazon store, you’re only getting a partial product. Facebook offers more games, more promotions, interactions with friends, bigger bonuses, and is the one way to save your progress.
The Facebook tie-in is the only significant complaint that players have about Heart of Vegas. Everyone appreciates that all games are unlocked, and the Aristocrat gaming is unique and fun. But not everyone is a fan of social media and shouldn’t be penalized, especially if the app is available outside of the Facebook platform.
As far as the gaming end of things, the Aristocrat games are appealing and have some features which add to the entertainment value. Unfortunately, though, there aren’t any other casino options available. It’s strictly a slots casino, so you can’t play video poker, keno, or table games like blackjack.
Aside from that, the casino isn’t overwhelming to new players. There aren’t too many promotions or crazy ways to figure out how to claim some more betting resources. You don’t need to take hours to search through every symbol and section to decipher things. It’s straightforward with daily and hourly (well, three hours) bonuses, as well as a prize meter that indicates when you can claim a new prize.
The loyalty program is based on purchases, but you even know how many loyalty points you’ll get from each package that’s available.
Sign up, claim your daily bonus, and pick from any of the games that are hosted within Heart of Vegas… You can’t get much easier than that!
This review was made by: LegitGamblingSites.com Rating: 4.42 out of 5
Ross Hauser, MD, Caring Medical Florida.
In this article, we will discuss how chest pain, a racing heartbeat, panic attacks, and anxiety may be coming from a cervical spine and neck instability pressing on the vagus nerve. It is important to realize that this may only be one possible explanation as to why seemingly healthy individuals, having been checked out by their cardiologist, have cardiovascular type symptoms with seemingly no explanation.
“All of a sudden I had chest pain, chest heaviness, shortness of breath, and my heart was pounding.”
Someone will be in our office. They will tell us a story about a sudden, without cause, onset of panic attacks. Such as this one:
Types of online gambling. I had an uncontrolled panic attack while driving to work. There was no new stress in my life, I was not even thinking “bad thoughts,” in fact I was not particularly thinking about anything. All of a sudden I had chest pain, chest heaviness, short of breath and my heart was pounding, I thought I was going to pass out. After I calmed down enough to drive again, I went home, laid down and waited for this to subside.
When searching for a possible cause to this event, this person revealed to us that she worked for a chiropractor and had a lot of cervical manipulation recently. Upon examination in our office with a digital motion x-ray (see below) it showed an incredible amount of upper cervical instability. This, we suggested, may be the cause of these and other symptoms she was suffering from including head pressure, history of migraines, sensitive to sound, intermittent blurry vision, off-balance, as well as brain fog.
A sudden recommendation for anti-anxiety medication – But I don’t think I have anxiety, but what else can it be?
We had a friend who was being recommended to start taking anti-anxiety medication. She wanted another opinion on this. That this friend was being recommended to anti-anxiety medication was somewhat surprising as we knew this person to be one of the calmest, most wonderful people we know. Great mother, great wife, nothing would suggest that she had anxiety. Not even to her.
Like the person above, she had new onset anxiety, no reason, just happened one day while she was dropping off the kids to school. When I asked her about her neck prior to the onset of the panic attacks, she gave me a long history of tension in her neck, various types of headaches, chiropractic care, cracking sounds up high on the neck, swishing in the ear and basically the rest of the signs and symptoms of upper cervical instability. I sent her to get a digital motion x-ray in her state which was significant for upper and mid cervical instability. We started treatments with Prolotherapy. (This is explained below).
“I was not surprised that my blood pressure was elevated and that I had rapid heart rate. My doctor was.”
Here is another story:
I started having strange and unexplainable heart attack-like, panic attack-like symptoms. These included chest pains, a rapid heartbeat, and breathing difficulties. Of course, this frightened me, I am young, late 20’s, how could I have a heart condition? I did have the classic heart attack warning signs, pain in my chest, pain going down my left arm, breathing difficulties. One particularly bad day I went to Urgent Care because of chest pain and panic. I was assured that I was not having a heart attack but I should visit my primary care doctor as soon as I could. This visit to the doctor reassured me a little, but not a lot. I had an EKG which was fine. I was not surprised that my blood pressure was elevated and that I had a rapid heart rate. I could tell that on my own.
