Modern life can be very hectic, with work and family commitments, endless emails, and constant messages on our phones. When we get stressed out, our blood pressure can rise, and we can develop hypertension, which isn’t good for our health.
High Blood Pressure – a Risk Factor for Stroke
When things get too much for us, we sometimes forget to pay enough attention to looking after ourselves, and we may eat and drink too much and not do enough exercise. If this goes on for too long, it can impact our health.
In particular, it can lead to high blood pressure. This can be a real problem because high blood pressure, or hypertension, is a risk factor for stroke and other heart diseases that play a role in about 1 in 5 deaths worldwide.
For people with high blood pressure, the best thing they can usually do to help themselves is to make changes to their lifestyle, like reducing the amount of salt they eat, getting active, drinking less alcohol, and eating a healthy diet rich in organic fruit and vegetables.
These lifestyle modifications often work as well as or better than taking blood pressure drugs. One other healthcare option that some people turn to when they have it is chiropractic care.
Research Study – Journal of Human Hypertension Study
The patients who received the real chiropractic care showed a significant drop in blood pressure.
A study that reported some quite startling results that were published in the Journal of Human Hypertension and gained quite a lot of exposure in the press when it was published.
In this study, researchers did a randomised controlled trial with fifty patients with early-stage high blood pressure. Half of them received specific chiropractic care focused on the top of their neck for eight weeks, and the other half received sham or pretend chiropractic care.
The researchers were interested in seeing whether the group that received real chiropractic care significantly reduced blood pressure compared to the control group. After eight weeks, the patients who received chiropractic care showed a significant drop in blood pressure compared to those who received pretend chiropractic care.
The average decrease for the real adjustment group was an extraordinary 17 mmHg for systolic blood pressure and 10 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure. This improvement is similar to what happens when two different blood pressure drugs are given together.
This study achieved some remarkable results, but like all studies, it has its limitations. For example, it studied an uncommon type of chiropractic technique provided by only a single chiropractor. It was also unclear how sound the study’s methods were, and follow-up studies have failed to find the same results.
Research reviews point out that more high-quality research is needed to better understand the effects of different types of chiropractic techniques and whether they really impact blood pressure. However, this single study does suggest that, for some people with hypertension, some types of chiropractic care may help them better control their blood pressure.
How Chiropractic May Influence Blood Pressure
Remember that the chiropractor isn’t directly trying to treat their blood pressure. Instead, they’re trying to improve spinal function, to improve your brain’s ability to regulate what’s going on in your body. And for some people, this may influence their blood pressure.
So, if you’re feeling stressed out, over-busy, or not looking after yourself as well as you could, take some steps towards living a healthier lifestyle and get your spine checked so you can function at your best. Contact our practice today to schedule an appointment with Harvey Young.
References
1. Lackland & Weber. Global burden of cardiovascular disease and stroke: Hypertension at the core. The Canadian Journal of Cardiology 2015;31(5):569-71.
2. Whelton et al. Jama 2002;288(15):1882-8.
3. Williams et al. J Hum Hypertens 2004;18(3):139-85.
4. Bakris et al. J Hum Hypertens 2007;21(5):347-52.
5. Clar et al. Chiropr Man Therap 2014;22(1):12.
6. Bronfort et al. Chiropr Osteopat 2010;18:3.
Disclaimer: Our educational content is not meant to replace your medical treatment. Always seek professional advice for your health-related issues.