Your arteries are the pipes that carry blood from your heart to the rest of your body. Your blood pressure indicates how quickly your blood moves through your arteries.
To prevent heart disease and stroke, you should have your blood pressure taken at least once every year by your health care provider to assess whether you have high blood pressure. However, your blood pressure fluctuates throughout the day; to get the best assessment, you might need to have your blood pressure taken several times while in a quiet setting where you are comfortable.
High blood pressure (hypertension) occurs when your blood moves through your arteries at a higher pressure than normal and is defined as a systolic (the higher number when the heart contracts) of 140 or higher and diastolic (the lower number when the heart relaxes) of 90 or higher. High blood pressure that can be linked to a specific cause, such as a disease or drug, is called secondary hypertension. But, most often the exact cause isn’t known.
In a study investigating chiropractic medicine and high blood pressure that included 50 patients, subjects were asked to stop taking their blood pressure medications two weeks before participating in the study. Results showed that the patients who were adjusted in the cervical spine (neck) went from a systolic pressure of 147 to 129.8 and a diastolic pressure of 92.5 to 82.2 with the treatment. Without the treatment, patients’ blood pressure remained virtually the same.
Another very effective ways to stave off high blood pressure is with massage therapy. A number of long term studies have shown that a consistent massage program can decrease both diastolic and systolic blood pressure; decrease salivary and urinary cortisol stress-hormone levels; and lower sources for depression, anxiety and hostility.
As is the intent with all massage programs, the ultimate goal lies in a pain free and relaxing lifestyle. Controlling blood pressure is just one of the added benefits of massage therapy.
