Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), the Vagus Nerve and Cervical Spine instability

Ross Hauser, MD

In this article and explanatory video, I will discuss how cervical instability affects the function of the heart including blood pressure variations and rapid heartbeat by way of disruption of normal vagus nerve function.

One of the scariest effects of cervical instability is how it affects the heart. I’ve had patients who have made emergency room visits on numerous occasions because they thought they were having a heart attack or a heart arrhythmia. They describe their heart as fluttering or they are getting palpitations. Once they got to the emergency room, cardiac tests revealed “nothing,” they are in fact told, “everything is normal.” In a less than reassuring way, some are told to relax, it must be anxiety, stress, or a panic attack and it is not their heart that should be looked at but rather their head.

Does this sound like your story?  Your doctors have found nothing

This is what we hear and it may be similar to a story you have to tell.

My doctors have not found anything wrong with my heart. They tell me that they cannot give me a diagnosis for something they cannot find. On numerous occasions, I have suffered from chest pain. 

I notice my chest pains sharpen when I get up from bed, chair, or any reclining or seated position. Out of nowhere, my heart rate will rapidly increase and my heart will be pounding. Sometimes my heart is pounding so hard it scares me. When I get scared I go to the emergency room. I have been to the emergency room on several occasions.  Typically I will get a CAT scan of my abdomen and chest, EKG, all the blood workups, and almost as predictable as to when I know my heart will race a doctor will come to tell me that the team can not find any issues that would cause my heart to “behave” like this.

I even wore a heart monitor that showed my heart rate will race and my blood pressure will rise. Without any evidence to support that this is my heart causing this, it has been suggested to me that I have “head” problems. I need counseling to control the cause of my heart problems which must be, for lack of anything else, panic attacks. Further, I should consult with a nutritionist in case it is something in my diet. 

While you may have found familiarity with these stories, you may also find the same difficulties in dealing with a problem that seems “invisible” to many. The Invisibility of POTS is something we will explore below as well.

Article outline:

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

One of the more common problems we see as it relates to these cardiovascular-like attacks, heart palpitations and blood pressure problems is Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome or POTS. POTS is the most common form of dysautonomia –  problems of or dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. Its symptoms such as lightheadedness, palpitations, and tremulousness and are characterized by orthostatic intolerance (this is the development of many of the symptoms just described when a person stands up. These same symptoms are also relieved when a person lays down.) These symptoms can be present without with or without associated orthostatic hypotension (your blood pressure drops drastically when you stand up), and excessive autonomic system stress. One observation can be typically given in these people with these symptoms, their body is not correctly responding to a change from laying down to standing up straight. This incorrect response may be seen as:

It is a mystery to me

Sometimes we will be contacted by someone who has done a lot of research into the origins of their problems. As may be the case for you, this aggressive need to understand what is going on stems from the fact that their doctors do not know what is wrong with them or worse, have become dismissive. Here is another story that you may find has a familiar tone to it.

It started with a concussion

I suffered a concussion, as a result, I had severe muscle spasms and tightness at the base of my skull, at the back of my neck. After physical therapy and massage, the muscles stopped spasming and the tightness went away. Then I started to have symptoms related to autonomic nervous system dysfunction. This included a high heart rate when I stood up. I was diagnosed with POTS. My neck muscles have begun spasming again and will not calm down. I am believing now that I have cervical ligament damage and cervical instability. I think it is affecting my vagus nerve and is the reason I have POTS.

My doctors don’t know. “POTS is underdiagnosed.” “POTS is understudied.”

In the sample stories that we just shared we find that people are doing a lot of research on their own trying to figure out the cause of their heart problems despite the fact that their health care professionals are telling them that they do not have a heart problem.

A July 2021 paper in the Journal of Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic & Clinical (1) comes to us from doctors at the University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust, United Kingdom of Great Britain, and Northern Ireland. The theme of this paper? “POTS is underdiagnosed.” Further, not only is POTS underdiagnosed it is understudied. Here is what these examiners noted:

“POTS is underdiagnosed with an estimated prevalence of 0.2% (Two in 1000 people). North American and Australian researchers, as well as patient groups, have called for more research into POTS. However, there has been no comprehensive appraisal of the current POTS evidence base.”

