Under Pressure
We’re sure you’re aware that a huge number of us have high blood pressure, but were you aware of just how staggering that number is?
A whopping 75 million Americans (1 in 3 adults!) suffer from high blood pressure or "hypertension", and most of them are on prescription drugs to treat it-
but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. What exactly is high blood pressure and why is it such a pervasive issue? What can you do about it and how can those who need it find help that won’t hurt them?
High blood pressure is a condition where the continuous pressure of blood against arterial walls at a high enough level causes concern as it damages the blood vessels and even other organs eventually leading to health problems such as heart disease and stroke (the first and third leading causes of death in the US).
Blood pressure readings that measure higher than 140 Systolic and 90 Diastolic (higher than 140/90) are considered high and should be looked into by a medical professional.
Pre-hypertension is a Systolic measurement of 121-139 and diastolic measurement of 81-89. Many medical doctors prescribe medications for their patients when they are in a pre-hypertension range, however, the standard treatment protocol of prescription treatment has some inherent problems many people taking these medications are not aware of.
Blood pressure medications may increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.
There is an obvious flaw in the traditional prescription treatment methods for high blood pressure. Clearly, the purpose of these medications is to decrease blood pressure to a safe level with the goal of decreasing the probability of the patient having a heart attack or stroke. We’re sure many patients taking these medications have this goal and would be very interested to learn that while these prescriptions may decrease blood pressure, many have not been found to decrease chances of stroke or heart attack. Some even increase your risk!
On top of that concern, side-effects many suffer from the not-so-concerning “light cough” to very concerning “vomiting” and “severe rash”. Many people experience an obvious decrease in quality of life due to these side-effects, but we’re happy to say that there is good news....
Of course everybody knows that simple exercise (aerobic is best!) significantly decreases risk for heart attack and stroke, but let’s get into even more good news that you may not be aware of.
Did you know that upper cervical (upper neck)chiropractic adjustments have been shown to lower blood pressure almost as much as taking two blood pressure medications?
Chiropractic has a range of benefits, but specifically helping with high blood pressure is not something many people think of when they think of adjustments.
If you are already on these concerning medications, we implore you not to drop them without consulting your medical doctor. We do recommend that you look into the above options, as well as options for balancing your body’s natural chemistry and aiding your digestion and absorption of foods to bring your blood pressure down naturally and then working with your medical doctor to see if he can safely reduce and even eliminate your toxic blood pressure medications when the time is right.
If you want to look further into the above supportive-care methods, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re always here to help you on your journey to wellness and love answering questions.
In Health,
The Human Engine Clinic
408.984.7444
