Chinese Medicine Treatments for High Blood Pressure

High Blood Pressure or Hypertension is a symptomatic condition. Primary hypertension has no known cause although it is usually associated with certain causative factors such as high cholesterol levels or excessive sodium intake. Secondary hypertension has a known cause such as kidney disease or endocrine abnormalities. Regardless of the type, it is a very dangerous condition that can lead to heart attacks or strokes. In many ways, hypertension is treated in Western Medicine with what seems more like the Traditional Chinese Medicine approach. The lifestyle, diet, and general health of the patient are a major part of the treatment.

Traditional Chinese Medicine views the major cause of hypertension as a problem with the circulation of vital energy (Qi) in the body. It is viewed as a liver Meridian pattern disharmony. Since the liver is thought to control blood in TCM, a circulation problem usually comes from disharmony of the liver. As in Western Medicine, certain emotional problems can contribute or increase the condition. Depression, anger, obesity, and the high intake of fatty foods are all harmful to the flow of Qi through the liver and thus can cause hypertension.

Acupuncture therapy is often indicated in the treatment of high blood pressure. The needle points will be ones that increase Qi flow through the liver and remove excess heat from that organ. There are several natural food treatments that are used and have been shown to have beneficial results. These include water chestnut, turnip, honey, Chinese celery, Hawthorn berries, and Mung beans.

Kudzu (Pueraria lobata) is a herbal remedy that is used in TCM in the treatment of hypertension. It has been shown to help normalize blood pressure and is a powerful antioxidant. In fact, Kudzu has about 100 times the antioxidant activity of vitamin E. It helps prevent heart disease and cancer also. When used in the treatment of hypertension, it can be brewed into a tea for easy digestion.

TCM also looks at diet and lifestyle choices that can reduce the tendency toward high blood pressure. This treatment approach is also used in Western Medicine. The Chinese approach here is not as unusual as it tends to take this holistic approach to any illness, so in that regard, the treatment regime for hypertension is not unique to that disease. As always Chinese Traditional Medicine seeks out the underlying cause of disharmony and seeks to restore balance.