Acupuncture And High Blood Pressure

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese practice that involves inserting needles at specific points on the body to help treat diseases and symptoms such as pain. An animal study in 2005 tested whether the anecdotal evidence for Acupuncture’s ability to lower blood pressure could be verified. Dr John Longhurst and his team applied the acupuncture to specific points on the forelimbs of rats with artificially elevated blood pressure. When the acupuncture was applied on its own, it had no effect on blood pressure. However, when small, low frequency electrical currents were passed through the needles, the blood pressure went down by between 40 and 50%. A 30-minute session reduced blood pressure in the test rats by 25mmHg, with the effect lasting for almost two hours. Controlled clinical trials on humans are needed before acupuncture can be recommended as a bona fide treatment for hypertension (Longhurst, J. et. Al. Journal of Applied Physiology March, 2005).