Another blog post from the desk of Ann Arbor chiropractor, Mike Tannenbaum, D.C: How to Lower Blood Pressure Naturally

I often see patients at my Ann Arbor chiropractic office who have a history of high blood pressure. It is well known that high blood pressure can lead to a variety of serious illnesses, such as stroke, heart attack, loss of vision, dementia, and even to death.

Your blood pressure has two readings. One reading indicates how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls when your heart beats; the other reading indicates how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls while the heart is resting in between beats. Prescription drugs can be used to lower blood pressure, but all these drugs come with side effects, and of course these drugs cost money to purchase. Plus, these drugs are not getting to the root cause of the high blood pressure.

To avoid the side effects and cost of these drugs, there are some natural, low-cost, and side-effect free things you can do to prevent and or lower blood pressure. These approaches to lowering your blood pressure work to eliminate the root cause of high blood pressure. I've listed some of these natural approaches below.

Lose weight: There are lots of ways to do this. You'll have to figure out what method works for you.

Decrease stress by meditating, exercising, consciously relaxing, having a hobby, etc.

Avoid foods that increase blood pressure, such as foods that contain a lot of salt, caffeine, or alcohol.

Consume foods that have been shown to lower blood pressure, such as garlic, beets, leafy green vegetables, pomegranates, lentils, cinnamon, fermented foods, yogurt, oats, watermelon, and green tea.

Increase cardiovascular strength: There are any number of ways to do this, from taking a brisk walk, to high intensity interval training.

If you are already taking medication for your blood pressure, do not change anything about it without talking with your primary health care provider or cardiologist.

If you have any questions about this blog post, back pain, neck pain, or headaches I can be reached at my Ann Arbor chiropractic office at [email protected].

All information contained in this blog post is for information only and should not be used as medical advice.