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Understanding High Blood Pressure: A Holistic Approach

Hypertension, also known as  high blood pressure, is an important health concern for men and women of all ages, including during pregnancy. It is important to understand the mechanics and the contributors of high blood pressure, not only to help manage it if you have it, but to prevent it if you don’t. High blood pressure is currently defined as 130 systolic (the “top” number) over 80 diastolic (the “bottom” number).

High blood pressure can be a serious health issue. If left untreated, it can have potentially life threatening consequences like heart attack or stroke. Acupuncture and herbs, as well as stress reduction techniques, can be very effective at lowering blood pressure, but they are best utilized after your primary care doctor has assessed the severity of your condition and your individual risk factors. Western and Eastern methods can, and do, work well together in the treatment of hypertension. They work especially well when your providers have great communication which allows them to coordinate care and individualize a safe and appropriate course of treatment, specifically for you.

Getting a diagnosis of high blood pressure is NOT a death sentence! Think of it more as a wake up call, giving you a full mandate to put your health, happiness, and well-being in the front of the line of life’s list of priorities. After all, you are a very special and important person, right? Your well-being is paramount.

What causes high blood pressure from an Holistic Mind-Body perspective?

From a purely mechanical standpoint, blood pressure is determined by the tubes the blood flows through, your blood vessels, the health of your heart, the pump, and the makeup of the blood itself. Blood flows through your blood vessels, guided by complex chemical and physical feedback mechanisms. The pressure with which blood flows through the vessels is affected by the volume of blood and the flexibility or rigidity of the vessels.

Blood volume is driven by how well your kidneys are managing fluid volume. If kidney function is low, they are able to remove less fluid from the body, thus the volume of blood is higher than the vascular system is designed to handle and the blood pressure goes up.

Blood vessels rigidity or elasticity is directly related to stress, both emotional and physical, leading to higher levels of tension in the arteries than the vascular system is designed to handle. Stress can be in the form of high levels of responsibility coupled with low levels of control at work or at home, leading to persistent anger, frustration, worry, or fear, which produce stress hormones that constrict and tense the muscles and blood vessels. Another type of stress can be produced by eating a diet high in saturated fats that lead to plaque build up on the inner walls of your arteries creating a mechanical rigidity and stress. Further aggravators are being overweight or under exercised.

Understanding the causes of your particular high blood pressure is important. Addressing your high blood pressure physically and emotionally is even more important.

What does high blood pressure imply “emotionally”?

As a Holistic Doctor of Acupuncture, I am concerned with both your physical and emotional health. They are so profoundly interconnected, especially in stress driven conditions like hypertension, that it really pays to take a closer look. So let’s take a look at what high blood pressure could mean emotionally by breaking down the language used to describe it.

Blood is a fundamental life substance, right? It delivers nourishment, removes waste, and fights unwanted invaders in every part of ourselves.

Now let’s look at high pressure. What does this evoke? Tension, hardening, stress, tightness, intensity, pushing, an urgent situation?

So putting these together, we have the most essential aspect of ourselves under high pressure – under more pressure than it can safely bear. This is the emotional underlay of the physical condition of high blood pressure. Objectively, this simply means that something, or many things in one’s life, are creating more pressure than is safe or useful for you to do well. Left unaddressed, the symptoms may increase in severity until they cannot be ignored. Addressing all the causes of high blood pressure are both respectful to your health, and can save your life.

Potential Contributors to High Blood Pressure:

  • Emotional Stress
  • Dietary Stress
  • Lack of exercise or stress relieving activities
  • Fluid retention or poor kidney function

Emotional Stress

Emotional stress often arises in areas of our life where we have the greatest responsibility with the least amount of control over outcomes and we feel obligated to stay in the situation even if it clearly isn’t working for us. Take a kind look your life objectively, as if you were looking over the life details of a friend. Make a list of those areas in your life. Even if you may not be able to change them radically right away, there may be some incremental shifts you can start right now that can reduce the stress of them. If they feel insurmountable, this could be a good indicator to bring in some professional help to re-shape your life in a way that supports your happiness and health.

Dietary Stress

For most people, lots of fresh vegetables, high quality meat or other protein sources, moderate fruit, grains, dairy and healthy fats are the best diet. The key is to eat well and deeply enjoy your food. Food is a pleasure, it’s family, it’s social, culture, and community, as well as nourishment. It’s vital to eat well and allow yourself the enjoyment of food. This relaxed state of eating allows better digestion and less stress.

Exercise

Movement or exercise is a basic component of health. Imagine of you never took your dog for a walk. They would probably go crazy, then drive you crazy, then become sick and sad. I hate to break it to you, but you are more like your dog than you know! Any kind of movement, even simple walking, improves all of your physical and mental functions. Blood flows, digestion moves, oxygen comes in, relaxing brain chemicals get released, making everything work better and more easily. If walking isn’t your thing, try swimming, biking, stretching, rolling around on the floor, you get the idea. Not only will you feel better in every way, you can also lower your blood pressure.

Kidney Function

Most people know from past testing or exams if they have kidney disease or low function, but some do not. It’s always a good idea to have a yearly physical and check up with your doctor. This helps develop a baseline and helps catch things quickly if they go out of normal range.

Applying a Holistic Approach in the Treatment of High Blood Pressure

Here are some ways we can treat high blood pressure holistically:

  • Stress reduction via breathing, counseling, meditation, exercise
  • Dietary shifts to whole, unprocessed foods low in sodium and eliminating saturated fats
  • Medications  
  • Herbal Medicines
  • Acupuncture

Medications vs. Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture

Western medicine, herbs, lifestyle and acupuncture can all work together to lower blood pressure. We want to help you optimize diet, exercise, stress control, and all lifestyle factors that could contribute to your diagnosis.

Once you have spoken with your primary care doctor, see if it is appropriate for you to incorporate acupuncture and herbs with Giulietta into your treatment plan for high blood pressure.

ADDITIONAL LEARNING

Using Acupuncture and Breathwork to Lower Blood Pressure

One of the most effective acupuncture points for lowering blood pressure is Kidney 1. It is in the very center of the underside of both feet. Using guided imagery breathwork to activate this point can dramatically lower blood pressure. Let’s try it!

Lie down in a comfortable spot. Picture your the bottom of your feet in your mind’s eye. Now imagine that there’s a big lovely mouth on the sole of each foot. Give it a great big smile if you like. (It’s ok to laugh, this is silly!)

Now imagine that you are only breathing from these two big mouths, one on the bottom of each foot. Your feet may start to feel very large and tingly at this point. That’s good.

With each inhale, all the air comes in from the bottom of your feet, up through your body and then with each exhale, all the air drains back out, down through your feet.

Imagine each breath washing over you and sending out any heat, tension or frustration down and out through the bottoms of your feet. Each inhale feels cool and refreshing, releasing any tension anywhere in the body.

Take as long as you like with this exercise. It’s a great mid-afternoon or end of the day reset.

Acupuncture During Cold and Flu Season at WholeFamily MD!

The combination of a busy year and all the fires this fall has seen more families affected by an early cold and flu season. Don’t let that be you!

In Chinese Medicine, this is the season to strengthen the lungs and immune system. Our in-house acupuncturist, Giulietta Octavio, LAc, DACM, has effective protocols for preventing or reducing the severity of colds, cough, flu, and congestion. Ask her or your physician if these are appropriate treatments for you and your family. A few simple interventions now can make all the difference in helping you get through the holidays and the cold and flu season feeling great.

Schedule your immune focused treatment with Dr. Giulietta Octavio, today.