Acupuncture has been found to reduce chronically elevated blood pressure.

Peng Li, MD,¹ Stephanie C. Tjen-A-Looi, PhD did a research and published paper in National Library of Medicine，National Institutes of Health。

Acupuncture at specific acupoints has experimentally been found to reduce chronically elevated blood pressure. This study has examined effectiveness of electroacupuncture (EA) at select acupoints to reduce systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressures (DBP) in hypertensive patients. The conclusion is well-known among acupuncture world, however, it is good to introduce acupuncture into main stream medicine.

After 8 weeks, 33 patients treated with EA at PC 5-6+ST 36-37 had decreased peak and average SBP and DBP, compared with 32 patients treated with EA at LI 6-7+GB 37-39 control acupoints. Changes in blood pressures significantly differed between the two patient groups. In 14 patients, a long-lasting blood pressure–lowering acupuncture effect was observed for an additional 4 weeks of EA at PC 5-6+ST 36-37. After treatment, the plasma concentration of norepinephrine, which was initially elevated, was decreased by 41%; likewise, renin was decreased by 67% and aldosterone by 22%.

Conclusions: EA at select acupoints reduces blood pressure. Sympathetic and renin-aldosterone systems were likely related to the long-lasting EA actions.