High blood pressure is a chronic medical condition that affects roughly 70 million American adults today. High blood pressure is also commonly referred to as hypertension and it increases the risk of stroke, heart disease, and many other medical problems. High blood pressure is a common condition in which the long-term force of blood against one’s artery walls is persistently elevated. Measuring blood pressure is determined through systolic and diastolic pressures, which are the maximum and minimum pressures in the human body. It can be determined that hypertension is present in someone when their numbers are 140 (systolic)/90 (diastolic) millimeters of mercury (mm/Hg) or higher.

Primary hypertension and secondary hypertension are the two different classes of high blood pressure. Primary hypertension mostly develops in people gradually over many years and there is no one pinpoint cause of the high blood pressure. Secondary hypertension is caused by other medical conditions, such as kidney problems, thyroid problems, drug and alcohol abuse, etc. Stress, poor diet, tobacco use, and being physically inactive also plays a large role in the increase of blood pressure in adults. Although many people are affected by high blood pressure, only about half of them have their condition under control. Luckily, if you are diagnosed with high blood pressure, there are steps you can take and things you can do to help lower it.

Medical professionals recommend a change in lifestyle is the most effective way of lowering your blood pressure. Keeping your body healthy is extremely important in the fight against hypertension. Your doctor might suggest things such as embracing a low-salt diet, avoiding smoking, and exercising regularly.

Exercise can make a huge difference in your health because it improves the workings of the cardiovascular system. Even if you start off slow, implementing more and more physical activities into your daily life can play a role in decreasing blood pressure. Meeting with a physical therapist is great way to come up with organized workout regimen as there are many factors that play into the amount of physical activities one can perform in order to promote healthy living and fight against high blood pressure.

Did you know that you have Direct Access to Physical Therapy? No referral is needed. We offer the best Physical Therapy on Long Island where you can get help from our trusted and expert Physical Therapists. We have several locations on Long Island including Massapequa, Valley Stream, Wantagh and Lindenhurst. To start your Physical Therapy evaluation, call Advance Physical Therapy and The Physical Therapy Alliance at (516) 568-4444.