INTRODUCTION:
· Acupuncture is one of the most widely practiced forms of nonpharmacological treatments.
· It is the important part of traditional Chinese medicine.
· It is a Chinese therapy by inserting needles to the acu-points on the body surface along meridians to treat a wide range of diseases.
· It could be used on patients who want to avoid drug therapy or as an alternate option to reduce dosages of antihypertensive agents.
NATUROPATHIC INTERVENTION:
AIM:
· To reduce the Blood Pressure
· To reduce the dosage of medications
· To improve the Quality of life
· To prevent the complications
INFLUENCE OF ACUPUNCTURE ON RENIN-ANGIOTENSIN-ALDOSTERONE SYSTEM(RAAS):
Acupuncture
↓
Can regulate BP homeostasis, vascular injury, & repair responses
↓
by decreasing the activity of renin
↓
By decreasing the levels of angiotensin converting enzyme and angiotensin receptors (AT1R & AT2R)
↓
& decreasing the plasma content of angiotensin II & aldosterone
↓
It can significantly decrease the mRNA expression of angiotensinogen
EFFECT OF ACUPUNCTURE ON OXIDATIVE STRESS:
LIVER 3:
Acupuncture on liver 3 (Tai Chong)
↓
May increase the antioxidant enzymes (Superoxide dismutase, Glutamate dehydrogenase 1, Glutathione-s- transferase) in the medulla & improve oxidative stress
↓
It reduces the formation of ROS by regulating the oxidation/antioxidant enzyme system
↓
Increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) promotes the enhanced antioxidant function
↓
& relaxing the vascular smooth muscle
↓
which results in reducing BP
INFLUENCE OF ACUPUNCTURE ON VASCULAR
ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION:
STOMACH-36
Acupuncture on st-36
↓
Can lower BP by reducing endothelin A receptor (ETAR) & ET-1 production
↓
A Research study reported that there is an expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)
↓
& production of Nitric Oxide (NO) Were enhanced by electroacupuncture on Stomach-36 (Zusanli)
It can lower BP
↓
By restoring the equilibrium of endothelium-dependent relaxing factor (EDRF) & endothelial cell-dependent contractility factor (EDCF)
EFFECT OF ACUPUNCTURE ON INFLAMMATORY FACTORS:
Acupuncture effect was mediated by the reduction of inflammatory factors (TNF-alpha, interlekin-6, & CRP-C reactive protein)
↓
All the evidence suggests that acupuncture can reduce inflammatory factors
↓
Which may affect the RAAS system & endothelial function
↓
Resulting in reduction of BP
INFLUENCE OF ACUPUNCTURE ON NEUROENDOCRINE:
Hypothalamus is one of the anti-hypertensive targets
↓
It has been reported that paraventricular nucleus & arcuate nucleus in the hypothalamus
↓
Can regulate cardiovascular function
The ventrolateral Periaqueductal Gray (vlPAG) & Rostral ventrolateral medulla in medulla oblongata (rVLM)
↓
Also play an important role in the regulation of cardiovascular function
rVLM plays a key role in the regulation of BP
↓
Inhibition of neuronal
function in rVLM
↓
Results in drastic reduction of BP
Research found that “Acupuncture”
↓
Can inhibit rVLM premotor sympathetic cardiovascular neurons
↓
& can attenuate visceral sympathoexcitatory reflexes
↓
Through opioid mediated inhibition of aspartic acid & glutamic acid action in rVLM.
Central effects may
also affect the endocrine system
↓
Which leads to decreasing in the plasma levels of Aldosterone, Angiotensin II, and Norepinephrine
↓ Therefore, the mechanism of acupuncture’s beneficial effects is related to the sympathetic outflow & regulation of endocrine system
INFLUENCE OF ACUPUNCTURE ON BRAIN FUNCTIONAL IMAGING:
Needling on LIVER-3
↓
Can lower BP &
improve symptoms
↓
By activating the anterior cingulate gyrus
↓
To regulate the parasympathetic
↓
& also improve the cognitive impairment caused by long-term hypertension
↓
By strengthening
the connection of anterior cingulate gyrus with the function of other brain
regions
- Research study reported that using resting state fMRI
↓
Found that the
limbic system, cerebellum, bilateral thalamus, & frontal lobes ↓
May be targets in the brain
By needing liver-3 & kidney-3
↓
& thereby maintaining their original treatment in hypertensive patients
Therefore, acupuncture can regulate the cortical level, hypothalamus, & brain stem
↓
Along with other brain complex networks
↓
To reduce the autonomic nervous response & regulating the cardiovascular system
↓
Thus, resulting in an antihypertensive effect
MOST COMMON POINTS:
Liver-3
Stomach-36
Pericardium-6
Pericardium-5
Large Intestine-11
Governing vessel-20
EAR ACUPUNCTURE
SIX EAR ACUPUNCTURE POINTS:
·
Ear apex point
· Endocrine point
·
Shen men point
· Superior triangular fossa point
· Heart point and
· Groove of the posterior surface point
MOXIBUSTION
It uses
the heat generated by burning herbal preparations containing Artemisia vulgaris
to stimulate acupuncture point.
MOXA POINTS:
Governing vessel-20
Pericardium-6
Stomach-36
Kidney-1
Conceptional vessel-8
Gall bladder-39
very informative..Keep going
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