How to reduce high blood pressure? Actually there are many ways to achieve that naturally without side effects as medications do.

To diagnose high blood pressure is easy, normal blood pressure at rest is within the range of 100-140mmHg systolic (top reading) and 60-90mmHg diastolic (bottom reading). If someone persistent has top number( systolic pressure) 140 or above or the bottom number(a diastolic pressure) of 90 or above, he/she can be diagnosed as having high blood pressure. Doctor normally will give prescriptions to bring those numbers down.

How to reduce high brood pressure without relying on medication? Here’s what you can do:

1. Having healthy lifestyle, and it plays an important role in treating your high blood pressure. Which include–

A . Exercise regularly. At least 30 to 60 minutes most days of the week can lower your blood pressure by 4 to 9 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). And it doesn’t take long to see a difference.

B. Having sufficient sleep. Yes insufficient sleep cause many health problems include high blood pressure.

C. Eat a healthy diet. Based on Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet plan you should eat a diet that is rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products and skimps on saturated fat and cholesterol. By having a healthy diet can lower your blood pressure by up to 12 mm Hg.

D. Don’t drink too much and don’t smoke. Having small amounts of alcohol can potentially lower your blood pressure but if you drink too much it can raise your blood pressure.

E. Reduce your stress and be happy. Stress is a common cause for high blood pressure and many other health issues. Read my other posts regarding how to be happier and less stress.

2. As Acupuncturist, I would like to introduce Acupressure certain acupuncture points to reduce your blood pressure and it’s very effective.

a. 百会穴 Bai Hui (GV20)

baihui

Main point for headache, dizziness, eye pain and redness, irritability, hypertension from excess yang in the upper body, often occuring with patterns of excess Liver yang or Liver fire. Combine with lower body points such as LV 2, LV 3, KD 1, GB 34, GB 41.
Main point for internal wind which has some overlapping indications with the above entry, for headaches, dizziness, visual dizziness, tinnitus, vertex pain, windstroke, seizures.
Main point for prolapse, anal, uterine, vaginal; main point for hemorrhoids.
Tong Ren/Tam Healing System: Used to effect the association area (related to emotions, memory, behavior), useful for low energy, yang energy imbalances, parkinson’s, alzheimer’s, motor control issues.

b. 风池穴 Feng Chi (GB20)

feng chi

Dispel Exterior or Interior Wind – (exterior) – fever/chills, stiff neck; (internal) – paralysis, twitching, tremors, numbness, dizziness, vertigo.
# All issues of the head, brain (seizures, memory, mental/neurological disorders), face, throat and sense organs (eyes, ears, nose, tongue).
# Headache, especially occipital.
# Eye issues.
# Issues of the neck, shoulders a/or upper back – pain, weakness, stiffness.
# Hypertension, especially with LV Yang Rising.
# Tong Ren/Tam Healing System: Used most often in conjunction with the huatuo points of C1 and C2 to open the spinal cord, generally used to relieve neck tension.

c. 太冲穴 Tai Chong( LR3)

Tai Chong

Generally, resolves stagnation and tonifies Yin – balancing for all LV pathologies.
# LV Qi Stagnation / LV Yang Rising – headaches, dizziness, canker sores.         # Eye issues – blurred vision, red, swollen, painful eyes.           # Menstrual issues from Deficient Blood, Yin, Qi a/or LV Qi Stagnation – dysmennorrhea, amenorrhea, PMS, breast tenderness.       # Genital issues – pain/swelling, hernia, impotence, semianl emission.
# Stagnation in the middle warmer – subcostal tension, chest/flank pain, swellings in the axillary region.                               # Digestive issues from LV attacking ST/SP – nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea w/ undigested food.                           # Calming point – anger, irritability, insomnia, anxiety.             # With LI 4, four gates treatment – powerfully effects the flow of Qi and Blood in the body.                                               # Tong Ren/Tam Healing System: Important point to descend energy in the body, generally used after qi gong exercises, energy healing sessions, etc. Helps to avoid qi gong sickness (or running fire) where energy is stuck in the upper part of the head/body and causes issues such as shortness of breath, psychological issues, headache, etc.

d. 涌泉穴 Yong Quan(KI1)

Yong Quan

Actions & Effects:
# Descends excess from above, useful for LV Yang Rising or LV Fire – headaches, tinnitus, hypertension, epilepsy.
# Cooling KD empty heat – chronic sore throat, dry mouth, low back pain.
# Tonify KD/HT Yin – insomnia, palpitations, anxiety, poor memory, mania, rage w/desire to kill, hot flashes, night sweats.
# Loss of consciousness, yang collapse.
# Tong Ren/Tam Healing System: Used to descend the energy in the body particularly after qi gong exercises, energy healing sessions, etc. Useful for headache, nausea, insomnia, etc.

e. 曲池穴 Quchi(LI11)

qu chi

Actions & Effects:
· Reduction of high fevers, patients with the 4 bigs, combine with LI 1, LI 2 or LI 4.
· Damp Heat skin diseases, red, itchy, oozing & inflamed (hives, herpes zoster, acne), may be used with UB 40 for any skin disease.
· ST Excess Issues, burning diarrhea.
· Elbow and upper limb disorders, pain and inflammation, atrophy, tremors – expels wind dampness from the channel.
· Hot flashes a/or menstrual issues with heat in the Blood.
· Expels summer heat with UB 40 & SP 10, for heat stroke add SI 3.
· Tong Ren/Tam Healing System: Useful for any blood circulation issue (raynaud’s, anemia, etc.), skin problems (hives, itchiness), tennis elbow.

In order to get excellent results from pressing those acupuncture points, you should know which are the main factors to cause your high blood pressure and choose the best combination of these and other points. To diagnose the cause is out of the scope of this article and it’s our professional practice to do so, but believe me, for you as patients those points will do good jobs for you.

3. Reflexology to reduce high blood pressure.

reflexology

Reflexology is simple to do and without any side effects and many benefits not only in controlling blood pressure, but to an overall body system. By massaging reflex areas of Heart, Liver, Kidney, and Lungs. If you find any pain, numbness in this area, then special attention should give to that area. Because a different sensation indicates, there is some simple problem with that organ. If that particular point shows any positive change after the massage, then increases the frequency of massage to that location. Otherwise, discard that reflex point from your massage. Please note some conditions not recommend to use this method, like people with recent or healing fractures, unhealed wounds, or active gout affecting the foot should avoid reflexology and also not used for pregnant women..

Hope you can reduce high blood pressure naturally before taking herbals or any medications.