Health Intuitive

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) offers a wide variety of ways to address hypertension. One of the best, safest and most powerful TCM modality to treat this condition is acupuncture. The use of acupuncture for treating hypertension can be divided into two types: one is to treat the patient as a whole and the other is to resolve the high blood pressure symptoms.

In treating high blood pressure using acupuncture, one simple thing is noted: when specific acupuncture points are stimulated, the blood pressure of a patient will descend so, the acupuncturist will often needle that point as soon as a hypertensive condition is diagnosed in a patient.  Acupuncture, like all forms of traditional Chinese medicine, treats the patient as a whole. This is quite a complicated task since in treating the patient in a holistic manner a lot of things need to be considered. These include the manner of treatment that is based on differentiation of syndromes.  By evaluating the clinical phenomena of a patient, the acupuncturist should study the signs and symptoms of the patient such as the appearance of the tongue and the pulse characteristic of the patient. This evaluation can help understand the nature and type of the case that then leads to the selection of the right form of treatment. TCM practitioners believe that hypertension can manifest four types of syndromes:

1. Syndrome marked by thin and taut pulse; pale tongue with white coating; weakness of the legs and waist; fatigue; palpitation; tinnitus; headache and dizziness
2. Syndrome that includes symptoms like taut and thin pulse; dry and red tongue with little coating; sleeplessness; hot sensation in the soles and palms; tinnitus; weakness of legs and waist; dizziness; and uncomfortable and dry feeling of the eyes.
3. Syndrome characterized by clinical phenomena such as rapid, thin and taut pulse; sleeplessness; amnesia; tinnitus; palpitation; hot sensation in the soles and palms, restlessness; dry mouth; dizziness; and a thin headache.
4. Syndrome marked by symptoms such as vigorous ad taut pulse; red tongue with yellow coating; restlessness; bitter taste in the mouth; flushed eyes and face; headache and dizziness.

In China, the acupuncture points selected to treat hypertension are classified into two groups based on their functions. The first group is to lessen the abundant yang. The second group is to augment the deficiency of yin and yang (the vital energy of the body).

For a syndrome of abundant liver-yang, the first group of acupuncture points is selected. If the syndrome is a deficient Yin, and abundant yang –excessive, both groups of points are selected to augment the insufficiency.  If a deficient Yin syndrome of the kidney and liver is seen, the second group of points is then selected, and reinforcing manipulation is utilized.

Treating hypertension with acupuncture provides certain advantages: the side effects, for example, are mild. The patient will not suffer any discomfort when the high blood pressure is brought down. However, the positive effects of acupuncture in addressing hypertension may be limited. Acupuncture’s benefits are experienced more when one’s hypertension is still in the initial stage.  Patients on the 2^nd or 3^rd stage of their hypertension will probably receive less satisfactory results. Also, there are hypertension complications that may not be treated with acupuncture.