Traditional Therapeutics - Headache

Basically there are two types of Headaches:

1.  External origin: basically due to the Perverse Wind. 
2. Internal origin: divided into two groups: Symptoms of Fullness or Symptoms of Emptiness.

External Origin

The Perverse Wind attacking the principal or secondary meridians may cause Headache. Other Perverse Energies (i.e. Heat, Cold, Humidity. .) usually are accompanied by the Wind. Symptoms include dislike of the wind; stuffed up nose; clear discharge from the nose; tender areas on the cranium, nape of the neck, etc. (Ah Shi points) pulse-floating; which may be accompanied by fever, coughs, pain in the body and bones, etc.

The prime consideration for the treatment is the "Tonification of the Essential Energy" by the formula - Lu-7 (Lieh Chueh) with sedation method, LI-4 (Ho Ku) with tonification method, and St-36 (Tsu San Li) with moxibustion preferable in tonification method. Sedation method on the points GB-20 (Fung Chih), GV-16 (Fung Fu), #S-9 (Taiyang), and TB-5 (Wai Kuan) may also be applied as well as sedation on some of the "Ah Shi" points on the head and neck.

Internal Origin

Symptoms of Fullness: This can be due to a prolonged accumulation of the Glairy Mucus in the Stomach; or to anger or worry. In this case there are thrusts of Energy towards the upper parts of the body.

Example: An excessive consumption of spicy foods or alcoholic beverages can lead to an accumulation of the Glairy Mucus in the Stomach, which combined with the Heat, can rise up the internal Stomach meridian to the head.

Symptoms of Digestive origin include the nausea, "glairy" vomit, and discomfort in the chest, abdominal distention, and sour taste in the mouth, bitter belching, and constipation.

Symptoms due to Fullness may also be due to Psychic origin in which case it is always accompanied by anger, sadness, or light pains in the sides.

Symptoms of Emptiness: Owing to an insufficiency of Energy and Blood, in this case, there is an instability (disequilibrium) between the Yin and the Yang which are both in Emptiness.

Symptoms of Energetic origin include the following: Intermittent crises attacks; increase of intensity during physical exertion; the patient neither speaks nor eats sufficiently; asthenia; short respiration; pulse-empty and changeable or without strength.

Symptoms of Blood (Sanguine) origin include the following: The pains are continual, but much less strong; "the patient has the sensation of having a small tendon which painfully contracts (in the head) of a beast which to him is running (roaming) about the cranium". This type is often accompanied by fear or anguish.

To treat the Internal origins needle in the case of Fullness, apply moxibustion in the case of Emptiness to the following points: GV-20 (Pai Hui), GV-14 (Ta Chuei), St-8 (Tou Wei), GB-20 (Fung Chih), LI-4 (Ho Ku), Lu-7 (Lieh Chueh), St-44 (Nei Ting), K-7 (Fu Liu), and #S-9 (Taiyang).

In the case of Digestive origin add UB-20 (Pi Shu), UB-21 (Wei Shu), CV-12 (Chung Wan), St-25 (Tien Shu), St-40 (Fung Lung).

In the case of Psychic origin add UB-18 (Kan Shu), UB-19 (Tan Shu), GB-34 (Yang Ling Chuan), and GB-43 (Hsia Hsi). In the case of Energetic origin (Emptiness), apply moxibustion to CV-6 (Chi Hai) and CV-4 (Kuan Yuan).

In the case of Sanguine origin (Emptiness), apply moxibustion to UB-15 (Hsin Shu) and UB-17 (Ke Shu)

NOTE

Headaches can be localized on one or several parts of the cranium. Use some points according to the following areas:

At the Forehead, Cheek or Face take as a basis the Governing Vessel and the Stomach meridian using the points GV-23 (Shang Hsing), #S-3 (Yintang), St-8 (Tou Wei), GB-14 (Yang Pai), UB-2 (Tsuan Chu), and LI-4 (Ho Ku).

At the top of the skull take as a basis the Governing Vessel and the Bladder meridian using the points GV-20 (Pai Hui), UB-7 (Tung Tien), UB-60 (Kun Lun), and UB-67 (Chih Yin).

At the Occiput take as a basis the Governing Vessel and the Bladder meridian using the points GV-19 (Hou Ting), GB-20 (Fung Chih), UB-11 (Ta Chu), and UB-60 (Kun Lun).

At the Temples take as a basis the Gal1 Bladder and Triple Burner meridians using the points #S-9 (Taiyang), St-8 (Tou Wei), GB-8 (Shuai Ku), TB-20 (Chiao Sun), Lu-7 (Lieh Chueh), TB-3 (Chung Chu), and GB-43 (Hsia Hsi).