Acupuncture for Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) - Treatment Protocols

General Approaches

Acupuncture For Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) - Treatment Protocols

Acupuncture treatment protocols are generally directed towards the deeper root of a persons set of health issues, not at each individual issue. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, treatment is generally directed towards the individuals diagnostic pattern(s) and their primary issue is only a part of the information required to approach the correct patterns to treat (see "treating the cause vs. the symptoms" for an introduction to this process.).

In designing an acupuncture protocol for hypertension (high blood pressure), one might find one or a combination of the following patterns: kidney yang deficiency, kidney yin deficiency, liver yang rising, spleen and stomach damp heat among many other possibilities and possible combinations.

Below you will find some of the more common tcm diagnoses and acupuncture treatment protocols for hypertension (high blood pressure). There are many ways to approach the treatment of this condition within TCM. Our presentation describes foundational approaches that would need to be further tailored in most cases to be effective for a given individual.

  • Differentiation:
  • LV Yang Rising - Excess
    • Signs & Symptoms:
      • May have dizziness a/or vertigo, distended headache, irritability, bitter taste in the mouth, red eyes, insomnia, constipation.
      • Tongue: Red w/thin yellow coat
      • Pulse: Wiry, rapid or possibly slippery
    • Treatment Points:
      • Valaskatagis Point Selection (with additions):
      • LV 2 - LV fire, could use LV 3 if less heat signs
      • GB 20 - descend Qi, clear head
      • GV 20 - descend Qi
      • GB 34 - LV/GB fire
      • SP 6 - tonify Yin
  • Phlegm-damp Obstruction - Excess
    • Signs & Symptoms:
      • May have dizziness a/or vertigo, heaviness in the head, loss of appetite, nausea, chest oppression, heavy limbs, obesity.
      • Tongue: Swollen w/greasy white coat
      • Pulse: Slippery, wiry
    • Treatment Points:
  • LV Excess w/KD Deficiency
    • Signs & Symptoms:
      • May have dizziness a/or vertigo, headache, tinnitus, sore back a/or knees, heat in the 5 palms, palpitations, insomnia, dry stools.
      • Tongue: Red w/thin white coat
      • Pulse: Fine, wiry
    • Treatment Points:
  • Yin & Yang Deficiency - Mixed
    • Signs & Symptoms:
      • May have dizziness a/or vertigo, blurred vision, heaviness in the head, weak legs, SOB, heat in the 5 palms, sore back a/or knees, palpitations, tinnitus. With yang predominance, aversion to cold, profuse night time urination, impotence, nocturnal emissions.
      • Tongue: Light red (more yang def) or Red striped (more yin def)
      • Pulse: Fine, deep (more yang def) or Fine, wiry (more yin def)
    • Treatment Points:
      • St. John Point Selection (with additions):
      • ST 36 - tonify Qi
      • CV 4 - tonify Qi & Yin
      • GV 20 - clear head
      • UB 20 - SP Shu
      • UB 23 - KD Shu
      • Yin Deficiency Predominates:
      • KD 3 - tonify Yin
      • SP 6 - tonify Yin
      • HT 7 - tonify Yin, calm spirit
      • Yang Deficiency Predominates:
      • GV 4 - tonify Yang

The information on our site is drawn from our own lecture notes and clinical experience. The following lecture notes were consulted within this section:

  • St. John, Meredith: New England School of Acupuncture, Etiology and Pathology Lecture Notes
  • Valaskatgis, Peter: New England School of Acupuncture, Etiology and Pathology Lecture Notes

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