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Acupuncture, the Essence of Whole Body Medicine

heart failure care management

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke. Middle-aged Americans face a staggering 90 percent chance of developing the condition, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Currently, about 70 million American adults have high blood pressure – that’s approximately 1 in 3 adults.

If you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you can certainly bring your numbers down with mediation, but making lifestyle changes can also help lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease.

A great alternative to medication for relieving hypertension includes ancient Chinese technique of acupuncture. Acupuncture has also been found to reduce chronically elevated blood pressure. A study published last year in the journal Medical Acupuncture examined the effectiveness of acupuncture in lowering blood pressure for hypertensive patients. Researchers found that after eight weeks, patients treated with acupuncture showed significantly decreased blood pressure numbers (Li, et al. Medical Acupuncture. 2015; 27(4): 253-266).

How Does Acupuncture Help With Heart Problems?

An increasing number of Americans are seeking additional health care outside mainstream Western medicine. Some medical doctors have chosen to incorporate integrative medicine within their practices.

It is clear that acceptance of acupuncture is growing, not only amongst the general public, but also in the medical community. There are many applications and treatments that are made possible by acupuncture, because it addresses wellness from the whole body perspective.

A 4,000-YEAR OLD MEDICAL CUSTOM

Acupuncture’s origins reach back to China’s Han Empire during the reign of the Yellow Emperor (2697 B.C.). The practice is based on a theory of meridians, or energy networks, where a kind of energy called Qi (pronounced “chee”) is thought to distribute to the physical body’s major organs. Along these meridians, Chinese physicians have marked out a collection of specific acupuncture points. There are 12 primary meridians, which are bilaterally proportionate, as well as a meridian in the midline both front & back; eight subsidiary meridians; with hundreds of acupressure points along them that are stimulated to treat various problems.

TREATMENT OF HEART DISEASE

There are many ways that acupuncture can be used by a cardiologist doctor to treat heart problems. In the Chinese schema of the body organ system there’s the heart and pericardium (the heart constrictor).Patients with hypertension and certain cardiovascular diseases may be able to lower their blood pressure. Using the same acupuncture points patients with low blood pressure are able to increase their blood pressure with acupuncture.Other potential treatments include reducing myocardial ischemia (a deficiency of blood supply to the heart) and heart arrhythmias. In these cases acupuncture blunts the need for increased oxygen in the heart, but it doesn’t dilate coronary blood vessels. Acupuncture may also  be very helpful for those that are ready to become non-smokers and further their desire to enhance their overall health.

Are you interested in seeing an acupuncturist? 

Janis Wong Perez is a Licensed Acupuncturist and Doctor of Oriental medicine since 1982. She also has a background as a Registered Nurse, graduating with a BSN, and having worked in the critical care and school nursing areas.

Learn more about acupuncture treatments from our top holistic doctors in Los Angeles and Burbank. Give our office a call at 818-842-1410 to request your appointment. For even more acupuncture tips, methods and information visit us at www.drcynthia.com 

About the author

Dr. Cynthia Thaik, M.D., FACC is a Harvard-trained cardiologist serving the greater Los Angeles community at her holistic health center in Burbank and Valencia, CA. Dr. Thaik is the author of Your Vibrant Heart: Restoring Health, Strength, and Spirit from the Body’s Core. To learn more about Dr. Thaik or the Holistic Healing Heart Center, or to schedule an appointment, please contact info@drcynthia.com or call (818) 842-1410.

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