At my primary care doctor, these elevated cardio symptoms were attributed to panic attacks and “white coat syndrome,” the anxiety of being in the doctor’s office and my anxiety about taking the tests. I had had these symptoms before, I did not feel they were “strong” enough to see a doctor because I was convincing myself they were panic attacks. I was just not sure what caused them. So much sushi.
Since I also had pain in my chest when I sneezed or coughed or moved a certain way, my doctor suggested that this was an orthopedic problem and that I should see a specialist. There I learned about these “rare,” problems of “Slipping Rib Syndrome,” and “Costochondritis.” Basically, it was inflammation and a rib problem. I was sent off to physical therapy and told to come back 4 weeks later to see if cortisone would be needed.
The one thing that did stick out during this conversation with my doctor was that when she asked me, “how and when did this all start?” I said I did not know, but at the same time I was becoming aware of the chest pains, I also noticed a developing and significant neck pain. Not in the front of my neck, but in the back of my neck. Which I thought was odd. I would have thought I would have had pain in my throat and jaw area.
I went to therapy and I went back to discuss a cortisone injection because my symptoms were getting worse and increasing. I started feeling faint, I was having dizzy spells, I was feeling nauseous from all this. My doctor was perplexed and suggested that I see an ENT and/or perhaps a neurologist, a cardiologist, a rheumatologist, and a gastrointestinal specialist. I did not understand all this, my EKG was good, my blood tests were fine, the chest x-ray revealed nothing extraordinary. But now, more testing.
This is when I started doing research on my own. When I added up my symptoms and I started searching I came upon information on cervical spine and neck instability and the possible compression of my vagus nerve and my cervical arteries. Things started to make sense. I started researching Heart Rate Variability
Let’s stop here to explain some points. You may have already performed your own research as we find that people who suffer from symptoms like those above have done extensive reading on the internet. We will do a short summary and a video presentation with Ross Hauser, MD.
Summary learning points of this video
- There are a lot of people who have unexplained dizziness, balance problems, blood pressure swings, arrhythmia, palpitations OR their heart rate can go really low.
- They go to a cardiologist or several cardiologists and other doctors and no one seems to know the cause of their heart problems are.
- We find that in a lot of these cases, the person is suffering from cervical instability especially upper cervical instability.
- The sensory nerves that tell the brain what’s going on, moment to moment, in regard to heart rate and blood pressure are carried by the vagus nerve and the glossopharyngeal nerve. If the messages that these sensory nerves needs to deliver to the brain are blocked or impaired, the heart symptoms described can develop.
At 1:00 of the video Dr. Hauser refers to this image to describe the impact of compression of the vagus nerve and the glossopharyngeal nerve on heart rate and blood pressure
This image describes the impact of compression of the vagus nerve and the glossopharyngeal nerve on heart rate and blood pressure
- Many of the vagus nerve sensory fibers that regulate blood pressure are in the carotid artery and the glossopharyngeal nerve fibers. The nerves are part of a network that carries impulses to the brain that tells the brain what is going on with heart rate and blood pressure moment to moment.
- For example, if your blood pressure is going low you need this network to alert the adrenaline system or the sympathetic nervous system to regulate your blood pressure.
At 2:00 of the video – When a person has cervical instability especially upper cervical instability
- When a person has cervical instability especially upper cervical instability in can impact the vagus nerve and the glossopharyngeal nerve. The vagus nerve and the glossopharyngeal nerve run in the carotid sheath, the connective tissue that encapsulates the vascular compartments of the neck. This runs right along the anterior body of the cervical vertebrae especially C1-C2.
At 2:20 of the video the close proximity of the vagus nerve, the glossopharyngeal nerve, and the spinal accessory nerve to the C1-C2 vertebrae is demonstrated with this image
This image displays the close proximity of the vagus nerve, the glossopharyngeal nerve, and the spinal accessory nerve to the C1-C2 vertebrae. This proximity makes compression of these nerves common in cervical spine instability.
