High blood pressure or hypertension occurs in about 75 million American adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Untreated hypertension can result in heart failure, stroke, and kidney disease. What’s interesting is the connection between spinal alignment and hypertension – something that has only recently been discovered.
What is Hypertension?
Hypertension comes in two types. In essential hypertension, there is no known cause. However, there are known risk factors such as family history, age, genetic heritage, obesity, physical inactivity, stress, and smoking. In secondary hypertension, there is an underlying cause. Normal blood pressure (although this varies for the individual) is considered to be 120/80. When blood pressure rises as high as 180/110, it is considered a hypertensive crisis and it is very dangerous.
Conventional Treatment
For mild blood pressure elevation, especially in those who have a family history of heart disease, conservative treatment is usually recommended. This includes weight loss, increased physical activity, better stress management and proper sleep. Smokers should stop smoking. Limiting alcohol is usually recommended as well. If medications are necessary, there are a variety of different possibilities and you should talk to your doctor to discuss possible side effects.
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Spinal Alignment and Blood Pressure
Recent research indicates that there is a connection between spinal alignment and high blood pressure. An adjustment of the atlas – the second cervical vertebra – was shown to drop the blood pressure by as much as 14 points systolic and 8 points diastolic in treated patients. For someone with a blood pressure of 140/90, that could mean a reading of 126/82 – essentially normalizing the blood pressure. Spinal adjustment of the thoracic spine has also been shown to decrease elevated blood pressure. Chiropractic adjustment also helps relieve stress and muscle tension that can contribute to hypertension.
If you have high blood pressure, it’s important to get treatment. A combination of strategies such as weight loss, exercise and stress management, plus chiropractic treatment may offer you an opportunity to lower medication dosages or even get off medications entirely. Please contact us for an appointment.
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