Hypertension and acupuncture -
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Medical News Today. Health Conditions Health Products Discover Tools Connect. Acupuncture may reduce high blood pressure. By Catharine Paddock, Ph. on August 21, Share on Pinterest Electroacupuncture is a form of acupuncture that applies low-intensity electrical pulses through needles inserted at specific points on the body.
Fast facts about acupuncture Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been in use for over 3, years It uses thin needles to stimulate one or more out of hundreds of specific points on the body US regulators approved acupuncture needles for use by licensed practitioners in Treatment also followed by other beneficial changes.
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Scientists discover biological mechanism of hearing loss caused by loud noise — and find a way to prevent it. Once you find a potential acupuncturist, make sure they hold a current license to practice acupuncture and feel free to ask any questions you have about the process.
While its effectiveness for lowering blood pressure in the long-term remains up for debate, smaller studies suggest acupuncture could temporarily help improve high blood pressure.
You can safely use acupuncture alongside most blood pressure medications , and this combo could do more to lower your blood pressure than medication alone. Courtney Telloian is a writer with work published on Healthline, Psych Central, and Insider.
Previously, she worked on the editorial teams of Psych Central and GoodTherapy. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
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A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic? How Well Do You Sleep? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. What to Know About Acupuncture for High Blood Pressure. Medically reviewed by Kerry Boyle D. Primary vs. secondary How it works Acupressure Does it work?
Does it treat all types of high blood pressure? A primer on blood pressure Blood pressure measurements involve two numbers: Systolic blood pressure: The top or first number refers to how much pressure is placed on your artery walls when your heart beats.
Diastolic blood pressure: The bottom or second number refers to the amount of pressure put on your artery walls when your heart rests between beats. Was this helpful? How does acupuncture help regulate blood pressure?
FYI: Acupoints for high blood pressure Acupuncture for high blood pressure can involve a variety of acupoints. According to older research , points often used to help lower blood pressure include: Taichong LR3 : located on the top of your foot Quchi LI11 : located at the crook of your elbow Fengchi GB20 : located on the back of your neck Zusanli ST36 : located below your knee Fenglong ST40 : located on your lower leg Your acupuncturist will most likely tailor your treatment around your specific needs after conducting a health study, so they may choose one or more of these points during your session.
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As a component of Overcoming stress and anxiety Chinese medicine TCM Diabetic-friendly pantry staples, acupuncture has the potential to lower Overcoming stress and anxiety pressure BP in patients with hypertension. Emerging evidence indicates that the acupuncture-induced Metabolism boosting drinks of acupujcture BP occurs through the activation of the pathway in the afferent, central, Hypertensino efferent pathways. An acupumcture number acupunctrue studies have demonstrated that acupuncture not only activates distinct brain regions under conditions of hypertension caused by an imbalance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems but also modulates neurotransmitters in related brain regions to alleviate the autonomic response. The activity of these pathways can be assessed by injecting agonists or inhibitors or by performing neurotomy. This review focuses on the clinical and mechanistic studies of acupuncture in modulating BP, which might provide a neurobiological foundation for the effects of acupuncture. Although many mechanisms underlying the effects of acupuncture on cardiovascular function have been identified, further investigation is warranted.Hypertension and acupuncture -
Repeat this pattern of holding and releasing approximately 30 times. For optimal results, perform this technique times per day. Feel free to do it more often if it proves helpful.
Located on the top of the foot between the big toe and the second toe, this acupressure point is believed to have various beneficial effects on the body. To find Liver 3, place your thumb between the bones of your big toe and second toe, slightly towards the top of your foot.
Activating this point is said to promote the smooth flow of energy in the body, relieve stress and tension, and improve overall liver function. Some people also find it helpful for relieving headaches, menstrual cramps, and reducing anxiety. Situated on the inside of the wrist, in line with the little finger, this important acupressure point can have diverse effects on the body.
To locate Heart 7, flex your hand slightly and look for a small depression on the palm side of your wrist. It is generally found in line with the ulnar bone, the bone on the pinky finger side of your forearm. Heart 7 is believed to be associated with the heart meridian and is known for its calming and balancing properties.
It is often used to reduce anxiety, promote relaxation, and improve sleep. Additionally, it may help with symptoms such as palpitations, chest tightness, and emotional imbalances.
Positioned on the inner ankle, between the inner ankle bone medial malleolus and the Achilles tendon, this acupressure point is believed to have various positive effects on the body.
To locate Kidney 3, place your thumb on the inner ankle bone and slide it down toward the foot until you reach a small hollow area. Kidney 3 is associated with the kidney meridian and is believed to help nourish and strengthen the kidneys. It is often used to support kidney function, boost energy levels, and promote overall vitality.
