Home ⟩Patient Care ⟩Faculty Practice ⟩Hypertension

Lifestyle Redesign® for Hypertension

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is one of the most common reasons for visiting the doctor. In fact, 1 out of 3 American adults have hypertension, and this number increases to 2 out of 3 for adults ages 60 or older. While hypertension can seem non-threatening if you don’t experience physical symptoms, it can lead to serious complications such as stroke, heart attack, vision loss, and/or kidney failure if left uncontrolled.

Some people may feel like they just have bad luck, and no matter what they do, they cannot control their blood pressure. While it’s true that certain uncontrollable factors like family history, gender, age, and ethnicity impact your risk for hypertension, there are many factors that are within your control. By optimizing those factors, you can better manage your hypertension and reduce your risk of complications.

Our occupational therapists work with you in a holistic manner to help you take control over the lifestyle factors that impact your blood pressure. Together, we help you build healthy habits and routines that are specific to your personal context. While diet and exercise are essential for managing hypertension, our OTs will help you explore other areas related to your health, such as stress management, sleep hygiene, smoking cessation, alcohol consumption, medication management, and self-monitoring.

We can help you to:

• Understand hypertension and its secondary complications
• Learn the principles of healthy eating and plan ahead to maximize follow through
• Identify and engage in physical activities
• Learn how to effectively manage stress, anxiety, and depression
• Develop a consistent and healthy sleep routine
• Learn strategies to support consistent medication adherence and management
• Engage in self-monitoring of your blood pressure
• Analyze the cues that trigger smoking cravings and develop strategies for preventing and managing them
• Learn and apply strategies to moderate alcohol consumption
• Learn how to be mindful during daily routines to support long-term changes

Get more information/contact us

To make an appointment, or for more information, contact us today!

USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
1540 Alcazar Street, CHP 133, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9003

ACOTE accreditation | NBCOT certification

The USC entry-level master’s degree program (cost of attendance) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® (ACOTE®) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The USC entry-level doctorate in occupational therapy (OTD) degree program (cost of attendance) is accredited by ACOTE®. View our program’s ACOTE® standards public data. ACOTE® c/o the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.®, 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814, (301) 652-AOTA, www.acoteonline.org.

Professional program graduates are eligible to apply for the national certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.® (NBCOT®), nbcot.org. All states require licensure to practice; a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT® OTR certification examination or attain state licensure. Program results from the NBCOT® can be found online at www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.