High Blood Pressure? Bring It Down Quickly With Traditional Chinese Wisdom

Beyond medication, treatments including acupuncture, foot soaking, herbal teas, and isometric and aerobic exercise can help keep blood pressure in check.

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High blood pressure is often called a “silent killer” because it can strike without warning and lead to serious health consequences. Wu Hongqian, director of Taiwan’s Yisheng Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic, provides three tips for quickly lowering blood pressure, increasing the chance of saving lives.

According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), acute attacks of hypertension are often caused by emotional excitement, excessive hot and spicy foods, or long-term insomnia. The core mechanism is an imbalance of the autonomic nervous system, resulting in loss of control of sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve functions.

3 Tips to Quickly Lower Blood Pressure

Massaging acupoints is something you can do at home.

1. Stimulate 3 Relevant Acupoints in Sequence

Wu once had a patient whose blood pressure surged to 190 mmHg. After acupuncture on three acupoints in sequence, it dropped to 120 mmHg in just five to 10 minutes. These three acupoints are the Yanglingquan (GB-34), Zusanli (ST-36), and Taichong  (LR-3). Wu emphasized that these three acupoints can be stimulated through acupuncture or massage, in the proper sequence, to guide the upward-surging qi back down. 

In traditional Chinese medicine, qi is the vital life force that flows through the body’s meridians, and disruptions in its flow can cause various physical disorders, including spikes in blood pressure.

You can gently massage these points yourself to help regulate qi and lower blood pressure:

1. Locate and press Yanglingquan (GB-34) on the outer side of the lower leg, just below the knee.
2. Massage Zusanli (ST-36), found about four finger-widths below the kneecap, slightly to the outer side of the shinbone.
3. Stimulate Taichong (LR-3), located on the top of the foot, in the depression between the first and second toes.

Use firm but comfortable pressure, massaging each point for one to two minutes before moving to the next. Following the sequence is important to effectively encourage the downward flow of qi and ease the sudden rise in blood pressure.

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2.  Hot Water Foot Soak With Ginger to Activate Blood Circulation

If high blood pressure occurs at home and you cannot receive acupuncture or massage treatment promptly, take your blood pressure medication first to lower it.

Then soak your feet in hot water at about 108 degrees F. At the same time, rub the Taichong acupoint on the opposite instep with your heel in turn. Wu said that you should avoid lowering your head when rubbing the Taichong acupoint, as such a posture is bound to further increase the blood pressure.

Wu also said that foot soaking has certain daily health care benefits for patients with hypertension. It can be done for 15 to 30 minutes, two hours after meals, or one hour before going to bed. Soaking the feet can stabilize blood pressure and help improve sleep quality.

Adding ginger or salt to the water further enhances blood circulation. Wu recommends using old ginger, which activates blood circulation and warms the stomach and the uterus. When blood circulation improves, more oxygen can be supplied to the brain, and blood pressure will decline steadily.

3. Massage the ‘Pressure Relief Groove’

Pressing the “antihypertensive groove” behind the ears is also an effective way to lower blood pressure. Wu said that using your thumb or index finger to slide straight from top to bottom or in a rotary pattern while moving from top to bottom will help lower blood pressure.

This “antihypertensive groove” is located on the back of the auricle. If you pull the tip of the ear downward, you will be able to see a groove on the back of the ear. This is the location of the magic groove.

Blood Pressure Lowering Tea

High blood pressure often occurs when the brain is deprived of oxygen, at which time it sends messages asking the heart and blood vessels to deliver more blood and oxygen. Wu said the key to solving high blood pressure is keeping qi and blood running smoothly. Daily Chinese medicine conditioning and acupuncture can improve problems due to qi and blood blockage.

For example, using Codonopsis pilosula and Scutellaria baicalensis to replenish qi, and safflower and Pheretima to activate blood circulation, can improve blood vessel health and increase oxygen supply in the blood. Once the brain gets enough oxygen, blood pressure will drop naturally.

In this respect, Wu recommends the following tea to lower blood pressure:

Ingredients

• 30 grams Scutellaria baicalensis
• 3 grams each of safflower, Angelica sinensis, Chuanxiong rhizoma, and Codonopsis pilosula
• 6 red dates
• 2,000 ml water

Preparation

Combine ingredients into a pot, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for three minutes. Drink the tea in place of water for the day.

2 Practices to Control Blood Pressure

Wu said that patients with hypertension must adopt two lifestyle habits to control blood pressure:

1. Adequate Sleep: From clinical experience, Wu found that many patients with hypertension persistently stay up late or suffer from insomnia or lack of sleep. He said that poor sleep quality is often the first stage in elevated blood pressure, and when patients worry about poor sleep, that too can cause high blood pressure, making it more difficult to fall asleep, forming a vicious cycle. Therefore, adequate sleep is the first step to lower blood pressure.

2. Exercise 3 Times a Week: Exercise helps keep your blood flowing smoothly by activating the body’s natural ability to break down small blood clots, preventing blockages in the blood vessels. This protects vascular health and lowers the risk of serious problems such as strokes and heart attacks. When blood circulates well, oxygen can reach the brain without interruption. Wu suggested that exercising at least three times a week can significantly help lower blood pressure.

Best Exercises for People With High Blood Pressure

A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reviewed 270 research reports, covering approximately 16,000 subjects, and evaluated the impact of diverse types of exercise on lowering blood pressure. The results showed that isometric exercise has a significant effect on lowering blood pressure.

In this respect, systolic and diastolic blood pressures (the two measures of blood pressure) were reduced by about 8 and 4 mmHg, respectively. Isometric exercise’s blood pressure-lowering effect was almost on par with the average effect of taking antihypertensive drugs, in which systolic and diastolic blood pressures decreased by approximately 10 and 5 mmHg, respectively.

Isometric exercise is a static but continuous muscle contraction exercise. Common examples are bridge pose, balancing stick pose, and wall squats. The mechanism for lowering blood pressure is that during the workout, the continuous exertion of muscles will increase the concentration of nitric oxide, which can dilate blood vessels. With the muscles continuing to tighten and exert force during exercise, it stimulates and dilates the blood vessels and helps lower blood pressure further.

It should be noted that when performing isometric exercise, do not hold your breath to avoid an instantaneous increase in blood pressure.

Aerobic exercise can also reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 4.5 and 2.5 mmHg, respectively. Heavy training can reduce the same readings by 4.5 and 3 mmHg, while high-intensity interval exercise can reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 4.5 and 2.5 mmHg.

Side Effects of High Blood Pressure Medication

Common high blood pressure medications include diuretics and calcium blockers, each of which has its own side effects:

Diuretics: These medications lower blood pressure by removing water from the blood. However, as water is lost, blood becomes more concentrated, decreasing its oxygen-carrying capacity, which may lead to hypoxia and cause dizziness.

Calcium ion blockers: These medications help lower blood pressure by relaxing and widening the blood vessels, making blood flow more easily and reducing pressure in the head. However, they can cause side effects such as facial flushing, swelling in the lower legs, and muscle weakness.

Wu said that patients with long-term hypertension should follow their doctor’s advice and should not stop medication because of the side effects without first getting medical advice. Self-prescribing may result in serious consequences such as stroke and high blood pressure.

Some of the herbs mentioned in this article may be unfamiliar, but are generally available in health food stores and Asian markets. Treatment methods may vary depending on the person. Consult a health care professional for a personalized plan.

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