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Acupuncture treatment for Blood Pressure (High)
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High blood pressure is a condition when we find our blood pressure, the force of the blood flowing through our blood vessels, consistently too high. It is said to be high if the pressure is more than 140 over 90. Most of the time there are no symptoms.1 Certain physical traits and lifestyle choices can put you at a greater risk such as eating too much salt, being overweight or not being active enough. When left untreated, the damage that high blood pressure does to the circulatory system is a contributing factor to heart attack, stroke and other threats.2
RESEARCH
The acupuncture treatment aims to remove the blockage of the blood circulation that is believed to increase the pressure of the blood.3 However, recent treatments for high blood pressure include electrical acupuncture (or electroacupuncture). Electroacupuncture is quite similar to traditional acupuncture in that the same points are stimulated during treatment. As with traditional acupuncture, needles are inserted on specific points along the body. The needles are then attached to a device that generates continuous electric pulses using small clips. The course of the treatment for high blood pressure is given during 30 minutes of electroacupuncture, every week for eight weeks. This treatment aims to the following acupoints PC-5, PC-6, ST-36, ST-37 or LI-6, LI-7, GB-37 and GB-39.4
According to ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) principles, hypertension also involves the escaping of qi (or life force) and blood due to an imbalance between yin and yang. This is an historically early elucidation of the concept of homeostasis and problems arising when it is disturbed. Therefore, stimulating a combination of acupoints such as LI-4, LV-3, SP-10 and LV-2 significantly reduces blood pressure.5 Moreover, high blood pressure is directly connected to blockages in the Liver meridian; therefore, acupressure in the following points can be used as a successful complementary therapy in managing hypertension.6
GB-20: This point can be activated by applying steady medium pressure using the thumbs for 1 minute or longer while breathing deeply.
GV-20: Pressing and massaging this point with the help of the fingers and thumbs is desired.
LI-11: This point can be stimulated by applying steady and strong pressure for 1 minute and then applying pressure on the other arm.
LI-4: This point calms and balances blood flow throughout the body and clears stagnation. Pregnant women should not stimulate this point as it can induce labor prematurely.
ST-36: This point can be activated by applying moderate to firm pressure for 1 minute.
PC-6: This point can be stimulated by applying firm pressure using the index finger.
GB-34: This point can be activated by applying firm and strong pressure with the help of the index finger and middle finger.
LV-3: This point can be stimulated by applying pressure using the index finger for 1 minute.
HT-7: This point is stimulated by applying steady pressure of the thumb.
Related Acupuncture Points:
EX LI-18, LI-4, LV-3, SP-6, ST-9, SP-10.7
Footnotes
- High Blood Pressure: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments – medicalnewstoday.com – 2015, http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159283.php
- What is high blood pressure? – bloodpressureuk.org – 2008, http://www.bloodpressureuk.org/BloodPressureandyou/Thebasics/Whatishigh
- Acupuncture Can Reduce High Blood Pressure Without Drugs and Keep it Low – bottomlineinc.com – 2015, http://bottomlineinc.com/health-insider/acupuncture-can-reduce-high-blood-pressure-without-drugsand-keep-it-low/
- Long-Lasting Reduction of Blood Pressure by Electroacupuncture in Patients with Hypertension: Randomized Controlled Trial – ncbi.nlm.nih.gov – 2015, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4555646/
- Acupuncture Matches Drug For High Blood Pressure – healthcmi.com – 2017, http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1718-acupuncture-matches-drug-for-high-blood-pressure
- 10 Useful Acupressure Points for Controlling High Blood Pressure – modernreflexology.com – 2015, http://www.modernreflexology.com/acupressure-for-high-blood-pressure/
- Acupressure Points for High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) – chinesefootreflexology.com – 2015, http://www.chinesefootreflexology.com/hypertension/