Chiropractic Care for Treating Blood Pressure

If you’re taking medication to lower your blood pressure (or considering drug therapy), you should be aware of the potential side effects of these drugs, and you should also be aware of an alternative treatment that doesn’t involve drugs.  A study performed in 2007 showed that chiropractic adjustments to the upper neck, the Atlas vertebra, performed as well as a two-drug combination therapy in significantly reducing elevated blood pressure levels.  The study also saw no side effects whatsoever from the chiropractic treatments – which is very typical of chiropractic care in general.  On the other hand, drug therapy for blood pressure control comes with some significant potential side effects.  First, let’s look at the study that was performed.

The Study
This placebo-controlled study, entitled Atlas vertebra realignment and achievement of arterial pressure goal in hypertensive patients, was performed in May of 2007 by the Department of Preventive Medicine at the Rush University Hypertension Center, in Chicago, IL.  It involved 50 patients with early-stage high blood pressure, who were divided into two groups of 25.  The first group of 25 patients underwent chiropractic adjustments of the Atlas vertebra, and the second group experienced a “fake” adjustment procedure that was designed to have no effect on the patient’s alignment.  The patients were unable to tell which group they were in, because the techniques were indiscernible from their points of view.

Eight weeks after the procedure was performed, the 25 patients who underwent the actual procedure all experienced significantly lower blood pressure than the 25 who underwent the fake procedure.  When all the patients were x-rayed, it was shown that the Atlas vertebra (a donut-like bone at the very top of the spine) of 25 who received the benefit of the procedure had been realigned, whereas this was not the case in the other 25 patients.  Compared to the patients who underwent the fake treatments, those who got the real procedure saw an average 14 mm Hg greater drop in systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure count), and an average 8 mm Hg greater drop in diastolic blood pressure (the bottom blood pressure number).  During the study, none of the 50 patients took any blood pressure medicine.

The Atlas Adjustment Procedure
The chiropractic procedure that was performed on the patients who experienced lowered blood pressure was an adjustment of the C-1 vertebra.  This vertebra is known as the Atlas vertebra because it serves to hold up the head, just as the Greek Titan, Atlas, held up the earth.  This vertebra is critical to the proper functioning of many of the body’s systems, and can upset the centers that control these systems, even with as little as a millimeter misalignment.  It’s no surprise then that the patients who underwent the Atlas adjustment procedure showed significant improvements, and it’s even a good bet that they experienced other benefits not mentioned because they were beyond the scope of the study.

Why Not Just Take Meds?
Even though chiropractic has been proven to lower elevated blood pressure levels, isn’t it easier to just pop a couple of pills every day?  Aside from the expense of taking blood pressure medications, there are significant possible side effects to consider.  The choice of blood pressure medications your doctor might prescribe ranges from diuretics and beta blockers to ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers.  Each of these has potential unpleasant side effects, including:

• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Skin rash
• Loss of taste
• Chronic dry, hacking cough
• Kidney damage
• Tiredness
• Depression
• Symptoms of asthma
• Impotence
• Potassium depletion
• Weakness
• Leg cramps
• Fatigue
• Gout
   

So, which would you prefer: a simple, painless, effective procedure, with no side effects – or dealing with the laundry list of potential side effects above?  It’s a clear choice, isn’t it?  For more information or to schedule an appointment, head over to our website.  We’d be happy to hear from you.