Acupuncture and High Blood Pressure
Hypertension affects 25% of the adult population… worldwide! Medical treatment can include drugs such as blockers or inhibitors. However, these can cause side-effects that impact your daily wellbeing. Common side effects include: fatigue, weight changes, cold limbs, dizziness, and developing other conditions.
More research is being conducted on the use of acupuncture for hypertension. Studies have found acupuncture to be effective in helping symptoms of hypertension, in conjunction with or without antihypertensive medications. Using acupuncture can possibly allow for a reduction in medication dosage. Speaking to a licensed acupuncturist about this can help to determine this.
High blood pressure can affect anyone 30+ years of age and arises due to age, genetics, inactivity, diet, body type, or alcohol. For example, one group of people that we see it prevalent in is postmenopausal women. The decline of oestrogen levels may increase blood lipid levels, increasing the risk of cardiovascular conditions. Acupuncture aims to help support and strengthen people going through this period to reduce the likelihood of developing higher blood pressure, increased lipid production, and regulate hormones.
How does acupuncture target high blood pressure?
Well, in traditional Chinese medicine, we use the pulse, tongue, and symptoms to help diagnose your specific pattern of high blood pressure. Sometimes HBP is what we call an ‘excess’ condition, and sometimes it stems from a ‘deficiency’. By treating your pattern, we find we can most effectively combat conditions and their symptoms. Physiologically, acupuncture can help to reduce blood pressure through its effect on the neuroendocrine, vascular, and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone systems, which play a direct role in blood pressure. It can also affect oxidative stress and protect target organs. In the long run, we aim to prevent future issues such as cardiovascular disease.
Some common symptoms we see with hypertension are:
- Dizziness
- Tinnitus
- Lower back pain
- Dry eyes
- Red face
- Night sweats
- Fatigue
- Heat or cold imbalance
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- Irritability
- Bowel irregularities
Our treatments aim to maintain positive changes in the long-run. We may also offer advice on personalised lifestyle or diet changes to enhance the effectiveness of treatments. We can also use herbal medicine as a gentle way to achieve balance. The goal of acupuncture and TCM is to bring your body to a state of equilibrium.
Michelle
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References
Seo BN, Kwon O, Lee S, Kim HS, Kang KW, Seol IC, Shin C, Choi SM. Effects of Acupuncture on Lowering Blood Pressure in Postmenopausal Women with Prehypertension or Stage 1 Hypertension: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis. J Clin Med. 2021 Apr 1;10(7):1426. doi: 10.3390/jcm10071426. PMID: 33916003; PMCID: PMC8038045.
Sudhakaran P. Acupuncture for Hypertension Using Traditional Chinese Medicine Concepts. Med Acupunct. 2021 Feb 1;33(1):15-21. doi: 10.1089/acu.2020.1422. Epub 2021 Feb 16. PMID: 33613809; PMCID: PMC7894028.
