Acupuncture Treatment for High Blood Pressure
If you have high blood pressure, your heart has to work a lot harder to pump blood to all the other parts of your body. This creates extra force on the walls of your arteries as blood travels through your circulatory system. Without treatment, high blood pressure will damage your blood vessels, putting you at risk for stroke, heart attack, and other serious problems. Our practitioners will work with you in creating a personal plan in treatment for high blood pressure as well as help you in determining causes and addressing risk factors.
What is High Blood Pressure?
A healthy adult should have a blood pressure reading of less than 120/80. The first number (systolic) is the force of blood on your artery walls when your heart is pumping. The second number (diastolic) is the force of the blood when your heart relaxes. If your systolic blood pressure is consistently 140 or higher, or if your diastolic blood pressure is consistently 90 or higher, you have high blood pressure.
It is important to have your blood pressure taken by a medical professional on a regular basis. Early detection can help you prevent some of the complications associated with high blood pressure.
What Causes High Blood Pressure?
Many people have a condition called essential hypertension. This means they have high blood pressure that doesn’t have an apparent cause. Secondary hypertension is when you have high blood pressure due to another medical condition.
There are several risk factors for high blood pressure:
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Genetics
- Eating too much salt
- Lack of exercise
- Older age
Several conditions are linked to secondary hypertension:
- Polycystic kidney disease
- Diabetes
- Cushing syndrome
- Adrenal gland tumors
- Sleep apnea
- Thyroid problems
Signs and Symptoms
High blood pressure is often called the silent killer because many people don’t experience symptoms until they have had the condition for a long time. This is another reason it is important to have your blood pressure checked regularly. In some people, high blood pressure causes headaches, but it’s hard to tell if the headaches are caused by elevated blood pressure or something else.
Acupuncture Treatment for High Blood Pressure
When you visit Acupuncture Balanced Health, you will have the opportunity to meet with an experienced practitioner. Dr. Chen, Dr. Wang, and Dr. Coeytaux all have extensive experience using acupuncture treatment for high blood pressure and other health conditions. During your first visit, one of our practitioners will do a thorough evaluation to determine the best course of treatment.
Your body responds to acupuncture treatments by releasing endorphins, the feel-good chemicals that give you a sense of wellbeing. This release of endorphins can lower your blood pressure, reduce stress, and give you many other benefits. If you have high blood pressure because of another medical condition, we can also help you treat the symptoms of that condition with acupuncture, herbal medicine, or other complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments.
Treatment Approach
Our practitioners will help you achieve a sense of balance and good health. Rather than replacing your primary care provider, we will work with you and your doctor to design a customized treatment program that takes your overall health into account.
Rejuvenating Treatment
If you have high blood pressure, schedule an evaluation with one of our practitioners. You’ll learn more about your health and have a chance to tell the practitioner about any other concerns you may have. You’ll leave our practice with less stress and a feeling of rejuvenation.