Heart Health and Alternative Medicine

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. A plant-based, whole foods diet, an active lifestyle, and keeping stress down are some of the obvious ways to protect your heart but adding acupuncture to your regimen could give you even more of an edge. Acupuncture has been proven to prevent heart tissue damage and reduce high blood pressure and atrial fibrillation.

Acupuncture Synchronizes the Body’s Systems

Recent research proves that acupuncture improves heart rate variability (HRV). HRV is the difference in time between heart beats and is a marker of the body's ability to keep control of the heart beat rate and rhythm through the vagus nerve.  Based on this new evidence, researchers state that acupuncture may synchronize the two branches of the autonomic nervous system (ANS); the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.  

Reduced HRV is linked to:

• Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)

• Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)

• Diabetic Neuropathy

Research Proves Acupuncture Benefits The Cardiovascular System

Study 1: Acupuncture point CV17 has been proven to benefit the heart by increasing HRV. CV17 is able to activate the autonomic nervous system to control the heart rate by increasing vagal activity.

Study 2: Acupuncture has an "antiarrhythmic effect" in the treatment of atril fibrillation (A-fib), when using the following points; Neiguan (PC6), Shenmen (HT7), and Xinshu (UB15).

Study 3: Research from the University of California proves that acupuncture can reduce high blood pressure (hypertension), protect heart tissue form damage, and reduces arrhythmias.

What to Expect When Being Treated with TCM

First and foremost, identifying the patterns that are effecting your body are key. We will review your diet, lifestyle and environment in addition to your physical health and symptoms to individualize a plan and make recommendations for what your body and mind need. Stress can be a major factor in health issues concerning the heart so this is always addressed.

Acupuncture will be used in directing, moving and nourishing qi in the associated organs and channels. Chinese herbs will most likely accompany this effort as well. What you eat plays a big role and food has a different impact on the body and energy in ways you don’t realize. We provide nutritional counseling and monitoring. What you eat, when you eat, how you eat are significant. Using acupuncture, herbs and addressing lifestyle/environment for stress/emotional factors will also assist in balancing the body and keeping you and your heart as healthy as can be.

Interested in getting acupuncture and want to make sure you are seeing experienced practitioners? Garden Acupuncture is located on 641 President St, suite 206 in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Our team has over 70+ years of combined experience! Check out and explore our website! https://gardenacu.com/

If you have any questions about acupuncture, we love to nerd out about it! Send us a note at info@gardenacu.com or drop us a line at 347-987-4399.