Can Chiropractic Adjustments Lower High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure is one of the most dangerous symptoms your body can face. It is often called the “silent killer” due to the fact that many people do not realize—and therefore do not treat—high blood pressure until it is too late. If you suspect you may have high blood pressure, book an appointment with a physician as soon as possible. Your physician will be able to recommend treatments to lower your blood pressure, which is essential for improving your health.

One of the more up-and-coming possible treatment methods for high blood pressure is chiropractic adjustments. But can they really lower your high blood pressure? Let’s take a closer look first at high blood pressure and then whether or not it is possible to lower your high blood pressure through regular chiropractic adjustment sessions.

Symptoms of High Blood Pressure

As it was mentioned before, high blood pressure is often called the “silent killer.” This is because most people do not realize they have high blood pressure due to the fact that high blood pressure rarely causes noticeable symptoms. Many people have dangerously high blood pressure for years and never realize it due to high blood pressure’s subtle impact on the body.

However, there are some factors which indicate you have a higher risk for high blood pressure. These factors are:

• Obesity
• Family history of high blood pressure or heart problems
• Diabetes
• Tobacco use
• Alcohol use
• Poor diet

You should have your blood pressure checked regularly at doctor’s appointments regardless of whether or not you fulfill one or more of the above risk factors.

Dangers of High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is extremely dangerous and needs to be controlled and treated as soon as possible. The consequences of high blood pressure include:

• Damage to your arteries, which can result in life-threatening and even fatal aneurysms
• Damage to your heart, which can cause coronary artery disease, enlarged heart, heart failure
• Damage to your brain, including mini strokes, strokes, cognitive impairment and even dementia
• Damage to your kidneys, including kidney failure, kidney scarring and kidney artery aneurysms
• Damage to your eyes, including nerve damage, vision loss, eye blood vessel damage

Impact of Chiropractic Adjustments on High Blood Pressure

There are a myriad of treatment options out there for high blood pressure—could chiropractic adjustments be one of them?

A recent controlled study suggests that yes; certain types of chiropractic adjustments can lower blood pressure to a significant degree. The study, led by George Bakris, MD, involved treating half a patient group with a specific chiropractic adjustment technique, and the other half (the control group) with a fake technique. The study found that the 25 patients who received the real adjustment had significantly lower blood pressure than the patients who received the fake adjustment in just 8 weeks. The patients who received the real adjustment saw an average drop in 14 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure and an average 8 mm Hg drop in diastolic blood pressure.

If you are interested in having chiropractic adjustments as part of your high blood pressure treatment plan, consult with your physician and Chiropractor today.

For more information, contact the local experts at All Health Chiropractic today. We have 2 convenient Cleveland, Ohio area locations to serve you.