Head-down tilt reduces the heart rate in postural tachycardia syndrome in acute setting: a pilot study

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Donsboig

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I haven't tried this but being a bit close to upside down e.g. tying shoelaces can feel a bit uncomfortable. Maybe I'll give it a try on the sofa. (I have pots)

Does anyone have a copy of the full paper they could share?
 
R

Rrrr

Senior Member
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1,591
Donsboig said:
I haven't tried this but being a bit close to upside down e.g. tying shoelaces can feel a bit uncomfortable. Maybe I'll give it a try on the sofa. (I have pots)

Does anyone have a copy of the full paper they could share?
Click to expand...
Actually, for this study I believe the patient was positioned in a negative tilt. That is, their head would not be close to their shoelaces, but rather their head would be in the opposite direction. And I believe their neck would not be strained, but it would be straight, as seen in the images of this inversion table I saw on Amazon (I'm not connected to this company). https://www.amazon.com/Innova-ITX9600-Inversion-Adjustable-Protective/dp/B003QCI4GG
 
R

Rrrr

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I do see that there are things that can go wrong with an inversion table. I just googled it and found things like increased blood pressure, more pressure to the eyes, can worsen vertigo, and more. I may hold off on doing this for now.
 
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kushami

Senior Member
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I couldn’t tell from the abstract how long they tilted people for. It talks about something happening in the second minute of the test, so maybe they only tilted them briefly. And it also doesn’t say whether the drop in heart rate persisted once they were returned to supine or when they got up.

I wish I could read the whole article, but as I don’t have POTS, it’s not worth my paying to read it. (I’ve got OCHOS and sometimes lie on my back with my head below my heart for a minute or two when my cerebral blood flow feels particularly low. It helps a bit but that quickly wears off when I sit up again. I just do it by acrobatics on my couch, no inversion table.)
 
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kushami

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667
I just had a thought: if you already have your bedhead raised, you could try lying the other way round for a short time and see whether that helps your heart rate.
 
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kushami

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I was hoping this study might make its way onto Sci Hub, but no luck.

On rereading the abstract, I did notice that it was only a –10 degree tilt.

Edited to add: I see that Sci Hub cannot add new papers any more, so it won’t be appearing that way.
 
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K

kushami

Senior Member
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I forgot to add a photo of how I lie upside down:

https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-ph...ide-down-couch-home-living-room-image47028354

Sometimes it doesn’t do much, but other times I feel better for anything from 5 minutes up to 45 minutes.

(I don’t have POTS; I have OCHOS. And a sturdy couch.)

Not suggesting anyone else do this, although you could try a gentler version with a couple of pillows or your head going off the side of the bed and resting on a chair seat that’s slightly lower.
 
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