Blood pressure refers to the force of blood against the walls of arteries carrying blood throughout the body. Blood fills the arteries and creates pressure just like water creates pressure when it fills a garden hose. With normal amounts of pressure, everything functions smoothly. When too much pressure is created, it can damage the arteries which can lead to heart disease, heart attacks and stroke. High blood pressure also makes the heart work harder to pump blood to all areas of the body.
There are certain symptoms to watch for with high blood pressure including:
The specific causes of high blood pressure are not known. However, there are many factors that play a major role in the development of high blood pressure including:
In addition, medical studies point towards misalignments of the spine as a contributing cause of high blood pressure as further described below.
WebMD Health News published a report on a study conducted which shows how a specific chiropractic adjustment can significantly lower blood pressure. The leader of the study, Dr. George Bakris, MD, who is the director of the University of Chicago Hypertension Center stated:
“This procedure (chiropractic adjustment) has the effect of not one, but two blood pressure medications given in combination and it seems to be adverse event free. We saw no side effects and no problems.”
X-rays of patients in the study showed the chiropractic adjustment properly aligned the C-1 or Atlas Vertebra. The Atlas Vertebra is the vertebra at the top of the spine.
Dr. Michael Dickholtz of the Chiropractic Health Center in Chicago performed the Atlas adjustment in the above referenced study and explained:
“At the base of the brain are two centers that control all the muscles of the body. If you pinch the base of the brain – if the Atlas gets locked in a position as little as a half a millimeter out of line – it doesn’t cause any pain but it upsets these centers,
The research study suggests misalignment of the C-1 vertebra by as little as millimeters can affect blood flow at the base of the skull triggering the release of signals that cause arteries to contract and blood pressure to increase.
The study was commenced after a medical doctor who was referring patients to a chiropractor noticed how the patients’ blood pressure normalized and they were able to stop taking their blood pressure medications.
The complete study on the Atlas chiropractic adjustment and lowering blood pressure can be found on the Journal of Human Hypertension website.
Chiropractic care focuses on the health and function of the body’s spine and central nervous system. When the body’s spine and central nervous system are optimized and 100% healthy, all systems within the body perform correctly and without pain. When there are interferences or misalignments (known as subluxations) in the spine, the systems of the body are not able to function at peak levels which can lead to numerous health issues, including high blood pressure.
But don’t just take our word for it, read what one of patients had to say about how we were able to help him with high blood pressure:
“I came to Dr. Baker back in February. I was having neck pain and my blood pressure was elevated. After doing some x-rays, we found out my neck had no curvature, my hips were off by 14 millimeters which is a lot in the chiropractic field and my back needed some adjusting. Since then Dr. Baker has been able to decrease my neck pain and reduce my blood pressure to a normal level.
I also want to comment on Dr. Baker’s staff. They are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. They definitely make you feel like you’re at home when you’re in the office. They are always willing to help you and answer any questions that you may have. I wish more doctors’ offices were like Dr. Baker’s office.” – C. Weber
There are solutions for high blood pressure that do not require prescription medications. Please give us a call at (513) 561-2273 or Schedule an Appointment at one of our four Cincinnati area office locations.
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