How can acupressure mat improve hypertension and lower blood pressure? (UK)

Hypertension is considered a chronic condition that affects more than one billion people worldwide. Basically, it is a lifelong condition that leads people to find alternative solutions such as acupressure therapy through lotus flower mats.

Provided there is consistency in the use of an acupressure mat, you can regulate your blood pressure in the medium and long term, thanks to the various benefits the mat has on blood circulation and dilation of the blood vessels.

What is hypertension and what are the causes of this disease?

It is a disease that can be controlled, but if the patient is careless, it can lead to complications in the blood circulation and affect the correct functioning of the heart. In addition to medication, there are a number of recommendations that specialists ask patients to comply with, especially therapies with acupressure mats.

As the symptoms of high blood pressure are not clear, it is better to prevent ailments and discomfort with the frequent use of the acupressure mat, which represents an affordable alternative to prevent hypertension from taking over your life.

Here are the main causes:

• Genetic predisposition: the chances of having hypertension are doubled when one of the parents is also a hypertensive patient. And when it comes to gender, men have a higher prevalence of this vascular condition.
• Advancing age: both systolic and diastolic blood pressure tend to increase with age. People aged 45-50 years and older are more likely to have high blood pressure for the rest of their lives.
• Overweight and obesity: this risk factor increases an adult's chances of having blood pressure problems threefold, so it is recommended that the Muscle Mass Index (MMI) be adequate from youth until patients reach old age.
• Renal deficiency: the different renal complications also cause people to have hypertension problems, which complicate the vascular pathologies that are already associated with the difficulties of this important organ of the body.
• Hormonal imbalances: there are different reasons why a hormonal imbalance occurs. In women, one of them is the misuse of contraceptive pills, and when added to an overweight condition, it is quite common for the person to have alterations in blood pressure.
• Drugs and medicines: it has been proven that some permitted and illegal substances also increase the risk of damaging the circulatory system and the functioning of the heart, which can lead to blood pressure problems.
• Nicotine use: an additional section is made just for this risk factor because millions of people in the world are active smokers and over the years have developed vascular problems, including hypertension.

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Can high blood pressure really be controlled with acupressure therapy?

It has been proven that acupressure mat therapies can sustainably regulate blood pressure, because stimulation with acupressure releases an increased amount of beta-endorphins.

From the central nervous system this component acts to reduce the chances of cardiac arrhythmias and promotes dilation of the vessels and veins, which in turn allows the arterial walls do not harden by the constant work that the heart must do to maintain blood flow. The mat also allows for more oxytocin, a component that helps relieve stress and tension in the body. It allows people to remain calm in mentally stressful situations.

A study conducted at the University of Medical Sciences of Granma established that alternative therapies such as acupuncture, acupressure and reflexology are actually effective in helping people control blood pressure imbalances.

More than 100 patients were observed and monitored before and after applying these non-clinical therapies, but they were shown to reduce the likelihood of complications from this vascular condition. Physicians, physiotherapists and sports professionals around the world attest to the positive effects that acupressure has in treating hypertension, but make it clear that there must be consistency in the use of the acupressure mat.

How to use the acupressure mat to control hypertension?

Yoga and meditation

In order to solve some of the symptoms of hypertension, specialists recommend several gentle yoga exercises that will help regulate blood pressure and are ideal for people with no experience in this discipline.

• Place the mat on the floor.
• Lay your body on your back, with your legs straight.
• Lift one leg and place it parallel to the floor.
• With the support of a band or loop, pull the metatarsals towards your body, i.e. downwards.
• Hold this position for a few seconds and perform the routine with the other leg.

We can do a variation of this exercise in which the back and legs are also stimulated:

• Continue lying on your back.
• Bend both legs without lifting your feet off the floor.
• Bring your left foot up and place it on your right knee.
• Hold this position for 10 seconds.
• Do the same routine with your right foot, bringing it up to your left knee.
• Hold for 10 seconds.

It is likely that you require specific exercises for the hips, in that case check out this routine:

• Lie on your back on the mat.
• Bend and lift both legs.
• Rotate hip to the left and hold for 20 seconds.
• Return the hip to its normal position and rotate the hip to the opposite side.
• This cycle can be done four times if you are comfortable with these rotations.

Positions and exercises

If you're not a regular yoga or Pilates practitioner, there are some simple exercises you can do at home to help your circulation.

• Place the acupressure mat on the floor.
• Lie on your back on the mat, covering your entire back and part of your buttocks.
• Bend your knees without taking your feet off the floor.
• Gently rotate your hips to each side, you should do about 10 repetitions.

While lying on the floor, you can do gentle hip movements to stimulate circulation:

• Stretch your arms and legs as far as possible.
• Alternately raise and lower your hips.
• The lotus flowers should touch the entire back, buttocks and hamstrings.
• You can do 20 repetitions of this routine.

In this same session, you can make movements on your legs for better stimulation:

• Lie on your back on the mat.
• Lift each leg and bend at the knee.
• Bring your knee to your chest and hold for a few seconds.
• Now perform the lift with the other leg.
• You can do two repetitions of this routine

Time and regularity of use

The maximum time spent on the mat should not exceed 15 minutes. If you are doing several exercises, you should distribute this time between the exercises you are going to do.

The time for each session should not usually exceed 20 minutes, although you can take breaks before doing a complete cycle again. You can even repeat these exercises on a daily basis if you feel comfortable doing the same routines all the time. If you want to use this product on a daily basis, it is best to look for other variations of the exercises shown here.

Other healthy tips

As a preventive measure, we offer you a series of recommendations and changes in habits that you should apply in your daily life to avoid being part of the world's statistics on patients with hypertension.

• Watch your body weight: high blood pressure is closely linked to excess weight in people who tend to eat a diet rich in fats and carbohydrates without burning those calories.
• Get a medical check-up: if there is a history of family members with high blood pressure at home, it is advisable to seek the advice of a specialist to reduce the chances of having high blood pressure.
• Exercise: Daily walking, jogging and stretching are healthy ways to prevent blood pressure irregularities. This has more to do with creating a different habit.
• Eat a healthy diet: it is not enough just to watch your weight, your body requires the right and necessary levels of protein, carbohydrate and fat intake, it is just that it is unnecessary to overdo it.
• Limit the amount of alcohol: it has been proven that drinking too much alcohol causes vessels and veins to narrow. When this occurs frequently, the heart suffers more to maintain the correct level of blood pumping throughout the body.
• Avoid smoking: nicotine is harmful in many ways, but in particular it causes obstruction of the circulatory system, which is similar to the walls of these ducts to become too narrow.
• Reduces stress: anger and impotence cause blood pressure to rise to dangerous levels. It has even been proven that heart attacks are often triggered by sudden rises in blood pressure, without showing symptoms beforehand.