High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, occurs when the force of the blood flowing through the blood vessels, is consistently too high. Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mmHg. If your blood pressure readings are between 120/80 mmHg and 140/90 mmHg, it could mean you’re at risk of developing high blood pressure.
The higher your blood pressure, the more likely you are to have other health problems, such as heart disease and stroke.
Consider the following story: Annie, aged 57, is the head nurse of a New York hospital. One day she found her blood pressure ranged over 179 systolic and less than 110 diastolic. She decided to consult traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for acupuncture treatment as recommended by a colleague.
In TCM, qi (vital energy), blood, and body fluids are essential substances for life activities. Ensuring these essential substances are sufficient and circulating throughout the body is very important for health and well-being. Illnesses or other conditions are caused by the stagnation or lack of these substances.
The purpose of acupuncture is to stimulate the body’s systems by adjusting the flow of qi through the body.
In TCM, the concept of Yin and Yang serves as the foundation for understanding health, as well as diagnosing and treating illnesses. The dual relationship of Ying and Yang demonstrates that everything in the universe exists as connected and complementary, yet opposite elements. At the most basic and deep level, TCM treatment seeks to balance Yin and Yang in each person.
Annie is in menopause and has a very high-stress job. The TCM doctor found a yin deficiency in Annie’s liver and kidneys—essentially, the yin and yang were unbalanced. According to TCM, when people are over 50 years old, the yin of the liver becomes weak. For women over 49, the kidney qi will also begin to decline with age.
The treatment plan is to do acupuncture to nourish the liver and kidneys, and then to lower blood pressure. The body will be in the most effective state when yin and yang are balanced.
The doctor applied acupuncture to replenish her liver and kidneys on the points of Taichong, Taixi, Yinlingquan, and Zusanli and recommended two Chinese medicine prescriptions: Tianma Gouteng decoction to calm the liver and Er Zhi Wan for treating menopausal syndrome and a kidney-invigorating function. The doctor also recommended 16 ounces of a blended daily drink made with 60 percent celery juice, 25 percent jicama, five percent each of watercress, kale, and cucumber juices, and half a lemon.
After one month, Annie’s blood pressure had dropped to 147 (systolic) and 80 (diastolic).
This was a successful treatment case. The patient’s trust in TCM is also important. We made adjustments to her diet and prescribed herbs according to her symptoms and then gave her acupuncture treatment. She later brought in several nurses and colleagues to have their bodies adjusted with Chinese medicine.