In other words, there is limited research in the published medical data and no one really knows how good that research is. It is on that research however that doctors base their treatment and diagnosis guidelines on.

There is limited research in the published medical data on POTS and no one really knows how good that research is.

To take this one step further the July 2021 special edition of the Journal of Autonomic Neuroscience (2) highlights the gaps in POTS knowledge. Specifically, the five major needs identified by doctors towards improving future care of POTS:

1) Improved understanding of POTS pathophysiology;

2) Improved data on POTS prevalence and its impact on sufferers;

3) Improved physician awareness for POTS diagnosis and access to care;

4) Improved studies on effective treatments for POTS;

5) Improved research funding for POTS. The editors add: “Indeed, there is an urgent need for well-conducted collaborative research to address the many gaps identified surrounding management of this complex condition.”

The Adolescent and POTS

Adolescent, POTS syndrome

The same holds true for the adolescent patient. A December 2022 study published in Clinical pediatrics (11) from Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital suggested that doctors should better understand the adolescent and their parents feelings towards the disease, the treatments and their doctors to help the young patient cope and recover. In this paper the researchers found four common themes among a small group of adolescent POTS patients and their parents.

The conclusion of course is that these concerns greatly impacted the well being of the family. Doctors should explore providing POTS Specific treatment recommendations and possibly consider mental health counseling.

POTS is different for Adolescents

A November 2022 paper in the journal Medicine (12) found adolescents with POTS demonstrated several unique characteristics compared to adults with POTS and adolescents without POTS. POTS may be underrecognized among syncope and presyncope patients, among which 22.4% of these adolescent patients were diagnosed with the syndrome.

I am interested in finding more treatment options for my condition rather than being told to drink more water and increase my intake of salty foods.

This is something we hear more and more. The person will write to us that up until recently they were a very healthy individual. Suddenly they would begin to experience multiple near-fainting incidents, heart palpitations, and breathlessness. Finally, they were diagnosed with POTS. After the diagnosis and countless exams, scans, and testing, no one has been able to direct them to a course of treatments that could “fix” them. They have common daily symptoms including fatigue, brain fog, and tunnel vision. They have a common treatment recommendation of drinking more water and eating more salt. Some people who contact us have far more symptoms and far less successful treatments.

In a January 2023 paper from doctors at King’s College London, United Kingdom, published in the journal Autonomic neuroscience (12), a possible list of treatments for POTS is given. “(POTS) is currently poorly understood with no approved licensed treatments. . .” One of the challenges in treatment is that doctors are looking to treat symptoms. The POTS symptoms that they are treating appear in other disorders and, using the outcomes in those treatments as they relate to other disorders, may not be an effective guide in providing the best treatment path. The paper explains: “Orthostatic symptom burden was higher in POTS than other long term conditions such as cardiovascular problems, Thyroid conditions, Addison’s disease, Diabetes, Parkinson’s disease among many).”

Many of the common symptoms the doctors explore were “Serum activity against adrenergic α1 receptors (disruption in the sympathetic nervous system causing heart rate problems), physical functioning, depression, catastrophizing, prolonged cognitive stress testing (chronic long-term stress) and anxiety were significantly associated with symptom burden in medium-high quality studies examining POTS.  . .”

The treatments that this paper recommends? Those that have been suggested to provide some alleviation of POTS symptoms. There are:

“I have severe symptoms that seem to match Dysautonomia and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), but my spine specialist/neurologist and neurosurgeon are claiming not to understand my symptoms – say they are unrelated to my spine injury. Please help!”

As you can see, a recurring theme in this article is how poorly understood POTS is. Most people that contact our office do not contact us just for POTS or problems with a racing heart rate or dizziness and fainting sensation. Their cardio-like symptoms are often just one problem bundled among many issues that they are facing. However, we do see the patient whose symptomology is mostly focused on cardiac-like events. Let’s read some of their stories.

Panic attack or heart attack? Neither?

I have been dealing with many new, exotic, and mysterious symptoms over the last year. It all started when while walking I thought I was having a heart attack or a stroke. I went to the emergency room where all the cardio and vascular tests came back normal. Nothing was wrong with me “I only had a panic attack” brought on by anxiety. I should monitor for tachycardia symptoms moving forward.

