Hypertension
(High Blood Pressure)

Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of arteries. Blood pressure has two components-the systolic pressure (It is the force that blood exerts on the artery walls when the heart is pumping) over the diastolic pressure (it is the residual force that remains when the heart relaxes between beats). The measurement is written one above or before the other, with the systolic number on top and the diastolic number on the bottom. For example, a blood pressure measurement of 130/85 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury) is expressed verbally as "130 over 85."

High blood pressure increases your chance (or risk) for getting heart disease and/or kidney disease, and for having a stroke. Hypertension is often called the silent killer. It is especially dangerous because it often has no warning signs or symptoms. Regardless of race, age, or gender, anyone can develop high blood pressure. It is estimated that one in every four American adults has high blood pressure. But only about half of those who have it know they have it. Once high blood pressure develops, it usually lasts a lifetime. You can prevent and control high blood pressure by taking action.

How is biofeedback used to control hypertension?

Accompanied by various relaxation techniques, biofeedback can help in the treatment of headaches, muscle tension, and other conditions exacerbated by stress. Recently, biofeedback has been used successfully to lower mild high blood pressure.

Biofeedback provides invaluable information about the impact of stress, cognitions, and emotional states on our bodies. In combination with stress management, biofeedback serves as a useful tool for learning to increase sympathetic nervous system activity and control the harmful effects of stress. Learning to control your blood pressure with a combination of biofeedback and stress management techniques can help you to deal more effectively with stress in your daily life, reduce your reliance on medication, and enhance your emotional and physical state.

Hypertension management using biofeedback equipment

Autogenic Training
Autogenic training is a process in which you learn to control a variety of symptoms and conditions via self-regulation of muscle tension, blood flow, heart rate, skin conductance, breathing, and brainwaves. This non-invasive process involves sensitive biofeedback instruments that measure and feedback what is happening inside your body. This feedback about your physiology is immediate, ongoing, and exact. You are then able to begin changing and controlling specific behavioral and emotional stress patterns, as well as physical effects of stress.

Monitoring of blood pressure with units like a Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor and home practice of the Autogenic exercises, such as hand warming, are essential components of Autogenic training.

Temperature Training
Research suggests that finger temperature is a reliable indicator of blood pressure. Finger temperature will typically drop as a result of stress. When you experience stress, certain changes occur within your body to prepare you to deal with the stressor.

The basic theory behind hand warming comes from our understanding of the fight-flight response. The fight-flight response is an automatic change of physiological markers that take place when a person suddenly perceives danger or stress. Blood flow is significantly decreased in the extremities while being increased to the vital organs of the body. This enables a person to react physically to danger. This physiological change was very favorable and served as an automatic protection device, in primitive society.

Although the fight-flight response has been beneficial and necessary for survival, it can also be harmful. If we overuse this natural response by constantly interpreting things as being stressful or dangerous, that really are not, we are chronically sending this response to the body.

Using the SC911 Digital Biofeedback Thermometer to monitor and learn to raise finger temperature through stress management and relaxation techniques can help to reduce stress and lower blood pressure.

Deep Breathing
This is one of the most common ways to relax. Taking deep breaths and then exhaling for a longer count than the inhalation accomplishes this.

The Resperate helps you to pace your breathing from the normal range of 14 to 19 breaths per minute to the "therapeutic zone" of under 10 breaths per minute. Within a few minutes into the exercise the muscles surrounding the small blood vessels dilate and relax, allowing blood to flow more freely, resulting in lower blood pressure. The Resperate's pacing technology enables you to perform these therapeutic breathing maneuvers effortlessly.

Your breathing returns to normal after each session but the beneficial impact on your blood pressure accumulate.
With regular use of the Resperate significant and sustained reduction in blood pressure and overall stress level can be achieved.

The Resperate is the only FDA-cleared, non-drug, medical device clinically proven to lower high blood pressure with no side effects.