Today great emphasis is placed on the early detection and control of high blood pressure.  Chiropractors agree that high blood pressure is certainly deleterious to the human body, but we want to emphasize that it really is not a disease in itself, it is a symptom!  It indicates that something is wrong in the human body necessitating the increased pressure within the blood vascular system. Often the reason for a rise in blood pressure is vasoconstriction.  In plain words, the blood vessels tighten up and constrict.  Thus the blood vascular tubes are of smaller diameter and therefore to maintain proper blood flow the heart increases its action and pressure builds up in the blood vascular system.

Thickness of the blood has been implicated in high blood pressure and therefore a diet low in salt and cholesterol has been advised.  Weight loss too, is usually suggested. As it is often stated that for every pound of excess fat there is required another mile of blood vessels.  Smoking has been shown to increase the flow of epinephrine, a hormone that constricts blood vessels and thus raises the blood pressure.  All of these things are implicated in high blood pressure but the fact remains, not everybody who uses a lot of salt and eats fatty foods has high blood pressure.  Not everyone who is over weight has high blood pressure and many people who smoke have normal blood pressure readings. So although it is good to keep your diet low in salt and fats and it certainly is good to watch your weight and refrain from smoking. . . these things alone are not the complete cause of high blood pressure. 

 

 

 

Yes, the nervous system is the controller over all other systems of the body.  The hormonal system, the immune system, the digestive system, etc., all depend on the nervous system to correlate, coordinate and control body functions.  In the case of high blood pressure, the nervous system increases and decreases the heart rate, it controls the diameter of the blood vessels, the flow of hormones and the strength of the heart contractions, thus controlling the pressure in the blood vascular system.

Chiropractic throughout its nearly 100 years of existence, has shown positive results in many cases of high blood pressure.  Case studies* have revealed that there is often a spontaneous drop in blood pressure immediately following a chiropractic spinal adjustment.  Many patients go regularly to chiropractors simply to help control their blood pressure.  Through spinal adjustments the nervous system tends to normalize, nerve pressures caused by vertebral subluxations (misalignments) are relieved and eliminated.  The body relaxes with improved nerve flow and the result is blood vascular relaxation and a lowering of the blood pressure.

 

Certainly there are a multitude of causes in respect to high blood pressure.  Organic problems such as heart and liver disease may be involved and a complete medical examination is often called for.  But if the reasons for your high blood pressure have been summarily dismissed as hypertension, or if no real cause is found, then why not try chiropractic care. Just taking drugs the rest of your life is the common medical solution, and the deleterious side effects of blood pressure drugs are very well known.