Alternatively treat high blood pressure with naturopathy?
Can high blood pressure be alternatively treated with naturopathy?
High blood pressure is a common condition in Germany. According to figures from the Robert Koch Institute (“RKI” for short), an estimated 30 percent of all Germans suffer from hypertension. High blood pressure can even be detected in two-thirds of People over 65: https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/Gesundheitsmonitoring/Gesundheitsberichterstattung/GBEDownloadsJ/FactSheets/JoHM_2017_01_gesundheitliche_lage3.pdf?__blob=publicationFile
However, the dangers of high blood pressure are very great. The RKI describes hypertension as one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. These, in turn, are one of the most common causes of death in general.
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Possible consequences of high blood pressure include:
- Stroke / apoplexy
- Aneurysm / brain hemorrhage
- Heart attack
- CHD (coronary heart disease)
- Angina Pectoris
- Cardiac output disorders
- Vascular complaints / vascular diseases
- Atherosclerosis
Can high blood pressure be alternatively treated? And can high blood pressure possibly be lowered with naturopathic remedies?
Alternatively treat high blood pressure? First find the cause
To properly treat high blood pressure, the exact cause of hypertension must first be diagnosed. Naturopath Christian Rüger, institute manager at the Bottrop Center for Naturopathy, warns against being reckless here:
“High blood pressure is a serious condition, for which there is no clear organic disease as a cause in many cases. Nevertheless, it is important to be examined first by a doctor or naturopath because a health check can provide clues about causes, and thus information about treatment options. High blood pressure can occur as a symptom of another disease, which should then be treated in any event – naturopathically, conventionally or, in the best-case scenario for many, with treatments that complement each other.”
If an organic underlying disease such as thrombosis is ruled out, high blood pressure will be called “primary hypertension”. It is often no longer possible then to clearly trace the cause. Instead, according to Rüger, several factors come together:
“High blood pressure very often arises as a result of various influences. This includes genetic factors, but also lifestyle to a large extent. On the one hand, many patients will be dissatisfied with such a vague diagnosis. But at the same time, it also offers real opportunities to treat blood pressure with naturopathic remedies – beyond conventional medicine. However, this should, in principle, be done in consultation with the treating therapist.”
High blood pressure & naturopathy – healthier through a more conscious lifestyle?
In fact, according to the Deutschen Hochdruckliga (German high blood pressure league), it is lifestyle above all else that has a decisive influence on blood pressure: https://www.hochdruckliga.de/bluthochdruck.html. This link mainly highlights unhealthy diets, too little exercise, stress and obesity as contributing factors for high blood pressure.
However, as Rüger notes, People have a direct influence on all these factors: “With a healthy lifestyle, anyone can alternatively treat or even prevent their high blood pressure, at least in principle. The “four pillars”, as the Deutschen Hochdruckliga calls them, play a decisive role in this. At our Bottrop facility for complementary medicine, the preparation of an individual nutrition plan is tailored to each patient. This includes a balanced and completely nutritious diet with lots of fruits and vegetables on the menu, adapted to the respective clinical picture and the underlying cause. Regular exercise can also do a lot for you, as this study [https://www.springermedizin.de/sport-bei-hypertonie/8993684] showed.
In addition, refraining from smoking and drinking too much alcohol can prevent hypertension. In many cases, something can be achieved through these natural means alone, which, incidentally, we count as naturopathy. Sometimes medications aren’t even necessary.”
More information about high blood pressure & naturopathy
The best ways to alternatively treat high blood pressure therefore require a strong awareness of one’s own health, and a change in everyday life in favor of a healthier lifestyle. However, “oral” naturopathic remedies for high blood pressure are also available.
Christian Rüger recently blogged about this on the Naturheilzentrum Bottrop website in his article about hypertension & alternative medicine. The latest scientific findings offer hope for more natural and sustainable remedies for high blood pressure, which have their roots in naturopathy.
Together with his colleague Farid Zitoun, Rüger also talks about high blood pressure in the new video on the Naturheilzentrum Bottrop YouTube channel. There, the two naturopaths and lifestyle experts give concrete tips and information about hypertension and how naturopathy can help with it.
