Acupuncture and Hypertension

Sticking it to High Blood Pressure

with Acupuncture
Acupuncture

• Acupuncture is among the oldest healing practices in the

world - based on the concept that disease results from
disruption in the flow of qi and imbalance in the forces of yin
and yang.
• High blood pressure cures are not part of traditional
acupuncture
• Research into acupuncture techniques as high blood
pressure remedies progresses.
Research into High Blood Pressure
Remedies
University of Texas Southwest Medical
Center (2004)
• Eleven patients with normal to mild
hypertension received electrical
acupuncture
• No evidence of persistent, long
term blood pressure reduction.
Stop Hypertension with the
Acupuncture Research Program
(SHARP)
• 192 participants with untreated
moderate to severe hypertension
• Three treatments: individualized
traditional Chinese acupuncture,
standardized acupuncture at
preselected points, or invasive
sham acupuncture
• No benefit was detected.
On the Positive Side

Susan Samueli Center for American Journal of

Integrative Medicine (2007) Hypertension (2009)
• showed acupuncture can • Evaluated eleven
help normalize blood acupuncture trials,
pressure. including Chinese and
• slow onset and prolonged German results
effect • Overall results were
• lowered elevations in mixed.
blood pressure by as much • Significant reductions at
as 40 percent eight weeks
Consider acupuncture a potential high
blood pressure remedy?

There are no blood pressure cures. But

acupuncture remains a possible - and for
many patients a viable - part of their
complementary treatment regime.

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