 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
  |
 |
|
High Blood Pressure and Tai Ji Therapy In 2003, the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine published a study that found Tai Ji could decrease blood pressure. "Therefore," the study said, "Tai Ji could be used as an alternative modality in treating patients with mild hypertension, with a promising economic effect." This study has laid the groundwork for saving perhaps billions of dollars annually and helping some patients avoid the potential negative side effects of lifelong medication. To date, doctors rarely prescribe Tai Jito treat hypertension and to lower blood pressure. With the all the positive research about Tai Ji, its health benefits and limited side effects, we must ask ourselves why. I began to discover a possible answer when I was staying in the beautiful mountain town of Otavala, Ecuador at the home of a woman known for her knowledge of traditional Indian medicines. A group of American medical students stopped to listen and learn from the tour of her herbal gardens. I asked some of these students if they were awa re that Tai Ji had proven to reduce high blood pressure. One woman replied, "Oh yes, I've heard that, but I would never prescribe it." I asked why and she responded that she couldn't because she didn't know if it would work. Although Tai Ji studies show that Tai Ji helps lower high blood pressure, it is true that it does not reduce it in every person. It is also true, however, that every drug prescription does not work on every person. I suggested to this medical student that she consider that many times when I have been to the doctor he's pulled out a prescription pad and explained, "Let's give this a try and see how it works for you, and if it doesn't do the job we'll try something else." Most of us are familiar with this, and by the look on the student's face, I assume her memory was bringing up similar scenarios. So, why are many medical students under the impression that they should not be prescribing Tai Ji when we know it can help lower blood pressure for many patients, who if it is successf ul, can enjoy a lifetime free of chronic and costly medications? Tai Ji cannot only do that, but can offer a plethora of good side effects, including a stronger immune system and healthier respiratory system. The Mayo Clinic staff, in a March 2005 article, examined what a "stress response" is and the effect it has on the body. This is at the core of high blood pressure problems, along with the physical changes that chronic stress responses cause, which create or aggravate hypertension conditions. In this article, they explain that a stress response, or "fight or flight" reaction, involves the pituitary gland releasing adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which sets in place a domino effect, signaling other glands to produce additional hormones such as adrenal glands that flood the blood stream with stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. When life's daily frustrations trigger this effect over and over again, the results can be damaging to the mind and body. Many of us experience this domino effect of triggers and hormones daily, which is why about 24 percent of Americans suffer from high blood pressure. Cutting edge scientists such as Dr. Herbert Benson, president of the Mind/Body Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, are discovering a stunning reality. Meditation can indeed be medication, creating long-lasting physiological effects that reduce high blood pressure and even help unclog arteries to reverse heart disease. Dr. Benson, who is also associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, sought to prove how this effect could be shown objectively and had five long-time meditation practitioners take MRI brain scans while meditating. According to Dr. Benson, "There was a striking quietude across the entire brain, which was documented through MRI ... The areas of the brain that became active from that quietude were those that control metabolism, heart rate, etc. ... We knew meditation caused a relaxation response, but we couldn't prove it. We knew that if you thought in a certain way, with repetition, that physiologic changes would occur in the body. Here now is proof that mind, in the form of repetition, is affecting the brain, which affects the body." Dr. Benson explains that the relaxation response triggered by repetitive activities (such as Tai Ji, yoga, etc.) can result in decreased metabolism, heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure and slower brain waves. He says that it is the repetitive nature of acts such as praying the rosary, yoga or Tai Ji's repetitive muscular actions that provides the profound hope for reducing anxiety, mild and moderate depression, anger and hostility, hypertension, cardiac irregularities and all forms of pain, which are made worse by stress. Other than hypertension, up to 90 percent of other illnesses sending us to the doctor are caused by stress, according to Dr. Benson. This makes his findings that meditative techniques can so dramatically alter our stress, producing "fight or flight" response in healthy ways, even more wonderful. Time and again as we begin to examine one particular benefit of Tai Ji, such as lowering high blood pressure, we see a whole universe of potential opening up before us. Exercises such as Tai Ji can help us experience fewer symptoms of illness, such as headaches, nausea, diarrhea and pain; fewer negative emotional responses such as anger, crying, anxiety, apprehension and frustration; more energy; improved concentration; greater ability to handle problems; and more efficiency in daily activities. Tai Ji does so much to improve overall health as well as specific ailments such as high blood pressure. It has the potential to save so many from chronic suffering and perhaps from a lifetime of costly medications. It is time we began to ask the questions all good consumers should ask: What is the best product for my health? If Tai Ji is that product, the next question is, "Why aren't more physicians offering it as a prescription option to their patients with hypertension? And finally, "Why aren't insurance policies covering prescriptions for Tai Ji?" Ask and you shall receive. We must become informed and demanding health consumers in order to get the best health options available. This article does not advocate self-treatment, and encourages all to make health choices in conjunction with their physician. However, if your physician is not paying attention to research that indicates more treatment choices, it is time to start asking about widening your options.
|
|
| prospective studentscurrent studentsalumnicampusesabout our clinicpacific symposiumnews & eventspublications |
Copyright ©2002-05 Pacific College of
Oriental Medicine. All rights reserved.
|