My POTS test came back normal

My heart rate continued to bounce around. I noticed racing or variations in heart rate, especially when walking upstairs, getting up from bed or a chair, or simply turning my head one way or another. Finally, I had a POTS test. But that came back normal. So I was sent for more tests including stress tests, more lab work, more EKGs, other tests.

I am told it must be panic attacks

I experience lightheadedness, POTS symptoms, chest pain, neck pain and back pain, headaches, ear pressure, fatigue, difficulty swallowing, and more. Nothing can be pinpointed and my doctors refer back to the ER diagnosis, panic attacks brought on by anxiety.

Primary hypertension

I got diagnosed with POTS. Since then I have been bedridden. I believe I have cervical instability. I was a healthy person who had a diagnosis of primary hypertension. Now  I get random bouts of dizziness and vision disturbances when standing and when I move my neck. I have now developed headaches, digestive problems, and the feeling of fullness after even eating small meals. Heart rate has been all over the place. I have had so many tests all my doctors can tell me is primary hypertension. I get medications now for that too.

No one knows 

I have always struggled with neck pain and discomfort, in the last few years, my pain got worse. I was told that I have pinched nerves in my neck and I started seeing a chiropractor. The chiropractor helped but only for so long. I then had these strange episodes where people thought I was having a stroke, I went into a seizure-like state. I had a workup and my doctors thought I had POTS. Every time I go to the emergency room with a racing heart of seizures they treat me for a migraine. But one thing that has always been consistent is the neck pain a lot of it starts in my neck and then will move to my hair down my back down my arms sometimes I have weakness in my legs and then in my arms. I was then given blood pressure medication but I felt like that really wasn’t the issue, my blood pressure does drop low when I go from standing and sitting. Because of the heart palpitations, I was sent to the cardiologist. One of the nurses on one of my ER visits told me it was tachycardia.

Because of my continued neck pain, I had an MRI of my neck. My doctor noticed I have a couple of herniated discs pushing against my spinal cord. I asked if this could be the problem for me, nobody really has the right answers.

Your doctors found something and it requires brain surgery

Often I will be contacted by someone who has been diagnosed with Chiari Malformation Type 1 and a list of medical “anomalies” no one can figure out. These people will tell me that they can’t hold their head up, they have upper cervical instability, they blackout when they stand up and after a long series of tests, they were e ultimately told they had Hyperadrenergic dysautonomia Positional orthostatic tachycardia (POTS). (This is POTS associated with higher levels of norepinephrine. Norepinephrine is a stress hormone that can show in higher levels symptoms of “roller-coaster emotions from happy to sad,” panic attacks, and elevated blood pressure.) In their own research, they found familiar symptoms that were related to damage of the vagus nerve. They get tachycardia when they eat, sit up, get too hot. Depending on the position of their neck they have trouble breathing. But because they had a Chiari Malformation and eventually they will need brain surgery. Please see my article Chiari malformation: Non-surgical alternatives to Chiari decompression surgery

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome? Do I have it or not?

I want to briefly discuss a very complex problem. This does not affect all POTS patients but may impact more than doctors think. Some patients do get a POTS diagnosis, especially after their doctors now suspect a diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Let’s point out that some people, specifically those with a history of joint dislocation, or double-jointed characteristics may be thought of as having Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Not all people with suspected POTS have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. The focus is on whether the hypermobile-type of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is causing the cervical spine to become unstable and allowing for the bones of the neck to compress on the vagus nerves. This then can be seen as a possible cause of the cardiac-like problems that are characteristic of POTS.

This is something we will discuss further below. Whether cervical instability causes pressure on the vagus nerves and in fact is the underlying cause for POTS.

Here is what we hear from the people with suspected Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

POTS, hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) and Pregnancy

A December 2022 paper in the International journal of women’s health (13) offers guidelines on POTS in pregnant women. The authors write: “Studies on POTS and pregnancy are limited, and there is a lack of clinical guidelines regarding assessment and management of pregnant women with POTS. . .” More reassuring is their suggestion that “pregnancy appears to be safe for women with POTS and is best managed by a multi-disciplinary team with knowledge of POTS and its various comorbidities. . .Clinicians should be aware of the clinical presentation, diagnostic criteria, and treatment options in pregnant women with POTS to optimize outcomes and improve medical care during pregnancy and post-partum period.”

