Could an ancient treatment replace blood pressure meds?

There’s no question that blood pressure meds are among the most dangerous drugs out there.

But if you’re currently taking one, or your doctor is on your back about starting one, here’s some especially good news.

Researchers at the University of California Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine have not only confirmed that a type of acupuncture can lower blood pressure, but also found out exactly how it works.

And the best part is, the beneficial effects of these treatments last long enough to be used as a drug-free way to treat hypertension!

East meets West

Last year the results of a very new way to control blood pressure using a very old technique were announced.

It was the first time that acupuncture was scientifically confirmed to lower blood pressure… and in people, not lab rats! The results were so good that I’m sure Big Pharma is starting to get worried. After all, blood pressure meds are some of the biggest cash cows in pharma land.

UC cardiologist Dr. John Longhurst called the study “the culmination of more than a decade” of research that combined approaches from both Chinese and Western medicine.

The study was done using a special kind of acupuncture called electro-acupuncture, which uses needles attached to a device that sends a low-intensity electrical stimulation to various acupressure points.

The researchers applied the needles (which are inserted just a tiny bit into the skin) to different points on the wrist, forearm and legs. The best results occurred in the group whose needles were applied on both sides of the inner wrists and slightly below each knee.

The drop in blood pressure was considered significant enough to be called “clinically meaningful.” And researchers said it affected both peak and average systolic readings (the top number) over a 24-hour period.

Plus that, the beneficial effects lasted for up to six weeks!

But being that these are true scientists, the research didn’t stop there.

The UC investigators just completed another study to find out why this form of acupuncture works. And it turns out that when the needles are placed at the right points, it causes the body to release its own kind of opioid in the brain.

This brain chemical stimulation appears to be what’s behind the blood-pressure lowering effects of the treatments.

The use of electro-acupuncture only goes back around 70 years, but this newcomer has been used to treat many of the same conditions as the ancient version of acupuncture, especially for chronic pain.

In some ways, electro-acupuncture seems preferable – because the current allows for the stimulation of a larger area, the insertion of the needles doesn’t have to be as precise as it does with traditional acupuncture. And that means it has the potential to become widely available in a way that the very specialized, traditional version hasn’t – at least not yet, in the thousands of years it’s been in practice.

As I’ve been telling you over the past few years, the concept that an ancient practice such as acupuncture could be used in place of drugs – and have similar, or even better results – is now something that mainstream medicine can’t ignore any longer.

Even the feds are supporting the use of acupuncture for treatment of back pain and knee arthritis. Several months ago I told you about a big study out of Spain that found acupuncture can significantly alleviate the symptoms of fibromyalgia.

Who knows? In another few years, it may be as common in U.S. hospitals as it is now in China.

But you don’t have to wait for that to give it a try. Even if your health insurance policy doesn’t cover it right now (and more and more of them are adding it to their list of coverages), acupuncture sessions are generally not excessively expensive, have lasting effects, and can be taken as needed.

If you’re interested in trying acupuncture to lower your blood pressure, remember to share Dr. Longhurst’s findings with your acupuncturist so they know where to apply the treatment to be most effective.

You can read the full report here.

“Acupuncture lowers hypertension by activating opioids, study finds” University of California, Irvine, October 31, 2016, ScienceDaily, sciencedaily.com