- When a person has cervical instability those nerves can get compressed and they can get stretched. Some of the nerve impulses can be blocked. When this happens you could get tachycardia that comes and goes. If you move your head in a certain direction all of a sudden you could get tachycardia or lightheartedness because your brain isn’t getting the right sensory input because there’s problems in the nerve conduction of the vagus nerve and the glossopharyngeal nerve.
Brief introduction of Prolotherapy as a treatment for this problem
At 3:00 of the video: We document the cervical instability by scanning with a Digital Motion X-Ray (explained below) and when instability in the C1-C2 region is found, we then tighten the stretched out ligaments with Prolotherapy. These injections are typically given once a month. It causes a tightening of the ligaments and once the cervical spine is made stable again the nerve sensors through the vagus nerve and the glossopharyngeal nerve start working correctly and the arrythmias go away.
Autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulation and Heart Rate Variability – Is this the answer for some?
If the C1 vertebra is unstable and causes problems of “nerve pinching” this is how upper cervical instability can affect heart rate variable.
There is a difference between Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability.
- Heart Rate measures the number of heartbeats per minute.
- Heart Rate Variability measures the time between individual heartbeats. Please see our article on Heart Rate Variability.
To understand what may be happening in these people we need to understand the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system operates automatically. That is why it is called the autonomic nervous system. By itself, without conscious instruction, the autonomic nervous system keeps your heart pumping, your blood flowing through your blood vessels, your lungs breathing, and a myriad of other activities that occur in your body all the time, every day of your life. Part of that myriad of duties includes the operation of the sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system.
- The sympathetic nervous system is part of the autonomic nervous system. It helps make adaptations to your current situation. For instance, if you are witness to a crime or an accident or something bad, your body shifts into “fight-or-flight mode.” Your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate dramatically increase. The blood vessels shift blood away from the intestines into the muscles, enabling you to run or fight depending on the situation. This also happens automatically.
- The parasympathetic nervous system is an energy management center. When you are done being in “fight or flight mode,” or are using techniques to end a panic attack or to catch your breath, or to calm yourself down. The parasympathetic nervous system helps automatically reduce heart rate and blood pressure. As opposed to “fight or flight,” the parasympathetic nervous system is often described as “rest and digest,” as it signals to send blood back into the gut and digestive system.
So here we have the autonomic nervous system and its components, the sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system, that among its duties regulate your heart rate. Its main highway of communication is the vagus nerve of which there are two running down each side of the neck. The vagus nerve has great impact on heart function, as the cardiovascular afferents (afferents – simply the nerve fibers that send message to the brain as opposed to efferents, nerve fibers which send the response back) make up the greatest extent (compared to other organs) of the 85-90% of sensory fibers which make up the vagus nerve.
In other words, the majority of work the vagus nerve does is getting messages back and forth from brain to heart These afferents (messages in) go through the nodose ganglion (nerve bundle) which sits in front of the atlas (C1 vertebra). If the C1 vertebra is unstable and causes problems of “nerve pinching” this is how upper cervical instability can affect heart rate variable.
I had bulging discs up and down my neck. But it is not significant enough to operate on. For now, I would just have to manage along with my neck pain, shoulder pain, and if my heart raced, I should find a quiet place to rest and avoid caffeine and sugary food.
Heart Rate Variability has become a new and popular subject for longevity experts and advanced sports science. Simply if your heart is always racing, doesn’t “rest,” if it does not have slow beats with consistent heart rate variable, you are at higher risk for disease and premature death from cardiovascular events. This is not the subject of this article. This article deals with your “mysterious symptoms,” like those explained above. Dizziness, balance issues, panic attacks, loss of consciousness, possible problems with digestion, breathing, headaches and other possible problems caused by cervical spine instability pressing on the vagus and cervical nerves.
