Key to a Healthy Heart: Lower Stress with Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a wonderful complement to conventional medicine for the treatment of heart disease. Some potential benefits of acupuncture for people with heart disease include:
Reducing stress and anxiety: Acupuncture has been shown to help reduce stress and anxiety, which can be beneficial for people with heart disease. Stress and anxiety can increase blood pressure and heart rate, which can put extra strain on the heart.
Managing pain: Acupuncture may help manage pain associated with heart disease. Pain can be a symptom of heart disease, and traditional pain medications may not be suitable for some people with heart disease due to potential interactions with other medications.
Improving heart function: Some studies suggest that acupuncture may help improve heart function, such as increasing the strength of heart contractions and improving blood flow.
Lowering blood pressure: Acupuncture may help lower blood pressure, which can be beneficial for people with high blood pressure, a common risk factor for heart disease.
There have been several studies investigating the potential benefits of acupuncture as a complementary therapy for heart conditions. Here are a few examples of studies:
A randomized controlled trial published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2017 found that acupuncture may be a useful adjunctive therapy in reducing angina frequency and improving quality of life for patients with stable angina.
A meta-analysis published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine in 2018 reviewed 21 randomized controlled trials involving acupuncture as a complementary therapy for hypertension. The meta-analysis found that acupuncture may help reduce blood pressure in patients with hypertension.
A systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine in 2019 reviewed 18 randomized controlled trials investigating the use of acupuncture as a complementary therapy for heart failure. The review found that acupuncture may improve heart function and quality of life in patients with heart failure.
However, it's important to note that acupuncture should not be used as a substitute for medical treatment for heart disease.