High Blood Pressure Problems and Natural Solutions: A Spokane Valley WA Chiropractor’s Perspective

Chiropractic Spokane Valley WA Blood Pressure Check

As a Spokane Valley WA chiropractor and natural health expert serving patients in the Spokane Valley WA area for many years now it is no surprise many people who initially come in to see me have high blood pressure or hypertension some claiming it is “well-managed” and others not so much or do not want to simply treat their symptoms with medications. People generally know chiropractic is excellent for headaches, neck, and back pain, but most people don’t know how chiropractic can also potentially help improve blood pressure especially if done in combination with some lifestyle changes.

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Facts About Hypertension and Blood Pressure in Spokane Valley WA

In America high blood pressure also known as hypertension is a major problem with nearly 1 in 2 Americans diagnosed with hypertension (47.3%), it costs the United States on average $131 Billion each year, and hypertension is a primary or contributing cause of death for over a half-million people each year.

Hypertension is not the same as heart disease, but is a contributing factor for heart disease, heart attack, stroke, vision loss, reduced brain function and kidney function. Normal blood pressure is considered to be <120 (systolic) / <80 (diastolic) and hypertension is diagnosed at a >130 systolic / >80 diastolic blood pressure reading. Traditionally people with hypertension are put on medications to reduce their blood pressure and sometimes instructed to make some lifestyle modifications, but research shows while blood pressure lowering medications can work to reduce blood pressure, they do not reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, or death by a significant amount and also carry the risk of side effects.

High blood pressure is obviously not caused by lack of prescription medications in the body and is really the body adapting to the environment it is placed in. The real cause of high blood pressure can come from many factors such as excess stress, toxins, poor diet, lack of physical activity, or imbalances or misalignments in the spine/nervous system.

How We Assess High Blood Pressure Problems

At River City Chiropractic, we look at the whole person in our approach to healing starting with the spine and nervous system as the foundation because the nervous system is the control center of the body. By performing a very thorough history, exam, and specific spinal xrays we can get insight as to if the high blood pressure can be connected to misalignments or loss of curvature in the spine. Since these sorts of problems tend to progress and cause more damage over time it is best to have it looked at and address any issues as early as possible by a knowledgeable health professional.

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How We Help Resolve High Blood Pressure Problems

Comprehensive Consultation, Exam, and X-Rays

Before we can begin to help someone with hypertension problems, we must first identify the root cause. Since the heart and muscles in the arteries are controlled by the nervous system it is essential that we look there first and why every new patient encounter at our Spokane Valley WA chiropractic office involves a comprehensive history to find out what has happened in the past and present along with lifestyle choices that may be causing the high blood pressure issues.

The next step would be a thorough exam consisting of postural and range of motion analysis, orthopedic and neurological testing, bilateral weight testing, spinal motion palpation, and if necessary, spinal x-rays to determine the exact location, extent of the damage, and formulate a custom care plan to help correct the spine for optimal nervous system functioning.

Corrective Chiropractic Care In Spokane Valley WA For Improved Blood Pressure

Here at River City Chiropractic in Spokane Valley WA we specialize in spinal corrective care. Just a small percentage of chiropractors have this approach and training. Since structure influences function, when someone has hypertension it can be caused by spinal misalignments, also known as subluxations, loss of the normal spinal curvature in the neck or low back, or poor posture. Spinal subluxations can irritate the nerves resulting in pain, muscle tension, restricted motion, along with reduced communication from the brain to various organs of the body.

Our goal at River City Chiropractic is to not only help people get relief from their symptoms, but also to correct their spine and posture so their body can function at a higher level through spinal adjustments and a comprehensive spinal exercise program performed in office as well as at home.

Custom Therapeutic Exercise Program

At River City Chiropractic we know structure influences function and we want our patients to get well fast so we custom make a home exercise program and provide spinal homecare equipment that helps our patients get better and long lasting results. Following a thorough exam/xray and report of findings our doctor at River City Chiropractic in Spokane Valley WA will create a home exercise plan that is specific to your posture and x-ray findings. With this program comes some special spinal rehab equipment to help our patients in Spokane Valley WA get better results, faster. We also have access to a database of 1000’s of stretches/exercises with videos that can be prescribed to our patients to help them with core stability or address any other muscle weakness or tightness concerns. These exercises are designed to help people get relief faster, hold adjustments longer, preventing further degeneration, balance the hips, restoring the natural curvature in the neck, and correct or reduce scoliosis.

Wellness Education and Lab Testing in Spokane Valley WA

In order for someone to get and stay well it is very important to look at other lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, toxicity, and stress to find other contributing factors resulting in hypertension beyond problems with the spine. At River City Chiropractic in Spokane Valley WA we regularly host educational classes on nutrition, stress, toxicity, weight loss, sleep, and many other topics to help our practice members make needed changes in those other areas. In certain cases, lab testing can be performed to investigate on a deeper level any other imbalances that may be also causing problems with blood pressure and formulate a lifestyle treatment plan to help the body heal from inside out.

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Common Causes of High Blood Pressure

Stress

Over 80% of all doctor visits are for stress related illnesses. Stress is at an all-time high and that is not good for blood pressure because when the body is stressed or in fight or flight mode it increases blood pressure, which is good and natural response if in true danger for a short time, but chronic stress and thus chronically elevated blood pressure is not good and greatly impacts many areas of health.

Toxins

If people aren’t careful, it is easy to be swimming in a sea of toxins every single day. There are 1000’s used commercially in the furniture we sit on, clothes we wear, personal care products, household cleaners, foods we eat and the water we drink. Toxins damage and cause inflammation in the arteries which then as they heal can constrict blood flow thus the body must elevate blood pressure to get blood to the body.

Standard American Diet

The standard American diet typically consists of processed or fast foods loaded with sugar, bad fats, wheat gluten, artificial preservatives or dyes, conventional meat or dairy products full of hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, and more sugar. All of these foods destroy the gut and inflame the body and arterial walls thus resulting in elevated blood pressure to supply the body with necessary blood flow.

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Subluxation

A subluxation is a misalignment of the vertebrae of the spine that prevents normal spinal motion and can irritate or damage the spinal nerves often causing symptoms such back pain or headaches. Subluxations tend to worsen and become more challenging to correct the longer they are there. At River City Chiropractic, we locate subluxations of the spine that can not only be causing back or neck pain, but those nerves also travel to other organs of the body such as the ones involved in regulating blood pressure. When subluxations are reduced or corrected the improvements in blood pressure can be better than taking medications.

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Frequently Asked Questions on High Blood Pressure

Can chiropractic care help with high blood pressure?

While chiropractic is not a treatment for any symptom or condition if the high blood pressure issues are stemming from subluxations or loss of proper curvature in the spine disrupting the balance of the autonomic nervous system and communication between the brain and body then chiropractic care can most definitely help.

Is chiropractic Should I see a chiropractor or a medical doctor for my high blood pressure?appropriate for children?

Seeing a health professional is a good start if you are suffering with hypertension especially if you have been experiencing it for a while. Depending on the issue and symptoms you are experiencing if severe it may be best to start by seeing a medical provider first to get the proper testing done to rule out the worst. Then once the worst is ruled out, seeing a knowledgeable chiropractor to help you determine the cause and come up with a plan to help your body heal itself without drugs or surgery would be an awesome step in the right direction.