I have been having neck and shoulder pain going on for one year now. I am young, 25, athletic, do a lot of working out in the gym. I woke up one morning, my arm left arm was numb and I had significant shoulder pain. I thought I slept on it wrong, but the numbness persisted, the pain came and went. After a few weeks, I went to the doctor, had an MRI. The doctor said, “nothing wrong here,” and that I should come back if things did not get better on their own.
Things did not get better. A started having significant muscle spasms, a lot of pain. One day when the muscle spasms hit, I started having difficulty breathing, my heart started to race. I do not know if I was having a panic attack or a heart attack but I had a friend get me to the emergency room. I had the x-ray, the chest scans, all the tests, and nothing came up except that I was prone to heart palpitations. Probably nothing to worry about but I should definitely get myself to a cardiologist.
At the cardiologist, they found the same thing, heart palpitations, and rapid heartbeat. Everyone was confused. Maybe I had hyperthyroid, I should see an endocrinologist.
I explained that I did not know if it was my thyroid or panic attacks, all I knew is that I had a problem breathing, spasms in my chest, and chest pain. I was given blood pressure medication, pills to reduce my heart rate, a referral to a thyroid doctor to get a blood work order to have my thyroid checked and a referral to a cervical spine specialist. In all this, I barely mentioned to the doctor that I was developing not only significant shoulder pain but neck pain as well.
At the neck specialist, it was determined by MRI that I had bulging discs up and down my neck. But it is not significant enough to operate on. For now, I would just have to manage along with my neck pain, shoulder pain, and if my heart raced, I should find a quiet place to rest and avoid caffeine and sugary food. This was not enough for me. I needed to find out what was going on and get this fixed. If this is coming from my neck, I want it fixed.
The idea that upper cervical spine instability impacts heart rate variability and this may be a culprit of your symptoms, is not a new idea.
The idea that upper cervical spine instability impacts heart rate variability and this may be a culprit of your symptoms, is not a new idea. In our 27 years of helping patients with problems related to the cervical spine, we have seen these symptoms many times. Yet medical research is not yet that abundant. In our own peer-reviewed published studies we have been able to document cervical neck ligament damage as a possible cause of low HRV as to when cervical neck ligaments are damaged or weakened by wear and tear damage or injury, they allow the upper cervical instability that can impinge on the cervical nerves. We will be citing this research below. First, we will explore some independent research.
In the first two studies, the first being from neurosurgeons, the second from chiropractors, both discuss the benefit of treatment, surgery or chiropractic care.
In April 2011, in the medical journal Spine, (1) Doctors at the Department of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences in India examined patients with suspected autonomic nervous system (ANS) and cervical compressive myelopathy. The researchers noted, “there are no studies on compressive myelopathies.”
So what does nerve compression do?
- The researchers evaluated 29 adult patients with cervical compressive myelopathy.
- Conventional autonomic function tests and Heart Rate Variability HRV were studied in these patients.
- The same tests were done on 29 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.
Study learning points:
- Patients with cervical compressive myelopathy as compared with controls showed a significant difference in the following parameters;
- Deep breathing,
- Valsalva ratio
- Explanation note: Valsalva Ratio is the outcome of the Valsalva Maneuver. In the Valsalva Maneuver, similar to trying to get water out of your ears, you exhale forcefully with a closed mouth and pinched nose to create “internal pressure.” It is a test that can help determine cardiac function and autonomic nervous control of the heart. Among other things, it measures the “R-R interval” the specific changes in time (or variability) between successive heartbeats.
The researchers found: “Patients with cervical compressive myelopathy have definite Autonomic nervous system dysfunction as compared to healthy age- and sex-matched controls. There is significant improvement in the Valsalva ratio after (decompression) surgery.”
For some people, surgery can be an answer. This is not our answer. We will discuss our non-surgical treatments below.
Measurements in Heart Rate Variability as a means to show a treatment is working
Chiropractors in Sweden and Denmark are collaborating on a study (2) in which they can use Heart Rate Variability as a measure to detect if spinal manipulation, by reducing a patient’s pain, is impacting itself on the Autonomic nervous system.
