Exogenous: Often caused by invasion of wind, cold, dampness, or heat.
Endogenous: Caused by stagnation of Liver Qi. The stagnation turns into fire and disturbs the head. Kidney Yin deficiency can lead to a loss of kidney water, so the wood cannot be moisturized, leading to an overactive Liver.
Excessive consumption of oil and fat will damage the Spleen, leading to the production of clear phlegm throughout the body. The phlegm throughout the body will block the clear Yang and cause headaches.
Anemia after prolonged illness or blood loss will also cause headaches.
Long-term headaches will generate bilateralization and cause blood stasis.
Traumatic experiences can affect the brain and marrow, causing poor circulation of blood and Qi. This can lead to chronic headaches.
Exogenous headache:
Characterized by sudden pain and very severe attacks. The attacks often originate from the neck. Sometimes there may be a pricking pain in specific areas. The tongue is thin and white. The pulse is wiry and tense. Often caused by invasion of wind, cold, dampness, or heat. Headache.
Treatment of exogenous headache.
Method: dispel wind, remove blockages from the meridians, activate blood, and stop pain, by using local points from the affected meridians.
Fengchi (GB20) Touwei (ST
Baihui (DU20) Hegu (LI4)
Explanation: GB20 dispels wind, stops pain, and disperses wind from the neck. ST8 dispels wind and stops pain, especially wind from Yangming (Stomach Meridian). DU20 dispels wind where the Liver Meridian meets in the center. LI4 because the face belongs to Yangming, Large Intestine and Stomach.
Other points: DU20, GB14, Yintang (EX-HN3) for frontal headache.
BL10, BL60, ST3 for pain in the back of the head and neck.
Taiyang (EX-HN5), GB8, SJ5 for temporal headache.
BL7, GB19, LR3, for pain in the crown of the head.
Needles should be retained for 20 minutes and stimulated 2-3 times; with relief, stimulate more times until the pain is gone.
Endogenous headache.
Characterized by a dull pain where the patient is dizzy. The pain comes and goes. The pain is often worse with exertion.
Liver Yang headache.
Characteristic symptoms: Pain, dizziness, irritability, quick temper, poor sleep, reddish face, bloodshot eyes, bitter taste in the mouth, red tongue on the sides and thin yellow coating.
Phlegm headache.
Pain in the forehead as if the head were wrapped, very sensitive in the chest, nausea, vomiting with saliva during pain attacks, loose stools, white greasy tongue. Slippery pulse.
Anemia headache.
Headache, dizziness, prolonged headache that worsens with exertion and lessens with relaxation, fatigue, shortness of breath, palpitations, poor memory, poor appetite, pale face, pale properly shaped tongue, thin white coating, weak pulse.
Treatment:
Liver Yang. Calm the Liver, pacify Yang and dispel wind by using the GB and Liver Meridians.
Fengchi (GB20) Xuanlu (GB5)
Taiyang (EX-HN5) Xingjian (LR2)
Xiaxi (GB43) Taixi (KI3)
GB20 and GB5 clear heat, subdue wind, and stop pain. EX-HN5 promotes local Qi circulation. LR2 and GB43 are yingspring points and fire points that clear heat from these meridians. KI3 strengthens Kidney water, strengthens Yin, and subdues Yang.
Phlegm. Resolve phlegm and eliminate turbidity, remove blockages from the meridians and stop pain by using especially the Ren and Stomach Meridians.
Zhongwan (REN12) Fenglong (ST40)
Baihui (DU20) Yintang (EX-HN3)
Xuanzhong (GB39)
REN12 together with ST40 strengthens the Spleen, Stomach and dispels dampness.
This treats the root cause of the illness. GB39 removes the turbid dampness from the Sanjiao meridian. DU20 and EX-HN3 disperse the clear Yang in the head, remove blockages in the meridians, and stop pain. Other points P6 for vomiting and saliva, ST25 for loose stools.
Needles should be retained for 20-30 minutes. Stimulate 2-3 times.
Anemia headache.
Tonify Qi, nourish blood, strengthen the meridians, stop pain, by using specific Back-Shu points.
Ganshu (BL18) Pishu (BL20)
Shenshu (BL23) Geshu (BL17)
Qihai (REN6) Baihui (DU20)
Zusanli (ST36) Sanyinjiao (SP6)
The Liver stores blood, the Spleen governs blood. The brain is the sea of marrow, and marrow is formed by the Kidneys. Therefore, the Back-Shu points for Liver, Spleen, and Kidney are used. BL17 is the influential point for blood, which together with SP6 nourishes Qi and blood. ST36 helps strengthen the source so that we can obtain proper healthy Qi. REN6 regulates Qi throughout the body. DU20 lifts the clear Yang to make Qi and blood ascend and nourish the brain. These points help Qi and blood, nourish the brain, and stop pain.
Needles should be retained for 20-30 minutes. Stimulate 2-3 times.
Blood stasis headache.
Activate blood, dispel blood stasis, promote Qi circulation, and stop pain by using points on the Large Intestine and Spleen meridians, as well as Ashi points.
Ashi points Hegu (LI4)
Sanyinjiao (SP6) Geshu (BL17)
Ashi points are used to eliminate local blood stasis and improve Qi circulation in the local area. LI4 is good for head and facial problems. SP6 is used with BL17 to activate blood and dispel blood stasis.
Other points BL2 and EX-HN1 for migraine and frontal pain. BL9 for pain in the back of the head. EX-HN6 for pain in the crown of the head.
Needles should be retained for 20-30 minutes. Stimulate 2-3 times.
