Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Technique (MBRS) can be incorporated in your daily lifestyle along with physical activity and weight management to reduce the effects of high blood pressure.
Adding to the conventional methods of tackling hypertension and high blood pressure, there is a brand new technique called mindfulness-based stress reduction technique. MBRS can be incorporated in your daily lifestyle along with physical activity and weight management to reduce the effects of high blood pressure.
According to a recent research having a positive attitude towards life, keeping your mind free of excessive stress, anxiety and following ways to de-stress and relax is extremely important for curbing blood pressure and warding off hypertension. The MBSR includes mindfulness meditation skills along with healthy discussions on stress, coping and homework assignments designed for patients to document their mood and anxiety levels.
A team of researchers at Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine, conducted a trial on hundred patients ageing between 30-60 years who were not taking any medications for hypertension. The programme included an eight group session of 2.5 hours each. The participants were expected to practice the technique six days a week for 45 minutes. Throughout the programme the participants had a therapist guiding them through body scan exercise where the participants "inventoried" how they felt in all parts of their body, sitting meditation and yoga.
The technique resulted in substantial and statistically significant reductions in the primary outcomes. The MBSR resulted in a 4.8-mm Hg reduction in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and a 1.9-mm Hg reduction in diastolic blood pressure (DBP), researchers noticed.
"This was one of the first prospective randomised trials of MBSR as a nonpharmocologic treatment option," said Richard Josephson, a professor at Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine.
More trials can be conducted to further evaluate the effectiveness of MBSR as it could have broad applications for multiple maladies, researchers concluded.
The findings appeared in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.
