Acupuncture used to help lower high blood pressure in humans

For thousands of years, acupuncture has been used to help lower high blood pressure in humans. People develop high blood pressure when their blood begins to exert pressure against the blood vessel walls, especially the walls of the heart chambers, veins, and arteries. Over the course of time, this strong rush of blood begins to damage the walls of the blood vessels leading to arterial hardening, medically known as arteriosclerosis.

High blood pressure symptoms
Humans usually suffer from acute high blood pressure symptoms that can include restlessness, severe headaches, nervousness, flushed faces, and sudden dizziness. Other symptoms include emotional instability, short temper, depression, intestinal complaints, insomnia, nose bleeding, breathing difficulty, restlessness, severe headaches, nervousness, a flushed face, muscle weakness, poor eye vision and frequent urination.

Electro-acupuncture
Electro-acupuncture or acupuncture combined with electric stimulation is a modern version of traditional acupuncture that can decrease blood pressure elevations in people with high blood pressure. The first time acupuncture was tested for high blood pressure, the needles were inserted at acupoints inside the forearm just above the wrist. The test was unsuccessful. When the test conductors added electric stimulation to the needles, to allow electricity to flow to the needles into the body, the stimulation helped lower the blood pressure as long as low electricity frequencies were used.

A comprehensive study on acupuncture reveals that needles inserted into specific acupoints activates brain cells leading to the production and release of neurotransmitters that helped boost the heart’s activities. Needle insertion into points on the leg, forearm, or wrist stimulates the release of opioids in the brain lowering excitatory reactions of the cardiovascular systems that in turn helps to lower high blood pressure significantly. The stimulation also improved the healing of other cardiovascular conditions such as hypertensions and myocardial ischemia.

Lowering high blood pressure using other forms of acupuncture treatments

Complementary therapies for acupuncture such as herbal preparations use specific Chinese herbs to lower blood pressure. These herbs can include Shan Zha, Prunella, and Tian Ma. Some Chinese medicine practitioners inject the juices of these herbs for better and much quicker results.

One other natural and unique acupuncture procedure to lower high blood pressure includes the pressing of the skin in between the index finger and thumb on the back of your hand.