According to classical Chinese medicine, health is maintained by free flow and balance of energy in the body. In other words, illness indicates the presence of blockages or an imbalance of energy. The foundational thought process behind acupuncture is to redirect Qi, which is your body’s energy. The energy moves through your body and can sometimes get blocked or stuck, and this is where acupuncture comes in. By inserting tiny metal needles into key points of the body, the Qi is redirected and made to flow correctly again, reducing pain or other related problems.

The public often assumes that acupuncture is principally used for relief from pain and stress, as these are really just controlled by the electrical impulses within your nerves, relaying the information to the brain. Changing the way that energy flows is a key part of resolving these issues. However, acupuncture is widely accepted by the scientific community to be effective for more than just pain relief, for example, but not limited to:

● The immune system

● The digestive system

● Hormonal imbalances

● Gynecological issues

● Cardiovascular issues

● Psychological issues

● Neurological issues

● Symptom mitigation during chemotherapy

● Migraines and headaches

What is Hypertension?

High blood pressure or hypertension is a condition where the force of blood pumping through your body is too high. There are many causes and risk factors for developing hypertension, such as obesity, smoking, atherosclerosis, or a diet with too much sodium. Hypertension, when uncontrolled, can cause heart failure, stroke, vision loss, kidney problems, and more.

In the United States, about 46% of adults have hypertension, which contributes to cardiovascular disease or stroke. These are the leading causes of death around the world. Of those 46% of adults that have hypertension, only about 53% of them have their blood pressure under control, with healthy measurements around 140/90 mmHg.

Acupuncture for Hypertension

There are several ways that Acupuncture helps with hypertension, mediated by the sympathetic, central, and parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic system is the “fight or flight” response stimulator, increasing your heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and release of neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and epinephrine. The parasympathetic side calls for “rest and relax” responses, decreasing heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing through the modulation of acetylcholine release, another important neurotransmitter.

Acupuncture leverages areas on the body called acupoints, where a high density of nerve, lymphatic, and blood vessels reside. Since many systems overlap and pass through these areas, they are targets for relieving symptoms downstream. Specific acupoints are tied to certain organs, so stimulating these points aims to relieve problems in that organ.

Acupuncture reduces blood pressure in 5 different ways.

1. Sympathetic Inhibition - Excitatory responses often originate in the sympathetic nerves that exit the spinal cord through ventral roots. For example, stimulating an acupoint along the pericardial meridian with acupuncture reduces the activity of those sympathetic nerves, allowing the parasympathetic pathway to take control, and decreasing blood pressure. 
 

2. Parasympathetic Activation - Stimulating the vagal nerve with acupuncture activates the “rest and relax” parasympathetic pathways, decreasing blood pressure and heart rate and moving the nervous system into a lower-stress state.

3. Central Nervous System - Stimulation of the Shenmen points induces a change in a structure called the arcuate nucleus, in the midbrain. This region is heavily involved in the production of endorphins, the feel-good chemical our bodies release in response to things like rewards or exercise. When these endorphins are released, they decrease pain and increase the production of other neurotransmitters.

4. Neurotransmitters - Acupuncture modulates the production and release of neurotransmitters in certain brain regions, regulating their activity and inducing suppression of sympathetic “fight or flight” response as well as activation of stress-reducing pathways.
 

5. Reduction in Oxidative Stress - High levels of free radicals cause oxidative damage to our tissues and bioactive enzymes within our bodies, contributing to a reduction in function. The activity of enzymes in the body is critical for maintaining optimal vascular tension. Acupuncture improves enzyme function, helps regulate antioxidant production, eases vascular tension, and protects tissues from further damage.  

These theories for the mechanism of action of acupuncture are based on an imbalance of sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, which are very similar to the theory of yin and yang in Chinese Medicine.  

Conclusion

Conventional treatments for hypertension typically involve medications recommended by physicians, like diuretics, beta-blockers, calcium blockers, ACE inhibitors, and more, along with diet and activity modifications. Acupuncture is a safe and useful alternative treatment that can be used in conjunction with such conventional therapies. While many of these medications come with a host of side effects, comparatively, acupuncture has few to no side effects and is considered a low-risk intervention for the control of blood pressure. Inform your doctor if you receive acupuncture to support your blood pressure and share any improvements you experience, so that your doctor can monitor and modify your treatment protocol accordingly.

Since the theory of acupuncture is empirically developed for over 5000 years, it is not easily compared with Western allopathic medicine. However, it should be emphasized that acupuncture is a completely natural treatment that activates your innate ability to heal and return to homeostasis, the natural rhythm and balance that you were born with. While allopathic medicine seeks to control and alleviate the symptoms in a more microscopic manner, acupuncture and Chinese medicine addresses the imbalance that is deemed to be the cause of the illness in a more holistic manner. You will see a difference when the imbalance is treated physically and mentally. Feel free to contact Mika Ichihara to set up a 15-minute free phone consultation to address your health concerns and issues naturally.

References

1. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijhy/2019/8676490/

2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167527313017282

3. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2020.00138/full

4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33512256/

Disclaimer

This article “Acupuncture for Hypertension” was originally created and published by LoveandCompassion.com under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Mika Ichihara, M.S., L.Ac., LL.M., B.Phar., Founder, Owner and Grand Master in Eastern Medicine and Energy Soul Medicine. It may be re-posted freely with proper attribution and author bio. For more information about Mika and her practice, please visit www.loveandcompassion.com.