The effect of acupuncture on blood pressure and pulse rate

Objective To study the effect of acupuncture on systolic and diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate of patients with different diseases. Methods Blood Pressure and Pulse Rate of 106 patients older than 18 without history of needling during the last month, were measured before and immediately after every treatment session. Also history of hypertension, history of needling and acupoints were recorded for every patient. Results After acupuncture, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate significantly decreased comparing to the levels before acupuncture (P 0.05) . There is a correlation between acupuncture in some acupoints and blood pressure or pulse rate (P<0.05 or P<0.01) . Conclusion Acupuncture in some acupoints has certain effects on blood pressure and pulse rate. Key words: Systolic blood pressure; Diastolic blood pressure; Pulse rate; Acupuncture