Empowering Better Health With Chiropractic Care: The Importance of Lowering Your Blood Pressure
Statistics about high blood pressure are quite shocking. In 2021 alone, high blood pressure contributed to or caused 691,095 deaths in America. Moreover, close to half of all individuals 18 or older had hypertension in that same year, as noted by statistics provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, making these individuals at risk for a number of possible complications if left unmanaged.
Fortunately, you can take steps naturally to lower your blood pressure. But, we’d like to encourage you to always consult with your primary care physician (PCP) before seeking any alternative methods. This guide is merely to help you understand the dangers of hypertension and see that chiropractic care from Precision Spinal Care, serving Chelsea, MI, and the surrounding region, may help.
High Blood Pressure Defined
Hypertension is a word that describes a blood pressure reading that’s higher than healthy. Consistent readings over 130/80 mean you’re prehypertensive and are at risk for becoming hypertensive, which is when you have consistent readings with a top number over 140 and/or a bottom number over 90.
Your physician may refer to the severity of your case in stages. Stage I is prehypertensive, and stage II is hypertensive.
Hypertension Dangers
The reason high blood pressure is dangerous has to do with the fact that abnormally high pressure against the arterial walls is damaging to the vessels and overworks the heart.
Moreover, high blood pressure puts you at risk for a heart attack or stroke. Additionally, as the blood weakens the arterial walls, it increases your likelihood of developing an aneurysm. Other issues it may contribute to include the following:
- Heart failure
- Kidney problems
- Vision issues
- Dementia
Managing Your High Blood Pressure
Luckily, with good habits, such as regulating your weight, exercising, quitting smoking, and getting enough rest, you can better manage your blood pressure.
Our Chelsea chiropractor or your PCP can educate you about ways to lower your blood pressure based on your specific needs, such as how much exercise is ideal and what types of physical activities you can perform safely.
You may have already known this and have been doing it for quite some time to manage your hypertension or prevent prehypertension from progressing to stage II. No matter the case, chiropractic care may be able to help.
Yes, we said it… chiropractic care is useful for more than just backaches and neck pain. We’re sure you want proof of this. One example is a Chicago study conducted on 50 individuals. Each one of these people had a misaligned Atlas vertebra, which is one that’s high in the neck.
With the specialized NUCCA chiropractic adjustment, these individuals saw a significant reduction in blood pressure, which was the same as taking two different blood pressure drugs simultaneously.
Another study about Atlas alignment showed similar results. This particular one focused on 50 people, all of whom were prehypertensive. Of those, 25 were given cervical manipulation and 25 received a placebo treatment. The results of this 2007 study conducted showed a significant reduction in blood pressure in the people who received chiropractic care.
You can read more about chiropractic care and hypertension on our page. We encourage you to reach out to us with any questions. We’d also like to let you know we’ll conduct a thorough evaluation of your medical history, physical health, etc. to ensure this treatment is safe for you before trying this alignment to help with your high blood pressure.
So, if you’re ready to schedule a visit to discuss if this treatment is right for you, contact us today at 734-433-9564. You may also use our online contact form.
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