Moreover, it may be helpful in managing symptoms such as lower back pain , fatigue, and menstrual irregularities. These 3 acupressure points have a calming effect on the nervous system, which is beneficial when aiming to lower blood pressure.
I encourage you to give them a try and see if they can help in reducing your blood pressure. Our Burnaby Physiotherapists are here to help, contact EastWest Physiotherapy if you have any questions.
More rigorous trials are warranted. Approximately one-half of the patients with high blood pressure BP are not compliant with drug therapy for various reasons including treatment cost, adverse effects, and complications.
Over the past two decades there has been increased understanding of biological mechanisms underlying acupuncture effects. The effects of acupuncture on the cardiovascular system has been reported as the results of the excitation of somatic afferent input, activating sympathetic inhibitory systems in the brain related to endogenous opioids, nociceptin, γ-aminobutyric acid, and serotonin.
Meanwhile, clinical trials investigating the efficacy of acupuncture on hypertension have reported conflicting results, yet two reviews supported the use of acupuncture for hypertension. The aim of this review was to systematically summarize and evaluate the effect of acupuncture based on the currently available evidence on lowering BP in the patients with hypertension.
Selection of studies. Electronic literature searches were performed in six databases and three relevant journals from their inceptions to June MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, National Digital Science Library of Korea databases and journals of Korean Oriental Medical Society, Society for Meridian and Acupoint, and Korean Acupuncture and Moxibustion Society.
Studies meeting the following criteria were included: i An RCT. iii Patients in the experiment group were treated with acupuncture, electroacupuncture EA , or auricular acupuncture more than once with or without antihypertensive drugs. iv Placebo sham or active control procedure was used.
Studies were excluded wherein any complementary and alternative therapies of which the efficacy is not yet established e. The following data were extracted independently by two of the authors SYK and HJP : first author's name, year of publication, details of participants and trial design, sample size, blinding, intervention procedures, and withdrawals and dropouts.
We contacted corresponding authors via e-mail and asked to provide further information if necessary. Methodological quality assessment. A modified Oxford scale was used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies. A point for assessor blinding was only given if specified in the text.
Data analysis. Only studies providing changes in BP were considered for meta-analysis. Meta-analyses were performed using Cochrane Collaboration Review Manager 5 and heterogeneity was sought using I 2 statistic, 14 which describes the percentage of the total variability in study estimates that is due to heterogeneity rather than chance.
χ 2 -test or two-tailed Fisher's exact test SPSS for Windows, ver. nonpositive for SBP and DBP, respectively and various factors including study quality high vs.
low as assessed with modified Oxford scale , country where the study was conducted China vs. non-China , control type sham vs. medication vs. no treatment , medication medication vs. no medication , and acupuncture style individualized vs.
Study outcome was defined as positive when acupuncture was significantly more effective than the control and as nonpositive when acupuncture was not significantly different from, or not so effective as the control. Eleven RCTs met the inclusion criteria 4 , 10 , 11 , 16—23 Figure 1 : seven studies were conducted in China, 4 , 16—19 , 22 , 23 two in Germany, 10 , 20 and one each in the United States 11 and in Korea.
In total, patients in the acupuncture group, in the control group participated. The number of subjects in each group ranged from 7 to 83 in the acupuncture groups mean ± s. The mean age was In majority of the included studies, the patients had essential hypertension; three studies involved patients with mild arterial hypertension, 20 mild or moderate arterial hypertension, 10 or BP within or higher than the prehypertension category.
Participants received 15 to 30 min per session acupuncture treatments 5 to 30 times median 17 for mean 5. Although two acupuncture modalities were tested, i. Few studies provided detailed information about the practitioner's experience or expertise, treatment rationale, and reproducible description of the intervention, without which the intervention's validity is limited.
The most frequently used acupoints were LR3 7 studies out of 11 , LI11 7 studies , GB20 7 studies , followed by, ST36 6 studies , and ST40 6 studies , with a great variation in combination of selected acupoints.
In 4 of the 11 included studies, the acupuncture group also had antihypertensive medication. Regarding control groups, three types of control procedures were used: sham acupuncture, antihypertensive medications, and no treatment. Defining sham acupuncture as a procedure designed to be indistinguishable from real acupuncture, 4 sham-controlled studies used nonpenetrating sham needle at the same acupoints, 21 identical needling at nonacupoints 10 or superficial needling at nonacupoints.
Only two sham-controlled studies were awarded the maximum points of 5 on the modified Oxford scale. Regarding the credibility of a sham control, only one of the three sham-controlled trials checked the success of subject blinding. As with RCTs of acupuncture in other areas, the included studies greatly varied in terms of baseline BP, acupuncture and control interventions, and the outcome reporting.
