Can Acupuncture Help Reduce High Blood Pressure?

Study Showing Acupuncture May Help Lower High Blood Pressure

Because previous studies on acupuncture’s effect on high blood pressure have had mixed results, the researchers set out to explore the subject more thoroughly. They compared electroacupuncture at two sets of points in their study of 65 high blood pressure patients.

Patients were randomly assigned to one of two types of acupuncture for eight weeks. One type targeted the inner wrists and legs below the knee — points shown to potentially lower blood pressure in previous research. The other technique involved the forearm and lower leg and resulted in no blood pressure improvement, the researchers said…

“A noticeable drop in blood pressure was observed in 70 percent of the patients treated at the effective points, an average of 6 to 8 mm Hg for systolic blood pressure [the top number] and 4 mm Hg for diastolic blood pressure [the lower number],” Longhurst said.

These changes were considered slow and long-lasting — persisting for about six weeks, the study found.

The researchers also found that blood pressure readings dipped further in a group of “high responders” that underwent monthly treatment for six more months.

Exactly how acupuncture might improve blood pressure isn’t clear. Longhurst said it’s possible that stimulation of the affected nerves stimulates areas of the brain that control blood pressure.

Read More @ WebMD