Electroacupuncture Lowers High Blood Pressure

Their findings were reported in the March 2005 issue of the Journal of Applied Physiolology.

The research team applied acupuncture to specific points on the forelimb of test rats with artificially elevated blood pressure, but the acupuncture had no effect. Next, the team added electrical stimulation to the acupuncture treatment by running an electrical current through the needles. High frequencies of stimulation had no effect, but low levels lowered increased blood pressure by as much as 40-50%. A 30-minute treatment reduced blood pressure in the test rats by 25 mmHg, with the effect lasting almost two hours. The treatment was only effective on elevated blood pressure rates, showing no impact on standing blood pressure rates.

"The Western world is waiting for a clear scientific basis for using acupuncture, and we hope that this research ultimately will lead to the integration of ancient healing practices into modern medical treatment,” observed Dr. John C. Longhurst, director of the Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of California, Irvine (UCI, USA).

In previous research, UCI researchers found that when an acupuncture needle is inserted at specific sites on the wrist, inside of the forearm or leg, this triggers the release of opioid chemicals in the brain that reduce excitatory responses in the cardiovascular system. This decreases the heart's activity and its need for oxygen, which in turn can lower blood pressure and promote healing for a number of cardiac ailments, such as myocardial ischemia and hypertension.