Treating High Blood Pressure with Acupuncture

There are a wide variety of therapies and treatments, including medicines, various forms of natural treatment, and a myriad of alternative therapies that have been used to attempt to treat high blood pressure, one of the most common medical conditions today. However, acupuncture is the most widely used and trusted of all the alternative high blood pressure treatments.

High blood pressure, technically referred to as hypertension, is among the most widespread health conditions today, and primarily results from stress, poor diet, lack of activity, and genetic influences. However, it is also invariably connected with the process of aging, being overweight, smoking cigarettes, and drinking too much alcohol.  It can also have a higher rate of occurrence in conjunction with having other particular health problems and disorders..

High blood pressure is a health issue which is caused by the flow of blood through the veins beginning to exert an excessive amount of pressure against the walls of blood vessels. This constant, high level of pressure on blood vessels can damage the lining of capillaries, over time, which can result in a medical condition known as arteriosclerosis or, more commonly, referred to as "hardening of the arteries."

Individuals who suffer from high blood pressure often suffer with symptoms such as headaches, shortness of breath, nausea, fatigue, and blurred vision. If the condition can not be managed or kept under control, then it can often lead to more severe results such as strokes, blindness, heart attacks, or renal failure.

High blood pressure is most often treated using a variety of contemporary medical treatment methods.  However, many of the medicines that are commonly used to treat high blood pressure also can often cause any number of other negative side effects. This is one of the primary reasons why many patients with hypertension eventually seek out alternative treatments and therapies, including things like relaxation techniques and aromatherapy.

Acupuncture is generally believed to be useful for treating high blood pressure via the following mechanism. According to recent research, acupuncture has been found to lower high blood pressure by way of acting to block beta-acceptors of sympathetic nerves, in addition to stimulating the function of the adrenaline-angiotensin system.

Acupuncture, when used in conjunction with electric stimulation, may also be used to aid in the treatment of high blood pressure. This technique is generally referred to as electro-acupuncture. When low levels of electrical current are passed thorough ordinary acupuncture needles, a noticeable lowering of blood pressure has been measured. The needles are attached to a mechanism that produces minute electrical impulses, which are sustained at low levels.

This treatment generally consists of first inserting sharp, thin acupuncture needles into meridians, or trigger points, which are located at various points on the the arms, legs and wrists. This results in the stimulation of production of particular chemicals in the brain and results in a lowered excitation response of the cardiac system. This then results in a decreased level of cardiac activity along with the body's oxygen requirements, which causes the blood pressure to reduce.