Vagal Maneuvers: A Natural Way to Control Your Fast Heart Rate

Learn effective vagal maneuvers for heart rate control. Explore the precautions & benefits of these for optimal cardiac performance.

Maunykah Arcelin
Fox Meets Panda
Published in
4 min readApr 9, 2023

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Co-created with Midjourney
Co-created with Midjourney

Vagal maneuvers are simple physical activities that can help to regulate an abnormally fast heart rate, known as supraventricular tachycardia. By applying pressure to the vagus nerve, these techniques, with medications or other treatments, can restore your normal rhythm without additional intervention. In this article, we’ll explore how vagal maneuvers work and provide tips on using them safely and effectively.

What are Vagal Maneuvers?

Vagal maneuvers increase vagal parasympathetic tone to diagnose and treat various arrhythmias. They’re often used as a first step to abort episodes of stable supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) or differentiate SVT from ventricular tachycardias. These maneuvers can be performed by medical professionals or individuals with guidance from a healthcare provider to help manage heart rate irregularities.

How do Vagal Maneuvers Work?

Your vagus nerve is crucial to your body’s “rest and digest” system. It is the longest cranial nerve in the human body, connecting…

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Maunykah Arcelin
Fox Meets Panda

Board Certified Electrophysiology Nurse Practitioner focusing on science, medicine, wellness and technology.