An interesting point offered is the consequence of hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD). THe researchers note: “hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) that encompass patients who do not qualify for a diagnosis of hEDS are also common among patients with POTS. The prevalence of hEDS/hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) in POTS is high, with reports of 31% of POTS patients meeting the criteria for hEDS and a further 24% for non-hEDS generalized joint hypermobility.”

It’s my neck

People with and without an hEDS diagnosis can have their POTS come from neck instability. Such as the people that write us about their situation that goes something like this:

One day I woke up and I knew something was off. I went to work but I caused concern among my co-workers because I was having breathing problems and weird heart palpitations. These were things I have never felt before. When I tried to stand up it felt like I was going to pass out. This went on for months when, because of neck pain I went to a chiropractor. An x-ray showed that I had a straight neck or a “military neck.” I found that the chiropractor was giving me short-term relief from my neck pain and my problems with fainting and a racing heart. It was the chiropractor who told me about POTS.

A description of cervical scoliosis and neck pain

For the last year and a half, I have suffered from autonomic health issues specifically POTS syndrome. I also have cervical scoliosis. I have a lot of neck pain and one of the back pain specialists thought that my problems may be related to my vague nerves being compressed. I also have twitches and involuntary movements, brain fog, ear ringing.

Whiplash injury and POTS

There is medical evidence and research, as we have been discussing, that connects whiplash injury to cardiovascular problems, let’s look at some stories shared with us by people seeking more information from our center. These emails have been edited for clarity.

I was rear-ended while sitting at a red light by a truck traveling at 45 MPH. I have developed Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), problems with low blood pressure, my EKG reading are off. I suffer from Fatigue, dizziness, and palpitations. I need to gasp for air, I suffer from fainting, digestion symptoms, stomach pain, severe nausea, blurred vision, and headaches. I want my life back this is miserable. All my doctors suspect I’m faking my symptoms or it’s just stress/ anxiety. It all began since the car accident.

Post-Concussion and POTS symptoms after a whiplash head injury

I am a young athletic, adult male who developed Post-Concussion and POTS symptoms after a whiplash head injury from a fall during basketball. For over a year symptoms were managed and improved until another recent neck injury that brought back the symptoms.

I’m now experiencing episodes of extreme vasodilation (decreases blood pressure) and also episodes of extreme vasoconstriction (narrowing of blood vessels) . . .heart palpitations when I straighten my posture.

In this video Ross Hauser, MD highlights some of the most common reasons why cervical instability or cervical dysstructure (broken neck syndrome) can be the underlying structural cause of low vagal tone and associated poor heart function, leading to POTS, or dysautonomia.

Vagal tone and the ability to regulate heart function. What are we seeing in this image? A flowchart from standing up to rapid heartbeat.

The purpose of this illustration is to give a snapshot of POTS and how upper cervical instability can cause its symptoms.

  1. It starts with a person standing up and their blood pressure dropping.
  2. As we discussed above, the body’s natural response to standing is to provide a seamless transition and an interrupted blood flow response. In a disrupted response, the blood pressure regulators and the blood flow monitors are not sending or receiving the right messages. Rapid heart rate increases to try to raise and regulate blood pressure.
  3. In a situation where there is cervical instability and there is compression on the vagus nerve, the messages from the vagus nerve are distorted, unreadable, or blocked. We call this phenomenon a problem of cervical dysstructure – or “broken neck syndrome.”
  4. Uninhibited sympathetic nerves discharging in the neck is a fancy way of saying “short-circuited” or “misfiring”.
  5. Because of this message misfiring or short-circuiting, the heart rate stays elevated. The cerebral blood flow is impeded.
  6. What happens next is symptomology:
    1. Tachycardia
    2. Panic attacks and anxiety
    3. Shortness of breath
    4. Fatigue, some to the point of exhaustion
    5. General body weakness
    6. Dizziness

What are we seeing in this image? Cervical degenerative dysstructure (broken neck syndrome).

