Have you ever known someone who had a heart attack and didn't even know they had a cardiac condition? Yeah, most of us know someone like this. The reason for this is that 40% of first time heart attack victims, the first symptom they had indicating they had heart disease was the heart attack. Up to that point, they had no idea they had a problem.
High blood pressure falls into this category as well. It is often referred to as the "silent killer" because there really aren't any symptoms that go along with the condition. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension or simply HBP, is when the pressure of your blood flowing through your blood vessels is too high. Sound confusing? Yeah, it is! Think of it this way: a water balloon can only hold so much water before it bursts, right? Your blood vessels are the same way. Only so much volume of blood can flow through them at any given time and if your heart is pushing more blood through them than they can handle, that is high blood pressure.
Just like the water balloon analogy, if too much blood continues to flow through the vessels, then you have a stroke or aneurism,. A stroke is when one of the smaller vessels burst open because of the internal pressure. An aneurism is when the pressure is great enough to bulge the wall of the vessel but not high enough to burst it.
While most folks consider HBP to be a problem, I tend to think of it as a symptom. It is a symptom of deeper problems. Problems related to diet, exercise or stress. All of these areas can cause high blood pressure. If these areas are addressed and corrected, blood pressure should normalize on its own.
As a chiropractor, my main focus when caring for my patients is the functioning of their nervous system. The nervous system controls all of the functions of the body, including the regulation of blood pressure. Several studies have been done showing that chiropractic adjustments help to normalize blood pressure. Here Is just one of them.
Now let me be clear. Chiropractic adjustments do not treat high blood pressure. Chiropractic care helps to normalize the functioning of the nervous system which then allows the nervous system to regulate all the functions of the body better.
No matter your state of health, having a fully functioning nervous system will allow you to adapt to your environment more efficiently and ultimately help you be healthier! You are unique, your care should be too. I strive to understand the individual challenges of each of my patients and design their care around their needs. If you're looking for a different approach to your healthcare, give my office a call.
Dr. Ed