Posted on 04/13/2025 8:30:57 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
Relaxation techniques may help lower high blood pressure—at least in the short term—but the longer-term effects are unclear, finds a pooled data analysis of the existing research.
While drugs are available to treat the condition, adherence to them is poor, generating interest in alternative approaches, such as relaxation techniques, to reduce one of the major risk factors for high blood pressure—high stress levels.
But it's far from clear which of these methods might be most effective.
To build on the evidence base, the researchers scoured research databases for studies published in English up to February 2024 that looked at the potential impact of relaxation techniques on high blood pressure (140/90 mm Hg and above) and elevated blood pressure (120/80 mm Hg and above).
They included 182 studies, 166 of which looked at high blood pressure, and 16 of which looked at elevated blood pressure (pre-hypertension).
The pooled results of 54 studies showed that most relaxation techniques seemed to lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure for people with high blood pressure after three or fewer months. The most commonly included interventions were breath control (13 studies), yoga/tai chi (11), biofeedback (eight), progressive muscle relaxation (seven), and music (seven).
Compared with no intervention, breath control achieved a reduction of 6.65 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure (the first and higher number in a blood pressure reading), meditation, a drop of 7.71 mm Hg, meditative movement, such as tai chi and yoga, a drop of 9.58 mm Hg, and mindfulness a drop of 9.90 mm Hg.
Music was also associated with a fall of 6.61 mm Hg, progressive muscle relaxation with a fall of 7.46 mm Hg, and psychotherapy with a reduction of 9.83 mm Hg. Combined techniques were associated with a drop of 6.78 mm Hg in blood pressure.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
She used it for several months, but was already on a low dose of two blood pressure drugs. Fortunately, she no longer needs medicines or breathing practice, because we reversed all signs of blood pressure issues and she has been off drugs for a while.
The secret? Things I’ve posted here, over the years. Mine had started edging up two years after hers needed medicines, but for a while I am on the low side of the normal range and never needed medicines.
Get off your medicines, when possible. You can reverse arterial plaques, open up capillaries, relax your arteries, repair your endothelial layer, etc. and have better health, with some work.
It's been my experience that if you sit quietly and take your blood pressure every few minutes it will continuously go down.
This is beyond that.
Take your blood pressure after sitting with no movement for five minutes. That should be your natural, immediate, low. Then do the additional breathing or such and see where it goes after 10-20 minute of that.
For the purposes of this study, that is what was measured.
That has happened to me many times. Sadly, a few years ago I couldn’t get it back down enough so they put me on low dose Rx. I never smoked or drank alcohol but am overweight and subject to anger and very subject to stress. Bp has been kept okay with the drug. Although I hate taking prescriptions.
I was told around 1990 “You have labile blood pressure” by the MD after I made it go down while he waited. I felt like David Carradine on the Kung Fu series. It wasn’t wildly swinging but was a little high, then normal.
Here is a little Google stuff.
Note: This Free Republic post by Frank Ballenger is not intended to diagnose, prevent or cure any medical condition. Please consult your health professional. 🩺
Thanks for the information. I looked up Resperate. It is not cheap, but it’s great that it can help a person get off drugs or take lower doses. It’s definitely something to consider.
Somebody was paid lots of money to come up with a conclusion that we have known for decades? SCIENCE!
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