Following the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been increased attention and research concerning how chronic stress affects our overall health, and how wearable devices can help reduce chronic stress to promote wellness. One such wearable device marketed to reduce chronic stress and promote wellness is the Apollo Neuro.
(Apollo Neuro pictured above)
According to Apollo, chronic stress strains the whole body by over-activating the sympathetic nervous system, releasing stress hormones, making breathing shallow and fast, increasing heart rate, and decreasing heart rate variability. Stress plays an important role in physiological functions, triggering important mechanisms like the fight or flight response. But when the body is overly stressed, it can make it physiologically harder to focus, meditate, relax, and sleep. When stressed, the body and mind signal to each other that things are unsafe and under threat. This may have been helpful for our ancestors when trying to escape a predator, but can be problematic for focus or sleep in modern life. Apollo has discovered and patented methods for reducing stress.
For example, the USPTO issued U.S. Patent No. 11,260,198 to Apollo, which claims methods that aim to relieve an overactive sympathetic nervous system by using silent vibrations on the skin. Figure 6 below provides a visual of the '198 patent's use.
First, a wearable device measures a user's parasympathetic nervous system biomarkers such as heart rate, heart rate variability, galvanic skin response, and respiration rate to measure the body's stress level. Then, in response to biometric levels indicating heightened stress, that wearable device sends transcutaneous vibrations of varying frequencies to the user until those stress-related biomarkers return to calm baseline levels. From continued use, the device learns which vibratory wavelengths successfully reduce stress levels in the user and the device tunes those vibrations to the optimal stress-reducing wavelength for the user.
In other words, with devices like the Neuro, Apollo has devised ways to use good vibrations to reduce stress and promote wellness.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
