HOW TO LOWER YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE NATURALLY

Part 28 : Herbal Medicine

Herbal medicine has been used for hundreds of years to help with many different health conditions including heart disease and circulatory problems.

Herbal medicines, which help lower blood pressure are widely available to buy over the counter but you should not be tempted to dabble with them, even if you follow the instructions to the letter.

To use herbal medicine (or medical herbalism as it sometimes called) to help with hypertension (or any other medical problem) you should visit a qualified herbal practitioner. As we have said before, just because something is completely natural does not mean it is safe for you.

As herbal medicines are strong enough to relieve symptoms their misuse can be serious, so always get proper advice – this will ensure you get the most out of the treatment too. 

Many mistakenly believe that herbal medicine to be merely the forerunner to modern pharmaceutical drugs and is a more natural and therefore safer alternative.

But herbal medicine is much more than a natural "drug" – each constituent of the medicine contains a whole plethora of vitamins, minerals and trace elements which help promote health and combat disease conditions.

It is thought to be this balance of elements in herbal medicine which contribute to their effectiveness and which together reduce side effects which might be felt with a  "one active element" traditional drug.

In choosing a remedy, medical herbalists look not only at the symptoms or diagnosis the patient has (for example high blood pressure) but also at the whole state. Their aim is to treat the whole person by looking for any imbalances in the bodily systems and then prescribing the herbal medicines exactly right for the person to bring back the state of balance in the body. Many different types of herbal medicines may therefore be used to treat the same condition in different patients.

There are many herbal remedies which have been shown to have a beneficial effect on blood pressure. Substantial reductions in blood pressure have been experienced by those receiving the correct combination of the following herbal remedies prescribed by a qualified practitioner:

• Remedies which help dilate the blood vessels (such as limeflowers, hawthorn and garlic)
• Remedies which have a diuretic  effect (such as parsley, celery, dandelion leave, wild carrot and asparagus)
• Natural relaxants ( rosemary, lavender, lemon balm, chamomile and catmint)

Ayurvedic herbal medicine is also increasing in popularity. This is an ancient Indian philosophy which aims to balance the mind and body to help cure ailments and restore health to the nerves and blood vessels.   The practise claims many benefits including reduced blood pressure, tension and stress as well as calming of the heart muscle. Again an experienced qualified practitioner should be consulted as well as your own doctor.

Naturopathy is another form of medicine which may incorporate a number of alternative therapies including herbal medicine. ancient Chinese and Indian therapies and homeopathy as well as dietary and lifestyle changes and naturopathic manipulation to bring the posture into correct alignment. 

Naturopathy focuses on the body's ability to repair and heal itself given the right conditions and aims to provide the right conditions for that to happen. Again the whole aspect of the person and his or her health is considered and treatment aims to restore overall balance rather than treat individual symptoms.

In some ways it is a leap of faith to try alternative therapies. Many have undergone few scientific tests even if they have been around for hundreds of years so always be a bit cautious about what you do in this area and consult with your own doctor about what you are planning.

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