In the interest of full disclosure, I’m suspicious of wellness gadgets. Can a single piece of Bluetooth technology really improve my sleep, boost my mood, lower my anxiety level, and increase my resilience to stress? Pulsetto is the latest nondrug health wearable promising to do just that, by using ultra-low radio frequency energy to stimulate the vagus nerve in the neck.
To test these bold claims, I used the Pulsetto neckband for over a month, to see what impact it would have on my health and general well-being.
Yes, I’m coming into this review with a sense of skepticism (would you want your review journalists any other way?), but with so many potential benefits on offer, and “no prior mindfulness or meditation experience required,” if it can help this cynic, just imagine how much it could benefit someone actively looking for help?
The Pulsetto stimulates the vagus nerve, which is the main thoroughfare for your parasympathetic nervous system. This is the calm, restful end of the nervous system, responsible for body functions like immunity, digestion, heart rate, and mood. It’s the opposite of the sympathetic nervous system, which triggers fight-or-flight responses to stressful situations.
Pulsetto claims that vagus nerve stimulation, or VNS, can essentially kick-start your parasympathetic nervous system, helping you to reduce stress in the body.
Now, VNS isn’t new. Anyone who has ever been told to “take a deep breath” during a stressful situation is being prescribed one simple method for stimulating the vagus nerve. Other low-tech, tried-and-tested options include getting a foot rub, meditating, practising yoga, taking a cold shower, and even singing.
VNS has also been used by medical professionals for years, first as a treatment for epilepsy in the 1990s, as pain management for chronic cluster headache sufferers, and as a potential help for people suffering from long-term depression.
According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists in the UK, there are two types of VNS. The first involves having a battery and stimulator implanted under the skin, with a wire connected directly to the vagus nerve. The other is transcutaneous VNS (tVNS), where the vagus nerve is stimulated by holding a device against the neck where the nerve is. It's this tVNS that is the technology behind Pulsetto.
It's worth mentioning that the Pulsetto isn’t the only tVNS product available. Nurosym is a €699 ($870) device that uses an earpiece instead of a neck band to target the vagus nerve, while GammaCore, from £237 ($295), is a handheld device specifically designed for those who suffer from cluster headaches and migraines. This gizmo is also available by prescription from the NHS in the UK.
Another important bit of info: The Royal College of Psychiatrists states that “there is growing positive research supporting the use of implanted VNS for people who have had depression for a long time. However [due to problems with ‘blind’ trials], there is very little evidence to support the use of tVNS for treating depression.”
The Pulsetto is extremely easy to use, with a clear, icon-driven app that makes it perfectly clear what you’re supposed to be doing. In the box there’s a charging cable, plastic neckband, and tube of electrode gel. This is the same gloop used during ultrasound examinations, and it helps to ensure the best possible connection to your skin. The 60-gram tube goes a long way, and a 250-gram replacement costs just £3 ($3.75).