Managing Hypertension – Healthy Lifestyle Choices

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Managing Hypertension – Healthy Lifestyle Choices

 

Managing Hypertension

 

Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a dangerous condition that affects 1 in 3 people and is often undetected.  Your blood pressure rises with each heartbeat and falls when your heart relaxes between beats. While BP can change from minute to minute with changes in posture, exercise, stress or sleep, it should normally be less than 120/80 mm Hg (less than 120 systolic AND less than 80 diastolic) for an adult age 20 or over.[1]

Some complications of high blood pressure include: [2]

  • Aneurisms
  • Chronic Kidney Disease
  • Cognitive Changes
  • Eye Damage
  • Heart Attack
  • Heart Failure
  • Peripheral Artery Disease
  • Stroke

What can you do to prevent, manage, and even reduce your high blood pressure?

Healthy Lifestyle

  • Eat a healthy diet
  • Quit smoking and eliminate/reduce alcohol consumption
  • Exercise regularly
  • Manage stress through Massage Therapy and other alternative modalities

As always, it is important to follow the advice of your medical doctor, who may prescribe medications to help control your high blood pressure in addition to encouraging you to make healthy lifestyle changes.  Sometimes alternative healthcare modalities are overlooked by western medicine, even though there are studies that demonstrate its value.  Explore all of your options to best manage your health!

 

 

Massage therapy is an extremely valuable addition to a hypertension treatment plan.  Numerous studies have shown that massage therapy promotes the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, allowing the body to relax and restore itself.  This activation of the parasympathetic nervous system helps to reduce stress and lower blood pressure.  These beneficial effects have been shown to last well beyond the duration of the massage session. [3]

 

Relax, Restore, and Relieve

Massage for the Body – Massage for the Heart

 

belly care

 

[1] http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/AboutHighBloodPressure/Understanding-Blood-Pressure-Readings_UCM_301764_Article.jsp#.V74mpPkrKUk

[2] https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/hbp/signs

[3] Givi M. Durability of Effect of Massage Therapy on Blood Pressure. International Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2013;4(5):511-516.