Thoracic spine and cardiac arrhythmias

Cardiac arrhythmias are not a primary osteopathic treatment indication. First of all, patients belong in a detailed conventional medical examination with stress and long-term ECG, heart-relevant laboratory, cardiac ultrasound, etc. After that, osteopathic treatment can be useful.

My patient (38) had this clarification and conventional medical therapy behind her and still had clear complaints. 5 months before the consultation in my practice, their rhythm disorders began without any apparent reason. Except that she felt the extrasystoles and perceived them with her own pulse, she had an indeterminable breathing restriction. At rest, the extra strokes were more noticeable and less under stress. In several long-term ECGs, ventricular extrsystols (VES) were recorded between 5000-15000 per day, in the sense of Bigeminus and Trigeminal. Upon further clarification, a triggering focus was found in the right ventricle. Myocarditis, heart attack or other heart disease was ruled out. About a week and a half before the consultation with me, an ablation was carried out. The complaints did not improve decisively afterwards: The extra strokes were a little less perceptible in peace, but still very common and in volleys. This was also confirmed by an ECG after ablation.

Due to the fact that she was in intensive conventional medical care, I accepted her treatment. In my findings, 4-5 joint dysfunctions in the upper thoracic spine were particularly noticeable. These segments are directly related to the heart, as the sympathetic innervation arises from this spine section for the heart, among other things. Known, especially in the heart, are viscerosomatic reflexes or head's zones, so that a patient with angina or a heart attack perceives his pain especially in the left arm, upper thoracic spine, neck or chest. Conversely, however, one can also think: Joint dysfunctions on the spine irritate the escaping nerves, including the vegetative ones, so that a disorder on an organ can intensify or functional disorders can only occur. This can be observed particularly impressively in the heart and lungs.

With the present finding, this connection was obvious to me, so I dissolved these joint disorders in the treatment and treated the surrounding fascial tissues in detail. Before the treatment, I groped my patient's pulse, which was flat and with several extra strokes within the measuring period of 30 seconds. After the treatment, I felt it stronger and less extrasystoles. This may have been a random finding, but seven days after the initial consultation, a long-term ECG was planned, so that a meaningful control result was available at close distance from the treatment. Two days after the ECG, my patient came for the second treatment. With the ECG, there were only approx. 1000 VES, it has rarely felt or felt anything and if it is, then no more volleys, only individual extra blows.