Conquering Pre-Hypertension: 42-Year-Old Mom of 4 Defies Medication Dependency with Acupuncture

April was a 42-year-old stay at home mom of 4 young children when she came to see me because she had been diagnosed with borderline high blood pressure at a recent physical exam. Her doctor had suggested that she spend the next 6 months trying some natural methods of reducing her blood pressure before she prescribed medication. She had used acupuncture during her pregnancies and came back to see if I could help with this issue. She had always been healthy and active and was very worried by this diagnosis and the prospect of being on medication for the rest of her life. After talking with April, I completed an acupuncture assessment for her and discovered that she fell into two categories in terms of acupuncture theory. She was deficient in vital substances and had excess tension, which could be an underlying reason for her elevated blood pressure. Once I had identified her patterns, I created a treatment plan for her that consisted of acupuncture and a stress management technique that she could practice in 3 minutes, twice daily. We discussed some of the factors in her life that contributed to her tension level. She thought about ways she could adjust her busy daily routine to allow her to rest and decompress at the end of each day. With these elements of support in place, her blood pressure came down into a normal range and she was able to maintain it in a healthy range. She was relieved and here doctor was pleased that her blood pressure was no longer out of balance by the time of her next visit.