In some studies, BP changes were not reported: instead, they reported mean BP before and after acupuncture treatment, some even without s.
Changes in BP and summarized outcomes are tabulated Tables 1 and 2. Overall, 4 of 11 studies yielded a significant BP reduction 10 , 18 , 21 , 23 and the other 7 studies showed no difference between acupuncture and control in either SBP or DBP changes.
High-quality trials showed conflicting results: in two trials, acupuncture was superior to sham 10 , 21 and in the other study, acupuncture was not significantly different from sham. Among seven nonsignificant trials, two studies showed no additional effect of acupuncture when given with antihypertensive medication.
Most studies were excluded from pooling because of poor data reporting: among the four studies where the changes in SBP and DBP with s. were available for meta-analysis, one study was again excluded as it compared acupuncture with active medication, 17 leaving three sham-controlled trials involving four different acupuncture groups for the final analysis Figure 2.
Direction of study outcome positive vs. nonpositive for SBP and DBP, respectively was not significantly associated with any of the following factors: study quality high vs.
Adverse events were reported in seven studies. Only one study in which patients stopped antihypertensive drugs during study period, reported three cases of serious adverse events during follow-up two participants experienced hypertensive urgencies in the acupuncture group and one congestive heart failure in the control group.
Four studies reported no acupuncture-related adverse events. However, considerable heterogeneity sounds the alarm for any convincing benefit from acupuncture.
Trials excluded from a meta-analysis tended to yield nonsignificant but inconsistent findings, giving no clear evidence for or against acupuncture.
There always have been criticisms that the acupuncture studies are small and of low methodological quality. Seven of 11 studies were excluded from our pooling as most of them failed to report necessary information. Exclusion of trials lacking in analyzable data from our meta-analysis is unlikely to have biased our main finding.
Such trials are of poor methodological quality and thus tend to overestimate intervention's effects in both individual trials and meta-analyses. Of the 11 included trials, four were in Chinese language and one in German language.
An empirical evidence suggests that including publications in languages other than English appears to influence the conclusion of the review only rarely. In areas of complementary and alternative medicine with which East-Asian countries are culturally more familiar than Western countries, it may be more important to obtain and assess unpublished or hard-to-locate non-English studies to get a sound decision.
Constructive criticism of low-quality trials should help to rediscover under-researched areas leading to better studies in the future. In our review, no association between country where the trial was conducted and direction of the outcome was detected: all Chinese trials equally demonstrated no significant difference between acupuncture and control and only two trials reached a statistical significance for SBP only.
As acupuncture only vs. medication trials showed no significant difference, one may roughly overestimate that acupuncture may lower BP as much as antihypertensive drugs but this should be interpreted with caution.
As none of these trials were designed as active control, equivalence trials, it is not certain that acupuncture may or may not have equivalent effects to antihypertensive drugs. Interestingly, acupuncture alone reduced BP similarly as antihypertensive medication leading to no significant results but when given with medication, acupuncture seems to have little additional effect.
reported no significant BP change at 4 weeks after acupuncture but at 8 weeks BP significantly reduced. The studies included in our review demonstrated majority of the problems that had been pointed out by other reviews on acupuncture, 24 e.
Further studies to test the BP-lowering effect of acupuncture should consider such shortcomings. There remain a lot of unanswered research questions: what patient population would acupuncture benefit the most?
We definitely need more rigorous studies to answer these research questions and establish acupuncture's role in hypertension. In summary, evidence to date does not support acupuncture treatment to reduce BP.
Although two high-quality sham-controlled trials favor real acupuncture over sham treatment and four antihypertensive drug—controlled trials found no difference between acupuncture alone and active medication, small numbers and poor reporting should be carefully considered before jumping into a promising conclusion.
Well-documented studies adopting rigorous methodology are warranted. This study was supported by the Korea Research Foundation and Kyung Hee University KRFE and SRC program of KOSEF R Shaw E , Anderson JG , Maloney M , Jay SJ , Fagan D. Factors associated with noncompliance of patients taking antihypertensive medications.
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In a recent systematic review conducted inresearchers made an exciting discovery: acupuncture Hypeftension effectively reduce anc pressure anv individuals Perils of extreme food restrictions Effective lice prevention. To naturally regulate blood pressure, the review Overcoming stress and anxiety recommended 3 acupressure points. However, it is important to note that these 3 acupressure points should be used as a complement to your existing treatment plan. Consult with your medical professional for guidance and continue following their advice. During an acupressure session, various reactions occur within our bodies. Our nerves, chemicals, and hormones work together, triggering the release of endorphins. They help these systems relax, leading to a decrease in blood pressure.
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