A non-invasive device that stimulates a nerve in the neck for five days was linked to a noticeable drop in heart rate in people with two types of inflammatory arthritis, which might mean the body’s natural calming system was activated.

A non-invasive device that stimulates a nerve in the neck made heart rate control improve in people with one type of arthritis but worsen in people with another type, after just five days of use.

For people with psoriatic arthritis who are feeling better, using a small device on the skin to stimulate a nerve in the neck for five days may help lower inflammation markers and improve how they feel, even if other common measures of arthritis don’t change.

A small device that sends gentle electrical pulses to a nerve in the neck for five days may change certain immune system chemicals in people with a type of arthritis called ankylosing spondylitis, but it didn’t seem to make their pain or swelling better.

In people with psoriatic arthritis, a mild electric stimulation on the neck seemed to make one harmful immune protein go up, even though other signs of inflammation got better — which is weird and suggests the body’s immune system is responding in a complicated way.