The posterior-cervical sympathetic nervous system signals the sympathetic part of the autonomic nervous system that controls the head, neck, and face area. In cervical spine neck instability or cervicocranial syndrome, the posterior cervical sympathetic system is under active because the vertebrae in the neck are pinching the sympathetic nerves.
Let’s let the researchers explain:
“The pain-reducing effects of (spinal manipulation therapy) on certain spinal pain conditions are well established, as are the normal reactions to such treatment. However, the mechanisms behind these effects are not well understood, although it is hypothesized that the pain-reducing effects could be mediated through the Autonomic nervous system”
In other words, spinal manipulation helps people by alleviating pain. But how does the manipulation do it? That is “not well understood.” So what the researchers hypothesized is that it must have something to do with the function of the Autonomic nervous system and that they may be able to show this by measuring Heart Rate Variability.
“Therefore, the study of Heart Rate Variability responses to Spinal Manipulation Therapy as part of a short treatment plan and its relation to pain sensitivity and normal reactions to treatment will advance knowledge regarding the mechanisms involved in the specific effects of Spinal Manipulation Therapy.”
So here there is speculation that short-term pain relief achieved with chiropractic care can be shown by restoring normal heart rate variability.
We also measure Heart Rate Variability to determine the progression of treatment
Caring Medical measures both the time- and frequency-domain indices of HRV. Once baseline measurements are taken, they can be compared with those taken when with the patient under various stressors. As health improves, the changes in HRV from baseline lessen.
Many Caring Medical patients, especially those with systemic illnesses and/or cervical instability find monitoring and improving their HRV important to regaining their health. Typically, a finger probe is used which can measure the EKG and this is synced to a cell phone app. Each morning it is checked, and trends noted. A person then tests HRV doing various activities and to determine which ones lower and which ones raise their HRV. Just because you like a certain type of music, for instance, does not mean that your nervous system does. On a day when the HRV is low, it is helpful then to do something to raise it, like take a cold shower, meditate, pray or better yet, pray before you take that freezing cold shower! Obviously slowing down the breathing rate and increasing the depth of breaths always has a great effect on HRV. Mostly obtaining a high HRV involves getting adequate sleep and having an attitude of gratefulness.
Research on cervical instability and Prolotherapy treatments. A possible solution to the problems and challenges created by cervical spine instability and pressure on the vagus nerve on heart rate
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Caring Medical Regenerative Medicine Clinics has published dozens of papers on Prolotherapy injections as a treatment in difficult to treat musculoskeletal disorders. We are going to refer to one of these studies as they relate to cervical instability and a myriad of related symptoms including the problem of a racing heartbeat, heart rate variability and high blood pressure.
In our 2014 study (3) we published a comprehensive review of the problems related to weakened damaged cervical neck ligaments.
This is what we wrote:
“There are a number of treatment modalities for the management of chronic neck pain and cervical instability, including injection therapy, nerve blocks, mobilization, manipulation, alternative medicine, behavioral therapy, fusion, and pharmacologic agents such as NSAIDs and opiates. However, these treatments do not address stabilizing the cervical spine or healing ligament injuries, and thus, do not offer long-term curative options.
To date, there is no consensus on the diagnosis of cervical spine instability or on traditional treatments that relieve chronic neck instability issues like those mentioned above. In such cases, patients often seek out alternative treatments for pain and symptom relief. Prolotherapy is one such treatment that is intended for acute and chronic musculoskeletal injuries, including those causing chronic neck pain related to underlying joint instability and ligament laxity. While these symptom classifications should be obvious signs of a patient in distress, the cause of the problems are not so obvious. Further and unfortunately, there is often no correlation between the hypermobility or subluxation of the vertebrae, clinical signs or symptoms, or neurological signs or symptoms. Sometimes there are no symptoms at all which further broadens the already very wide spectrum of possible diagnoses for cervical instability.”
