Editor’s Note: Pt. 1 and Pt. 2 of this four-part article appeared in the April and May issues, respectively.
I run into a lot of chiropractors who are exploring a shift from a musculoskeletal treatment model to a longevity health-enhancement model. This paradigm shift could potentially include more focus on cardiovascular health as part of overall patient care.
Whatever condition you want to throw at me, I’ll recommend eating more plant-based proportions, eating less processed foods, eating more whole foods, dialing in your protein, choosing healthy oily foods, and starting walking. If you already walk, then I want you to increase your speed and number of steps, so you get at least 6500 steps per day.
I’ll recommend things to improve your sleep if that is an issue. Then I get you to do some flexibility and strength training. Do these things and it’s impossible not to transform someone. I’ve helped hundreds and hundreds of people go through physical transformations, and I’ve learned a thing or two.
Just for hypertension, improving the lifestyle factors – sleep, exercise and diet – can influence everything related to hypertension and stress management. Sleep, exercise and diet are the foundation that helps everything else improve.
The Cardiovascular System and Chiropractic Care
Your chiropractic adjustments and care matter. Several studies and observations suggest a connection between chiropractic treatments and various aspects of cardiovascular function.
Focusing on vertebral subluxation correction, it is thought to promote overall health by enhancing neurological integrity.1 This approach may have implications for cardiovascular health:
- Autonomic Nervous System: Reducing vertebral subluxation could potentially reduce neurological interference, which may influence cardiovascular regulation.2
- Pulse Pressure: An observational study found that patients with high pulse pressure (>49 mmHg) showed a statistically significant reduction of 8.9 mmHg following a six-week course of upper cervical chiropractic care.3
- Cardiovascular Tone: Understanding the neurologic influence over cardiovascular tone is considered important for chiropractors interested in the role of subluxation correction in overall health and wellness.3
A study of chiropractic teaching clinics found that health promotion advice was noted in 53.7% of patient charts.2 However, only 17 out of 97 patients with risk of cardiovascular disease received advice on the topic.4
Exercise for Blood Pressure Reduction
The two big buckets of exercise are cardiovascular and resistance training. For cardio, I see my patients mostly choosing walking, running, elliptical, spinning, road cycling, swimming, mountain biking, tennis, pickleball, Pilates, and hiking. I’m impressed by the way people are aging who have continued skateboarding, surfing and dance classes into their 50s and more. These days I’m big on encouraging jump rope within workouts for cardio and ping pong for brain health.
For resistance, it doesn't necessarily have to be in the gym. I’m still a big fan of starting out with bodyweight exercise, then resistance bands, even putting items in a luggage bag (or using kettlebells) and carrying it around. Your body doesn't know what it's lifting; all it knows is resistance against gravity.
Cardio and resistance exercise will make your heart more efficient by being able to move the blood to help regulate blood pressure, and make your heart stronger.
Weight Management and BP
Being overweight is one of the higher risk factors for hypertension. If you're carrying excess body fat, we all know that losing fat is going to help with blood pressure. I have a full-time fat-loss coach in my office. (For those of you who need fat-loss recommendations, please re-read part 2 of this article.)
Exercise and diet obviously contribute to weight loss. Getting patients to walk about 6,500 steps a day is my first goal. Chiropractic care is the gateway to be able to accomplish proper gait if they are unable to walk from some physical impairment. I need people to walk so we can improve metabolism, burn calories, lose fat, strengthen bones, and do all these transformational things.
The American Heart Association and the Mayo Clinic suggest you can expect to lower blood pressure by about one point for each 2.2 pounds (1 kilogram) of weight you lose. I think they have simplified this number for public understanding.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s guidelines, which summarize findings from trials like the Framingham Study or the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) trials, collectively show that losing about 20 pounds can lower systolic blood pressure by 5-20 mmHg, depending on individual factors like baseline weight, age and hypertension status.5
Paul K. Whelton’s study reported that a weight loss of 17.6 pounds (approximately 8 kg) was associated with reductions of approximately 8.5 mmHg in Systolic BP and 6.5 mmHg in Diastolic BP.6 Losing as little as 5-10% of your body weight can make a significant difference in your blood pressure and overall health.7
Editor’s Note: In part 4 of this article (July issue), Dr. Tucker discusses the value of isometric training and his recommended isometric exercise protocol for reducing blood pressure and improving overall cardiovascular health. Note that reference numbering resets for pts. 3-4.
References
- Masarsky C, Cremata E. Chiropractic care and the cardiovascular system. Published 2001.
- Smith DL. Muscular strength and chiropractic: theoretical mechanisms and health implications. Published 2000.
- Kessinger R, et al. Pulse pressure findings following upper cervical care: a practice-based observational study. J Can Chiropr Assoc, 2019 Apr;63(1):51-58.
- Ndetan H, et al. Health promotion practices in two chiropractic teaching clinics: does a review of patient files reflect advice on health promotion? J Chiropr Educ, 2010 Fall;24(2):159-64.
- Zelman KM. “Take Charge of Your Blood Pressure: Lifestyle Changes Can Make the Difference.” WebMD, Nov. 4, 2004.
- Bacon SL, et al. Effects of exercise, diet and weight loss on high blood pressure. Sports Med, 2004;34(5):307-16.
- Yang S, et al. Effect of weight loss on blood pressure changes in overweight patients: a systematic review and meta‐analysis. J Clin Hypertens, 2023 May 4;25(5):404-415.