The progressive nature of cervical instability is demonstrated. In the normal position, the cervical spine supports the head in its natural position and the blood vessels and nerves that travel from body to brain and back through the neck, go about their routine business.

As cervical instability develops through the breakdown of the cervical ligaments, the bones of the neck start to wander out of their natural positions. The normal neck posture is replaced by MILD loss of natural curvature. This can progress to complete loss of curvature as displayed by a MILTARY neck or straight up and down position. Finally, progression can reach the KYPHOTIC state, the curve of the neck reverses and faces the wrong way. When the neck is bent the wrong way, destructive forces are placed on the neurovascular structures including the cervical spine and vagus nerves.

Cervicovagopathy and heart function – nobody can tell me why I have tachycardia

In the video below, Ross Hauser, MD gives a brief answer to a frequently asked question about heart symptoms and vagus nerve input. We hear from many people who have intermittent heart symptoms that no one can figure out because their traditional tests for major heart problems come back as normal, yet they regularly experience tachycardia or other heart issues.

Cervical instability-induced vagus nerve injury is called cervical vagopathy. Vagopathy means degeneration or injury to the vagus nerve. We determine the extent of this injury through testing and measuring the vagus nerve. We generally find that people who suffer from POTS or tachycardia have diminished size vagus nerves. Their vagus nerves are small than those who do not suffer from POTS or tachycardia and then their heart rave variable of HRV is low.

For more information and research please see my companion article Can cervical spine instability cause cardiovascular-like attacks, heart palpitations, and blood pressure problems?

In this article, I continue with discussions on:

Cervicovagopathy and heart function – nobody can tell me why I have tachycardia – Determining vagus nerve malfunction or disruption

The Heart Rate Variability is low:

The clinical importance of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) cannot be overestimated. A low HRV has been confirmed in numerous studies to be a strong, independent predictor of future health problems and as a correlate of all-cause mortality.

Understanding

At our center, we put an HRV monitor on you, and then we have you move into various neck positions and see if the heart rate variability goes down. Low HRV can indicate that you are in constant stress, meaning that your fight-or-flight response is constant or near-constant and not allowing your body to slow down or relax. In a constant state of stress, there are fewer variations between heartbeats.

What are we seeing in this image? A chart demonstrating cervical instability induced heart arrhythmias

A description is below:

Ross Hauser, MD gives a brief answer to a frequently asked question about heart symptoms and vagus nerve input. We hear from many people who have intermittent heart symptoms that no one can figure out because their traditional tests for major heart problems come back as normal, yet they regularly experience tachycardia or other heart issues.

The video opens with Dr. Hauser talking in front of this slide:

The caption reads Cervicovagopathy-induced heart arrhythmias. Vagus nerve injury, primarily of the craniocervical junction can be the underlying cause of many heart arrhythmias.

A brief explanation of this slide:

Here we see the varying conditions that can be caused by Cervicovagopathy-induced vagus nerve injury. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is made up of nerves that control the automatic functions throughout the body. It regulates and controls heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, respiration, sweating, digestion, and other vital functions. In my opinion, the structural instability that devastates patients the most is cervical instability involving the autonomic nervous system. Most of the time the part of the autonomic nervous system that is affected is the parasympathetic nervous system, specifically the vagus nerve.

One of the main effects of the vagus nerve is to slow heart rate by increasing the time between heartbeats. Heart rate is controlled by action potentials transmitted via the vagus nerve to the sinoatrial node of the heart, where vagus nerve-dependent acetylcholine release essentially prolongs the time to the next heartbeat, thus slowing the pulse.

Structural high blood pressure: hypertension due to atlantoaxial (C1-C2) instability -Wearing a neck compression collar would attenuate orthostatic symptoms

In an April 2020 study in the Journal of applied physiology (15)  researchers suggested that wearing a neck compression collar would attenuate orthostatic symptoms, increase brain blood flow, and influence autonomic reflexes including the Arterial Baroreceptor Reflexes. (This will be highlighted below).

Baroreflex Dysfunction can be caused by any compression on the nerves, arteries, and veins that pass through the neck, such as compression or injury on the carotid sinus nerve, a branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve. In this scenario, high blood pressure may be caused by simply turning your head one way or the other and creating compression or pressure on the glossopharyngeal nerve. The neck collar may prevent that.

