Chiropractic Care and High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is defined as the amount of pressure in the circulatory system (blood pushing against the vessels) that exceeds normal levels. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury. 120/80 mm Hg is the norm, with anything greater than 130/90 mmHg being considered high. Oftentimes, high blood pressure has no visible signs or symptoms and is only detectable with direct measurement.

High blood pressure is very hard on the heart and entire circulatory system, leading to unnecessary strain and increasing likelihood of other heart disease issues like stroke and heart attack. Heart disease can lead to poor health, decreased quality of life, and even early death. With one in every three adults having high blood pressure, heart disease continues to be one of the leading causes of death in the U.S.

Treatment Options for High Blood Pressure

Conventional medical care for treating high blood pressure involves medication. There are a wide variety of medications, all with a long list of possible side effects that can also drastically affect quality of life.

As a nation, issues with obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and poor nutrition are causing preventable heart problems like high blood pressure to skyrocket. Thus, the most cost-efficient treatments that yield the best quality of life are related to lifestyle modification. These include:

• Regular exercise. Shooting for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week.
• Good nutrition. Generally, a whole foods, plant-based diet (low in sodium and processed foods) is best for reducing heart disease risk.
• High quality sleep. Go for greater than 7 hours that leaves you feeling well rested.
• Stress management techniques. This might include relaxation, meditation, exercise, social time and more.
• Weight loss. Talk to your doctor about what your optimal weight is (don’t base it off body mass index (BMI)).
• Chiropractic Care. A lesser known option that packs a major punch of benefits.

Many of these treatments are well known to the general public. Many people are surprised to learn about the immense benefits that chiropractic care may potentially have on their heart health and high blood pressure.

How Chiropractic May Naturally Help You Manage High Blood Pressure

There are many factors that go into developing high blood pressure. Ultimately, this results in an overworked heart and overstressed body. Did you know that damaged or impaired neural circuits in the body can affect your heart health? Neural input affects blood vessel dilation and constriction, hormone balance, heart rate and so much more.

This neural input comes from the thoracic spine, or midback, and it is vital for organ health and proper function. The thoracic spine houses the autonomic nervous system, or ANS, the system responsible for automatic body and organ regulation. This system is what keeps up breathing, digesting, and heart pumping without an ounce of conscious thought.

When nerve flow is compromised, it can affect this complicated system and the chain of command it is in charge of. By now, you’re probably starting to wonder how you can impact your own nerve flow and heart health? The short answer is spinal alignment.

How Spinal Alignment Effects High Blood Pressure

Spinal misalignment can be caused by a whole array of issues including poor postural habits, obesity, sport injuries, work injuries, and car accidents. Any of these problems, whether you realize it or not, can lead to spinal misalignment and impaired nerve flow or energy. This directly compromises the ANS and can lead to problems with essential body functions, one of these being proper regulation of blood pressure.

Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) is the leading, research-based, results-oriented treatment option available for addressing spinal misalignment. This gentle, safe, and non-invasive holistic approach recognizes spine health as the base for preventing all other health problems. When spinal alignment is restored, it can drastically improve the body’s ability to carry out normal organ function.

Chiropractic Care May Help Manage Your High Blood Pressure

It has been shown that even just one chiropractic adjustment may have positive results on high blood pressure due to the changes in neural input that occur. Dr. Rob Privratsky at the Minneapolis Chiropractic Center is one of few CBP certified clinicians in the nation. Talk to his team today to see if chiropractic treatment might be right for managing your high blood pressure.

Treatment options will focus around restoring spinal misalignment with manipulation, soft tissue therapy, exercise, and more. The program will be personalized to fit your specific needs. Additionally, a chiropractor can guide you in holistic health practices related to weight loss, safe exercise, proper nutrition, stress management and more.

High blood pressure is known as the “silent” killer because of the nonexistent or vague symptoms that occur with it. Plus, it is extremely hard to predict more serious heart problems in the future. It may leave you feeling like a ticking time bomb. Take control of your health and schedule an appointment with Dr. Privratsky – chiropractor in Minneapolis today.

Chiropractic BioPhysics, or CBP, is one of the most scientific, researched, and results-oriented corrective care techniques. CBP-trained chiropractors aim to realign the spine back to health, eliminating nerve interference and addressing the source of pain, fatigue, and disease. As with all chiropractic care, CBP is gentle, painless, and non-invasive.