Treating high blood pressure with alternative medicine & complementary medicine

How a more conscious life can help with high blood pressure

Hello from Bottrop! My name is Christian Rüger and I founded Naturheilzentrum Bottrop together with my colleague, Farid Zitoun more than 25 years ago. This is where we welcome patients every day – showing them natural, sustainable alternatives and, above all, supportive measures for conventional medicine.

The words “alternative medicine” are also derived from this approach. However, for us at Naturheilzentrum Bottrop, this does not mean that we play conventional medicine and alternative medicine off against each other. On the contrary – we think that both can complement each other wonderfully! That’s why we like to talk about “complementary medicine” – natural and sustainable medicine as a complement to modern conventional medicine. This month, we’re focusing on a “silent killer” – namely, high blood pressure. High blood pressure is one of the most common diseases in Germany and should be taken seriously. But at the same time, it can often be treated with remedies from the field of alternative medicine.

By loading the video, you accept YouTube’s privacy policy.
Learn more

Load video

Always unlock YouTube

The possible consequences of high blood pressure

You may now be wondering why high blood pressure is so bad. After all, you often don’t notice much of it in everyday life. That’s the insidious thing about it. High blood pressure can have long-term harmful effects on your cardiovascular system. At the same time, the risk of a stroke, cerebral hemorrhage, and heart attack substantially increases.

High blood pressure is also associated with vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, which in turn can greatly increase the risk of severe cardiovascular diseases. The longer high blood pressure goes unnoticed, the greater the damage can be. That’s why it’s important to have your blood pressure checked and take early action.

Alternative medicine for high blood pressure?

The Deutsche Hochdruckliga (German high blood pressure league), among others, has pointed out how widespread and, at the same time, how dangerous high blood pressure is: . Hypertension, as high blood pressure is also called, is a very common diagnosis, especially in old age.

Conventional medicine now has a number of well-tried and tested medicines in its repertoire that can help patients with high blood pressure. Nevertheless, I find it exciting that even large medical portals strongly point toward alternatives. Science seems to agree that other methods of treatment may be promising. One indication of this for me is this article by the Umschau pharmacies, which strongly focuses on alternatives: https://www.apotheken-umschau.de/Bluthochdruck/Erhoehten-Blutdruck-ohne-Medikamente-senken-345787.html

The alternatives themselves are very plausible. Eat healthier, exercise more, abstain from cigarettes and alcohol, and reduce stress. While we generally associate these things with a healthy lifestyle, we wouldn’t necessarily associate them with medicine in the first instance. But that is often precisely what it’s all about when it comes to alternative or complementary medicine. We are trying to find natural and sustainable remedies for diseases such as high blood pressure, rather than evangelizing the principle of “take a pill and forget about it”.

Complementary medicine for high blood pressure

I do not intend this to be a criticism of conventional medicine at all, but rather a wake-up call. Some People seem to think that they don’t need to take responsibility for their own health. But that’s precisely what I think is dangerous. The issue of high blood pressure, in particular, illustrates this very well. Every single one of us can do something about it and prevent it.  To us, it seems important to raise awareness of this in general. As prevention is better than the cure, we also work on this aspect every day – and not just at the naturopathic practice.

Ultimately, this also sets an example for alternative medicine and complementary medicine. After all, it is not just a question of simply offering an herbal alternative to a conventional medicine supplement; it’s a matter of encouraging everyone to promote their own health in everyday life. Nevertheless, this also means that medications are urgently recommended in some cases. Incidentally, in these cases, complementary medicine also has a lot to offer in its portfolio. Just last year, a study found that traditional medicinal plants have an effective mechanism against high blood pressure: https://www.pnas.org/content/116/42/21236.short?rss=1

If you want to do something specifically about high blood pressure that goes even further than leading a generally healthy lifestyle, yoga and one relaxation technique or another are recommended. However, it is important to consult a therapist before trying yoga, as it can be associated with a few risks, especially for beginners.

For a healthier life without high blood pressure

I am sure that I have been able to encourage you to live healthier and more consciously today. If you haven’t checked your blood pressure for a long time, you may already feel motivated to have it read again. Caution is the order of the day or, as my colleague Farid Zitoun says: it’s better to be safe than sorry. By the way: every pharmacy and doctor’s clinic offers blood pressure readings or – if you are nearby – you can also have it checked with us at Bottrop’s naturopathic practice. Naturally, you can also get advice on possible treatments for high blood pressure. Not in opposition to conventional medicine, but in addition to it. Complementary medicine. Read more at: Treat high blood pressure alternatively.

I’d now be delighted to hear your opinions on alternative medicine for high blood pressure. What experiences do you have with high blood pressure and have you been able to celebrate success in overcoming it? Write your story in the comments section, because sharing is caring!

Until then!

Christian Rüger