Q. Dear Dr Harvey,
I recently found out that I have high blood pressure. My
M.D. said that if I can't lower it soon, I would have to take
blood pressure medicine. A friend of mine said that her
chiropractor helped to get her blood pressure under
control. Could you please explain how chiropractic could
help high blood pressure?

A. Blood pressure is something that all of us should have checked on a regular basis. It is increasingly important to have it checked as we age or if there is a family history of heart disease. Diseases of the cardiovascular system, such as heart attack, stroke and hypertension, are still the number-one killer in the United States. High blood pressure is usually a sign that something else is wrong with your body. Simply covering up the symptom with medication could have fatal results.

In dealing with the symptoms of high blood pressure or hypertension, it is our goal to find out what is causing the high blood pressure and treat that, not just to medicate the symptom. The possible causes of high blood pressure are many -- overweight, smoking, high stress, kidney problems, hardening of the arteries, lack of exercise, and poor diet, to name a few.

My patients often ask what normal blood pressure is. "Normal" differs for every person. Average is 120/80. High blood pressure or hypertension is considered to be anything over 140/90. If your blood pressure is higher than this, you should be under the care of a health professional and have your blood pressure checked regularly.

The chiropractic approach to high blood pressure is comprehensive. We want to treat the cause of the problem from many different aspects. The first priority is to get a comprehensive understanding of the patient's lifestyle. This includes diet, stress level, exercise, family history, etc. Then we do a complete exam and take x-rays to determine any interference in the nervous system. Once all the facts are gathered, we work out a multifaceted approach to treat the problem.

The results of this approach are very impressive. Various studies have shown that patients who receive spinal care discover a lowering of their blood pressure without the use of dangerous drugs. In fact, we find the blood pressure patient most difficult to treat is the one who has been on long-term blood pressure medicine use!

In conclusion, I feel strongly, based on personal experience and current research, that chiropractic care can be very successful in treating hypertension. Please treat your symptoms as a priority and get immediate care!

If I may be of any further assistance, please feel free to contact me
at my clinic.

Dr. Gregory D. Harvey, D.C., N.M.D., is the Founder/Director of the New Life Chiropractic Clinic in Solana Beach, CA, just north of San Diego. It is one of the largest clinics in Southern California.

©1999 New Life Chiropractic Clinic,Inc.
983 Lomas Santa Fe #G, Solana Beach,CA 92075
Phone:(619) 509-0800 Fax:(619) 509-9907

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