Lower Your Blood Pressure with Acupuncture

The numbers of people diagnosed with high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, are skyrocketing. Some people suffering from this all-too-common condition turn to medication to get it under control. But drugs aren’t always the best solution. Although they might help in the short term, medication always has side effects on the body — even if we don’t see them right away.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the body has a natural homeostasis. Any time we introduce a foreign chemical like a drug to the body, it creates an imbalance to this natural state. And disturbing our body’s delicate balance could have negative side effects later on, particularly to the adrenals and kidneys.

More and more people are coming to Eastern Medical Center for a natural alternative to lower their blood pressure without side effects. Drugs mask hypertension’s symptoms, which can include dizziness, flushed face, tinnitus, headaches or insomnia. But acupuncture offers more than a temporary fix. Acupuncture treats your symptoms so you are more comfortable — while also treating your body as a whole so your blood pressure naturally lowers as you get back into balance.

There’s no one single reason for hypertension. Everybody is unique, and it’s important to treat each person individually. So the first thing we’ll do is find the root causes of your hypertension.

Common Causes of Hypertension from a TCM Perspective

What are some of the common causes I see? A deficiency or excess of yin or yang energy. If that’s the case, we’ll balance out the meridian systems. If the cause is stress, we’ll increase your serotonin levels to calm the mind and nourish the heart. If you have a local blockage, we’ll work to unblock the channels in that area.

After we discover the root cause of your hypertension, we’ll carefully address it through herbs, cupping, acupuncture and acupressure. These natural alternatives can help you avoid problems caused by medication down the road: I’ve seen people who’ve never had a problem come to me with numb limbs or horrible pains in their body after they’ve started taking medications.

I’ve also had patients who’ve never had high cholesterol or high blood pressure offered drugs such as statins from their doctors. I always remind people to get a second opinion and to always question your doctor about these kinds of drugs before taking them.

I believe that all pain is a sign that the body is not happy with something. If you are struggling with high blood pressure or side effects from drugs, visit your acupuncturist. At Eastern Medical Center, we’ll figure out why your body is unhappy and I’ll do my best to help you heal.