According to the CDC, nearly half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure (hypertension), and many don't know it. It raises the risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney disease, and it often has no symptoms.
Who treats high blood pressure?
High blood pressure is a medical condition, and it should be diagnosed and managed by your medical doctor. If you take blood pressure medication, keep taking it as prescribed. Don't stop or change it without talking to your doctor.
Where chiropractic fits
Chiropractic care isn't a treatment for hypertension. A few small studies have looked at whether adjustments affect blood pressure, but the evidence isn't strong enough to rely on. What we can do:
- Check your blood pressure at your visits and let you know if it's high, so you can follow up with your doctor
- Help with neck and back pain that makes it harder to stay active
- Coach exercise you can keep up, since regular activity is one of the lifestyle changes the American Heart Association recommends
Lifestyle steps that help
Your doctor may suggest regular physical activity, a diet lower in sodium and rich in fruits and vegetables (such as the DASH eating plan), limiting alcohol, not smoking, managing stress and getting enough sleep.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Our doctors are doctors of chiropractic (D.C.), not medical doctors. If you have a medical emergency, call 911.