What we demonstrated in this study is that the cervical neck ligaments are the main stabilizing structures of the cervical facet joints in the cervical spine and have been implicated as a major source of chronic neck pain and in the case of racing heartbeat, heart rate variability and high blood pressure, cervical instability.
Prolotherapy treatments
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Prolotherapy is an injection of simple dextrose into the unstable cervical spine. The concept is that these injections will strengthen the cervical ligaments thereby providing a stronger or more stable connection between the cervical vertebrae.
In our practice, we continue to see a large number of patients with a myriad of symptoms, like those described above, related to cervical neck instability. These people are often confused, many times frightened by recommendations to complicated cervical neck surgeries they don’t understand.
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Many of these people have been told that their problem is a problem of degenerative cervical disc disease. After years of prolonged pain and conservative care options such as chiropractic, massage, physical therapy, anti-inflammatories, pain medications, cortisone injections, and cervical epidurals that eventually fail, the only recourse, these people are told, is neck surgery.
Surgical recommendations are described in a way that seemingly makes sense as the only solution to degenerative disc disease.
- The surgery will help, the patient is told, because it will cut away the cervical vertebrae bone that is pressing on the nerves
- The surgery will fuse the cervical vertebrae in place so the vertebrae do not shift out of place and press on the nerves again.
- Sometimes the cervical disc that has been flattened or herniated is also be replaced with an artificial implant.
In this video DMX displays Prolotherapy results as before and after treatments that resolved problems of a pinched nerve in the cervical spine
- In this video we are using a Digital Motion X-Ray (DMX) to illustrate a complete resolution of a pinched nerve in the neck and accompanying symptoms of cervical radiculopathy.
- A before digital motion x-ray at 0:11
- At 0:18 the DMX reveals a completely closed neural foramina and a partially closed neural foramina
- At 0:34 DMX three months later after this patient had received two Prolotherapy treatments
- At 0:46 the previously completely closed neural foramina is now opening more, releasing pressure on the nerve
- At 1:00 another DMX two months later and after this patient had received four Prolotherapy treatments
- At 1:14 the previously completely closed neural foramina is now opening normally during motion
Surgical treatments for Cervical Instability may chase the wrong problem
In medicine, there are universally accepted equations. When pain cannot be controlled using conservative treatments including physical therapy, chiropractic, and pain medications, there has to be a surgical recommendation.
In neck and spine surgery, doctors focus on degenerative disc disease and its treatment, anterior cervical discectomy and fusion and cervical decompression surgery to remove whole or part of the cervical vertebrae to allow space on compressed nerves and to fix the instability by fusing vertebral segments together. In the case of C1-C2 instability, these two vertebrae are fused posteriorly (behind) to limit their amount of movement. The goal is to limit pressure on the nerves. To be clear again, for some people surgery is the only way. For many others, surgery can be realistically avoided.
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If this article has helped you understand your symptoms and you would like to explore Prolotherapy as a possible remedy, ask for help and information from our specialists
1 Srihari G, Shukla D, Devi BI, Sathyaprabha TN. Subclinical autonomic nervous system dysfunction in compressive cervical myelopathy. Spine. 2011 Apr 15;36(8):654-9. [Google Scholar]
2 Bakken AG, Axén I, Eklund A, O’Neill S. The effect of spinal manipulative therapy on heart rate variability and pain in patients with chronic neck pain: a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2019 Dec;20(1):1-0. [Google Scholar]
3 Steilen D, Hauser R, Woldin B, Sawyer S. Chronic neck pain: making the connection between capsular ligament laxity and cervical instability. Open Orthopaedics Journal. 2014;8:326. [Google Scholar]
2 Bakken AG, Axén I, Eklund A, O’Neill S. The effect of spinal manipulative therapy on heart rate variability and pain in patients with chronic neck pain: a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2019 Dec;20(1):1-0. [Google Scholar]
3 Steilen D, Hauser R, Woldin B, Sawyer S. Chronic neck pain: making the connection between capsular ligament laxity and cervical instability. Open Orthopaedics Journal. 2014;8:326. [Google Scholar]
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