Integrative Medicine Insights

Background: Hypertension is a major health problem with serious medical and financial consequences. Experimental studies in animals and clinical studies in humans have demonstrated that acupuncture can reduce blood pressure significantly in hypertensive patients. The objective was to assess the effect of acupuncture on blood pressure in hypertensive patients treated at a complementary medicine clinic.

Methods: Blood pressure values measured before and following acupuncture were recorded from the charts of hypertensive patients who came to the clinic for treatment of other problems. The therapy used was the Kiiko Matsumoto technique for blood pressure imbalance.

Results: Twenty-nine patients were studied (18 [62%] women). The mean age was 58.5 ± 16.3 years. Systolic blood pressure dropped significantly as a result of the treatment and there was a non-significant trend to reduced diastolic pressure. Weekly acupuncture therapy led to a continuous reduction in systolic blood pressure.

Conclusions: Acupuncture has a beneficial effect on hypertension, particularly on systolic pressure. Further studies with larger study groups for longer periods of time can confirm this observation and contribute to our understanding of combination therapy with acupuncture and conventional medications for hypertension.