One-third of the adult population, around 70 million Americans, has high blood pressure (hypertension). In addition, 1 in 3 Americans has prehypertension, which means higher than normal blood pressure numbers. Even more alarming: 1 in 5 adults with high blood pressure do not know they have it, because typically there are no associated symptoms.  Generally, most people base their health according to hoe they feel.  The problem with this approach is, that often conditions such as heart disease and cancer do not produce any symptoms until the later stages, when often it's too late. We have seen this with our patients at our clinic in Ashland OH

Each time the heart beats, it is pumping blood into the arteries of the body.  The force of the blood as it pushes against the walls of the arteries is called blood pressure.  The two numbers in a blood pressure reading are systolic, the top number that measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats, and diastolic, which is the bottom number measuring the pressure in the arteries between beats.

Normal blood pressure levels are 120/80 and lower.  Blood Pressure level in the 120-139/80-89 range is considered to be pre- hypertensive.  It is then classified into stages.  Stage 1 is 140-159/90-99, stage 2 is 160/100 or higher, and hypertension crisis (emergency care needed) is 180/110 or higher.

High blood pressure in America is far more common today than it was 50 years ago. It is also far more dangerous and fatal than many people realize.  In 2013, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) listed high blood pressure as the primary or contributing cause of more than 360,000 American deaths.  That's nearly 1,000 deaths every single day.

The CDC also states that with high blood pressure, there's a great risk of other dangerous conditions:

• First heart attack: 70 percent of adults who have a first heart attack have high blood pressure
• First stroke: 80 percent of adults who have their first stroke have high blood pressure
• Chronic heart failure: 70 percent of adults with chronic heart failure have high blood pressure
• Kidney failure: High blood pressure is the second leading cause of kidney failure

High blood pressure medication is commonly prescribed as treatment for high blood pressure.  Unfortunately, it does nothing to cure it. Though it reduces high blood pressure while the patient is on it, if the patient discontinues the medication, they often find the blood pressure rises again.  Because the root cause of high blood pressure is not addressed, the problem may become worse, or even irreversible.  Many patients start with one and often get two or more as time goes by, even with diet and exercise.

The good news in Ashland OH

In March of 2007, the Journal of Human Hypertension, published a study that demonstrated a significant decrease in blood pressure following a chiropractic adjustment to the Atlas vertebra (located at the base of the skull). This study involved 50 individuals with high blood pressure; the improvement in blood pressure levels continued into the eighth week following the adjustment. (Potentially longer, as the study only assessed the patients following the adjustment and at a follow-up visit eight weeks later.)

Many studies similar to this one have been published in the last 10 years and can be found on PubMed, the US National Library of Medicine. The reduction of blood pressure through chiropractic was an even more significant drop than what a medication produced.

Make an appointment to talk to a chiropractic doctor about chiropractic and high blood pressure.