Scientists from Leeds University have uncovered the mechanism by which neck massage may indeed help ease high blood pressure.
They studied the neural pathways between the neck and brain to show how neck muscles play a key role in regulating blood flow, finding a link between the cells in the brain that receive signals from the neck and an area of the brain that is pivotal in the control of autonomic functions such as heart rate and breathing. They concluded that as we change posture, signals from the neck play a key role in ensuring adequate blood supply to the brain is maintained, and extrapolated that mechanical manipulation of the area could therefore also influence blood pressure.
“Reports from chiropractic journals say that manipulating the neck region helps to reduce blood pressure in some people,” says Prof Deuchars, who led the study. “By identifying the pathways we can see why these treatments might work and it could also explain why some people suffering whiplash injuries may experience a change in their blood pressure.”
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