New research finds that some non-traditional approaches can lend a helping hand to standard medical practice.
One in three Americans suffers from hypertension--better known as high blood pressure--according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
And millions of Americans take medications to keep high blood pressure under control.
Now, a study in the journal, 'Hypertension', finds that alternative treatments can also be helpful.
Researchers reviewed the effects of such techniques as yoga, acupuncture, exercise and relaxation.
The study found that yoga and acupuncture were not effective against high blood pressure, but that aerobic exercise, resistance or strength training and even isometric hand-grip exercises can help people reduce blood pressure.
One important caution: the authors warn that their effects are modest and they are not replacements for such standard treatments as medications, weight loss, and quitting smoking.