Acupuncture Lowers Blood Pressure
According to an article by Healthcare Medicine Institute, acupuncture successfully lowered blood pressure in patients with high blood pressure. Researchers conducted a randomized, controlled clinical trial of 120 patients, using two groups. Both groups received medication but the second group received acupuncture in addition. The second group’s blood pressure and anxiety levels were significantly lower.
Hypertension
A related study of hypertension had similar results where groups were given health education and lifestyle intervention. Group 2 was given acupuncture in addition. Both group’s hypertension reduced but group 2 had superior results to group 1.
Acupuncture’s Anti – Hypertensive Effects
Researchers have investigated acupuncture’s anti-hypertensive effects and discovered something powerful; acupuncture has the ability to regulate microRNAs, the small RNAs that regulate gene expression. Needling of laboratory rats, receiving acupuncture at LV3, a liver meridian, found 222 differently expressed microRNAs in their medulla.
The researchers reported, “Our findings have demonstrated significant changes of specific and selective miRNAs in rats when taichong acupoint was stimulated. Our data have revealed the specific miRNA profile changes in response to acupuncture treatment and strongly suggest that a selective panel of miRNAs play an important role in the antihypertensive activity of acupuncture therapy”
Another research has concluded that needling acupuncture point Taixi (KD3) has an antihypertensive effect for essential hypertension. To eliminate the placebo effect, “a true acupuncture group was compared with a non-acupuncture group and a sham acupuncture group. The data indicates that true acupuncture has a stable antihypertensive effect” (HMI, 2015).
Reference
HMI, (2015). Retrieved February 12, 2015 from