Interactions between non-symmetric mechanical vector forces in the body and the autonomic nervous system: basic requirements for any mechanical technique to engender long-term improvements in autonomic function as well as in the functional efficiency of the respiratory, cardiovascular, and brain systems.

There are known anatomical asymmetries in the respiratory, cardiovascular, and nervous system. The coupling mechanisms between each of these systems--lungs-heart, heart-brain, and lungs-brain--are also asymmetrical. There is a growing body of literature indicating that mechanical pressure asymmetrically applied to certain areas of the human body produces changes in the balance of autonomic parameters. These findings implicitly indicate that not only magnitude but also the direction and point of application of the force play a role in its influence upon the autonomic nervous system. Therefore, we suggest that asymmetrical vector forces resulting from the mechanical activity of the lungs, heart and blood moving throughout the circulatory system, will also produce a lateralization effect in autonomic balance.