Medical Massage For Hypertension

You can purchase the entire DVD at http://medicalmassage-edu.comH... Dizziness, Headaches, & Worsening of Vision (secondary to Vertebral Artery Syndrome) Greater Occipital Neuralgia, Neck Rehabilitative Exercises. First, let's quickly review how medical massage therapy affects the arterial blood pressure in patients with EH. There are three major mechanisms which massage practitioners should use to help patients with hypertension: Balance the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system, vasodilate the vertebral arteries and reduce peripheral vascular resistance. These three mechanisms are intimately correlated, hence the need to discuss them together as parts of the same process.Vertebral arteries arise from the subclavian arteries. They ascend through the cervical vertebrae and enter the skull where they unite to form the basilar artery, supplying the posterior part of the brain. The vertebral arteries also give off two important arterial branches that supply the entire spinal cord: The anterior spinal artery and two posterior spinal arteries. The pathway of the vertebral arteries through the cervical vertebrae is quite complex. The transverse process of each cervical vertebra has a special opening called the transverse foramen through which the vertebral artery passes. Cervical vertebrae are positioned on top of one another such that these openings form a bony canal through which the vertebral arteries ascend.The walls of vertebral arteries have their own sympathetic plexus innervation, regulating their constriction and dilation. It follows that any irritation to this plexus may result in their contraction. Even a minor facet joint subluxation, which may not even be visible by radiographic means, can produce an irritation slightly compressing the vertebral arteries. This constriction may lead to a reduced blood supply to the brain, which in turn will cause further vasoconstriction in an attempt to compensate for compromised circulation. The result is an inevitable increase in blood pressure or EH.Other mechanisms that may cause a decrease in blood flow through the vertebral arteries are cervical spondylosis, emotional stress and physical overload of the neck and upper back muscles. As a result of these, a hypertonus develops in the cervical muscles. In order to maintain proper function, the brain's daily perfusion has to be approximately 2,000 quarts of arterial blood. This rate is regulated by special vascular receptors in the arterial structures of the brain. Even a minor reduction in the amount of blood circulation triggers compensatory reactions such as an increased heart rate, increased cardiac output and, most importantly, an increased peripheral vascular resistance.Peripheral vascular resistance is a major opposing force to the heart's work. Every time the left ventricle ejects blood, the force of the cardiac contraction has to overcome the resistance of arterial vessels (especially on the level of middle-sized arteries in skeletal muscles). Thus, an increased sympathetic tone triggers arteriolar vasoconstriction, which increases peripheral vascular resistance, resulting in the heart having to work harder to pump blood.

Channel: Entertainment
Uploaded: November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am
Author: mgaft1

Length: 07:33
Rating: 4.98
Views: 25575

Tags: Dizziness  Headaches  Hypertension  massage  medical  school  

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