More reading and information – Can cervical spine instability cause cardiovascular-like attacks, heart palpitations, and blood pressure problems?

Cervical instability created autonomic myopathy or autonomic neuropathy, that is nerve damage that blocks or interferes with the messages sent between the brain and the heart and blood vessels, can lead to a variety of serious symptoms including postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).

In my companion article “Can cervical spine instability cause cardiovascular-like attacks, heart palpitations, and blood pressure problems?” I describe 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.

Cervical and thoracic spinal manipulation

A July 2022 paper presented a case study in the Journal of family medicine and primary care (14) of a 50-year-old woman suffering with lightheadedness, palpitation, and neck pain for 3 years. Here is the story her doctors presented: “(For the patient,) the lightheadedness and palpitation occurred when shifting from a prolonged seated or lying position. Standing radiographs showed spinal misalignment with cervical kyphosis and thoracic scoliosis. Continuous static stress on these minor variants could aggravate biomechanical and autonomic disorder like POTS. After ruling out cardiovascular, neurological, or vestibular pathophysiology, a multicomponent treatment approach was adopted including the use of thermal ultrasound therapy, cervical and thoracic spinal manipulation, and intermittent motorized cervicothoracic traction to manage her neck pain complaints. Following 3 months of regular treatment, the patient reported a full resolution of neck pain, dizziness, and POTS.”

Summary and contact us. Can we help you? How do I know if I’m a good candidate?

One of the things that you can do at home or we do at our center is to use an HRV monitor on you and then we have you move into the various neck and head positions. We look to see if this motion causes the heart rate variability to go down (meaning vagus nerve compromise). If so, we would suspect that vagal nerve impulses are getting blocked or interrupted with neck motion. That is a sign that the person’s heart condition is being generated by cervical spine instability.

We hope you found this article informative and it helped answer many of the questions you may have surrounding cervical spine instability causing POTS, heart palpitations, and blood pressure problems. Just like you, we want to make sure you are a good fit for our clinic prior to accepting your case. While our mission is to help as many people with chronic pain as we can, sadly, we cannot accept all cases. We have a multi-step process so our team can really get to know you and your case to ensure that it sounds like you are a good fit for the unique testing and treatments that we offer here.

If you would like to get more information specific to your challenges please email us: Get help and information from our Caring Medical staff

Similar articles:

Inappropriate sinus tachycardia

This article discusses very similar problems that cause an elevated heart rate – Inappropriate sinus tachycardia and postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS). While they share common cardiovascular-like symptoms, there is the main difference that separates their diagnosis.  POTS and its cardiovascular-type symptoms are triggered by a change in body position or orthostatic stress. Inappropriate sinus tachycardia is a condition where the heart races and there is no understandable reason for it other than it is “inappropriate.”

Part of this confusion is revealed in a March 2022 paper in the journal Cardiology in the young (9) Here doctors from the Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC, and The George Washington University School of Medicine suggested that a “a substantial proportion of postural tachycardia syndrome/orthostatic intolerance patients may have concomitant underlying cardiac arrhythmias, at a frequency similar to what is seen in patients undergoing primary evaluation for cardiac symptoms such as chest pain, palpitations, and syncope. In the appropriate clinical context, physicians caring for postural tachycardia syndrome/orthostatic intolerance patients should consider additional evaluation for arrhythmias beyond sinus tachycardia.”

Summary and contact us. Can we help you? How do I know if I’m a good candidate?

Please see related articles:

We hope you found this article informative and it helped answer many of the questions you may have surrounding Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), the Vagus Nerve and Cervical Spine instability. Just like you, we want to make sure you are a good fit for our clinic prior to accepting your case. While our mission is to help as many people with chronic pain as we can, sadly, we cannot accept all cases. We have a multi-step process so our team can really get to know you and your case to ensure that it sounds like you are a good fit for the unique testing and treatments that we offer here.

