High Blood Pressure Treatments NYC by Marc Bystock L.Ac.

High blood pressure is called the silent killer for a good reason. Often there are no apparent symptoms, while damage may be taking place that could lead to cardiovascular disease, stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, or permanent vision loss.

According to the latest data put out by the Centers for Disease Control, over one-third of all adults in the United States have high blood pressure. That’s over 75 million individuals, some without proper diagnosis or treatment.

Blood pressure is simply the force of blood pushing against and moving through arteries. Like the water that rushes down a river bed, it can interfere with the surrounding tissue causing wear and tear from the constant pounding on the endothelium tissue. In the arteries, this becomes an inflammatory response along with oxidative stress and immune dysregulation. All of these factors may lead to high blood pressure.

Diagnostically, blood pressure is defined by taking a measurement when the heart muscle contracts called systolic and then again in between heartbeats when the heart is at rest called diastolic.

A measurement of 120/80 or slightly lower is normal. Whereas a reading of 140/90 or higher is considered to be too high. Finally, according to the 2017 American Heart Association guidelines, any blood pressure readings that reach or exceed 180/120 are an emergency condition, and the patient should seek immediate medical care.

The two different types of high blood pressure are primary and secondary. Primary high blood pressure is the most common type of hypertension. Approximately 95% of those with high blood pressure suffer from this type. Most people acquire primary hypertension as they age. 

Secondary high blood pressure is from a specific contributing disorder such as kidney disease or a medication. 

For most people having high blood pressure is a chronic disorder that may have started in their teenage years or before. It is vital to diagnose high blood pressure early and prevent it.

Conventional medicine usually treats high blood pressure using a range of pharmaceutical approaches. There are diuretics, Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-I), Angiotensin-Receptor Blockers (ARB’s), Calcium Channel Blockers (CCB), and Vasodilators. 

Most patients who go this route must endure with a lifetime of taking medications. This not only may become very expensive, but also may lead to further negative medical implications impacting one’s state of health. The most common side effects of most anti-hypertensive class medications include: 

Most often, acupuncture therapy is provided for high blood pressure in association with complementary modalities such as a patient appropriate food-based plan, botanicals, and supplements. 

In one study of 34 hypertensive patients who were all being managed by anti-hypertensive medications, their blood pressure measurements all dropped after receiving a total of 15 acupuncture sessions over the course of one month. Their average systolic values dropped by 34 points, and their average diastolic values dropped by 15 points. That was an excellent response by simply adding acupuncture and not changing any other parameters.

There are many effective systems of acupuncture, each with its own merit. Whenever treating patients with high blood pressure, I often look at their metabolic biomarkers and perform a Heart Sound Recording (HSR). A Heart Sound Recording creates a unique signature graph of the four heart valves which can be analyzed for nutritional deficiencies.

Acupuncture is an excellent non-invasive, non-pharmacological therapy for reducing high blood pressure. When combining acupuncture, along with nutritional strategies outcomes are expected to be even higher.