Do You Have High Blood Pressure?

Question: Dear Dr. Snodgrass,
I recently found out that I have high blood pressure. My family doctor said that if I can't lower it soon, I would have to take blood pressure medicine. A friend of mine said that her chiropractor helped to get her blood pressure under control. Could you please explain how chiropractic could help high blood pressure?

Answer:
Blood pressure or (hypertension) is something that all of us should have checked on a regular basis. It is increasingly important to have it checked as we age or if there is a family history of heart disease. Diseases of the cardiovascular system, such as heart attack, stroke and hypertension, are still the number-one killer in the United States. High blood pressure is usually a sign of something is wrong and without proper care it could lead to fatal results.

In dealing with the symptoms of hypertension, it is our goal to find out what is causing the high blood pressure and treat it accordingly. The possible causes of high blood pressure are many– obesity, smoking, high stress levels, kidney problems, hardening of the arteries, lack of exercise, and poor diet, to name a few.

My patients often ask if their blood pressure reading is normal. "Normal" differs for every person but the mean average is 115/75. Now pre-hypertension is defined by, the systolic (top number) reading is 120-139 mmHG, or the diastolic (bottom number) reading is 80-89 mmHG. If your blood pressure is higher than this, you should be under the care of a health professional and have your blood pressure checked regularly.

The chiropractic approach to high blood pressure is comprehensive. We want to treat the cause of the problem from many different aspects. The first priority is to get a comprehensive understanding of the patient's lifestyle. This includes diet, stress level, exercise, family history, etc. Then we do a complete exam and take x-rays to determine any interference in the nervous system. Once all the facts are gathered, we work out a multifaceted approach to treat the problem. This includes spinal manipulation, diet modification, exercise instruction, and lifestyle changes.

The results of this approach are very impressive. Various studies have shown that patients who receive spinal care discover a lowering of their blood pressure without the use of prescription medication. In fact, I find the blood pressure patient most difficult to treat is the one who has chronic hypertension and has been on long-term blood pressure medicine use!

In conclusion, based on personal experience and current research, that chiropractic care can be very successful in treating hypertension. If you do not respond to conservative  treatment you will be referred to your family doctor for prescription medications. Please treat your symptoms as a priority and get immediate care! If I may be of any further assistance, please feel free to contact me at my clinic.