Please reach out to the Hauser Neck Center Patient Team here

Subscribe to our newsletter

References

1 Eftekhari H, Maddock H, Pearce G, Raza S, Kavi L, Lim PB, Osman F, Hayat SA. Understanding the future research needs in Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS): Evidence mapping the POTS adult literature. Autonomic Neuroscience. 2021 Apr 18:102808. [Google Scholar]
2 Seeley MC, Lau DH. Raising the bar in postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome research: Evidence and challenges. Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic & Clinical. 2021 Feb 23:102790-. [Google Scholar]
3 Liaquat, Muhammad Talha, and Talal Alzahrani. “Pacemaker Malfunction.” (2020). [Google Scholar]
4 Wei X, Yohannan S, Richards JR. Physiology, Cardiac Repolarization Dispersion and Reserve. [Google Scholar]
5 Coumel P, Attuel P, Lavallee J, Flammang D, Leclercq JF, Slama R. The atrial arrhythmia syndrome of vagal origin. Archives des maladies du coeur et des vaisseaux. 1978 Jun 1;71(6):645-56. [Google scholar]
6 Park HW, Shen MJ, Lin SF, Fishbein MC, Chen LS, Chen PS. Neural mechanisms of atrial fibrillation. Current opinion in cardiology. 2012 Jan;27(1):24. [Google scholar]
7 Goldberger JJ. Sympathovagal balance: how should we measure it?. American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology. 1999 Apr 1;276(4):H1273-80.
8 Gagyi RB, Hoogendijk M, Yap SC, Szili-Torok T. Treatment of brief episodes of highly symptomatic supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias: a methodological review. Expert Review of Medical Devices. 2021 Dec 2(just-accepted).  [Google scholar]
9 Hong J, Litt SJ, Moak JP. Cardiac arrhythmias in postural tachycardia syndrome and orthostatic intolerance. Cardiology in the Young. 2022 Mar 7:1-5. [Google scholar]
1o Knoop I, Picariello F, Jenkinson E, Gall N, Chisari C, Moss-Morris R. Self-reported symptom burden in postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS): A narrative review of observational and interventional studies. Autonomic Neuroscience. 2022 Nov 18:103052. [Google scholar]
11 Frye WS, King CK, Schaefer MR, Decker J, Kuhn B. “You Look Perfectly Healthy to Me”: Living With Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome Through Adolescents’ and Parents’ Eyes. Clinical pediatrics. 2022 Dec 6:00099228221141602. [Google scholar]
12 Knoop I, Picariello F, Jenkinson E, Gall N, Chisari C, Moss-Morris R. Self-reported symptom burden in postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS): A narrative review of observational and interventional studies. Autonomic Neuroscience. 2022 Nov 18:103052. [Google scholar]
13 Morgan K, Smith A, Blitshteyn S. POTS and Pregnancy: A Review of Literature and Recommendations for Evaluation and Treatment. International Journal of Women’s Health. 2022 Dec 31:1831-47. [Google scholar]
14 Chu EC, Lin AF. Relief of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome with chiropractic rehabilitation. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care. 2022 Jul 1;11(7):4006-9. [Google scholar]
15 Nardone M, Guzman J, Harvey PJ, Floras JS, Edgell H. Effect of a neck compression collar on cardiorespiratory and cerebrovascular function in postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md.: 1985). 2020 Apr 1;128(4):907-13. [Google scholar]

This article was updated January 7, 2023

 

Make an Appointment |

Subscribe to E-Newsletter |

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Prolotherapy specialistsWhen should I involve a Prolotherapist in my care?

SEARCH
for your symptoms
Prolotherapy, an alternative to surgery
Were you recommended SURGERY?
Get a 2nd opinion now!
WHY TO AVOID:
★ ★ ★ ★ ★We pride ourselves on 5-Star Patient Service!See why patients travel from all
over the world to visit our center.
Current Patients
Become a New Patient

Caring Medical Florida
9738 Commerce Center Ct.
Fort Myers, FL 33908
(239) 308-4701 Phone
(855) 779-1950 Fax

Hauser Neck Center
9734 Commerce Center Ct.
Fort Myers, FL 33908
(239) 308-4701 Phone
(855) 779-1950 Fax
We are an out-of-network provider. Treatments discussed on this site may or may not work for your specific condition.
© 2023 | All Rights Reserved | Disclaimer