Doctor explains why rubbing the ears and massaging the little finger do not 'boost blood flow to the brain'

Popular life hacks don't work

Advice on how to 'boost blood flow to the brain' is spreading online: rub your ears, massage your little finger, or apply ice to a certain point — supposedly after that the brain will get more oxygen and the heart will work better. Physician and cardiologist, assistant professor at the Department of Polyclinic Therapy at the Pirogov University Alina Gavrilova, in a comment to Gazeta.Ru, explained that the body has no system of such 'secret buttons'.

How the brain actually gets oxygen

According to Gavrilova, the brain is indeed demanding about oxygen, but its supply depends on three factors: the amount of oxygen in the blood, a sufficient level of hemoglobin that carries it, and the quality of blood flow. Moreover, the brain is able to regulate its own blood flow and adjust it to its needs, so in a healthy person with normal blood pressure, hemoglobin, and blood oxygen saturation, there is usually no need to specifically 'boost brain nutrition'.

What research says about the ear and the little finger

The doctor noted that the ear is indeed connected to the nervous system: branches of the vagus nerve pass through some of its areas, and scientists are studying electrical stimulation of the ear as a method of influencing the nervous system. However, she emphasized, this is a medical technology with a specific current strength, frequency, and point of application — not rubbing the ear with your fingers. Even with such stimulation, studies do not show a simple effect of 'more blood and oxygen to the brain': in one experiment, blood flow in certain areas of the brain, on the contrary, decreased. As for the little finger, there is no proven 'reflex point' on it for improving blood supply to the heart or brain — cold or rubbing merely send a strong sensory signal to the nervous system.

What actually helps

Gavrilova listed measures that really improve oxygen delivery to the brain: regular movement, adequate sleep, blood pressure control, quitting smoking, and treating conditions that reduce oxygen delivery — for example, anemia, lung diseases, or sleep apnea. If 'brain fog', drowsiness, dizziness, or reduced concentration are a constant concern, the doctor advises looking for their cause rather than trying to 'boost cerebral circulation'. 'You can rub your ears — sometimes it really does perk you up. But not because we have opened a secret channel for supplying oxygen to the brain,' she concluded. Earlier, as the outlet notes, a cardiologist explained why hypertension cannot be cured with neck massage and exercises.