Frequent headaches are hard to deal with for everyone. It can decrease the quality of sleep, cause frustration and stress, and many more that may be blocking you from reaching your peak. In traditional chinese medicine there are many causes for headaches that can be diagnosed depending on the symptoms and treated with acupuncture by stimulating specific meridian points
Headache caused by wind cold can be diagnosed when the pain is aggravated by wind and cold conditions with the pain mainly located at the nap of the neck and is often accompanied with a stuffy or runny nose.
Wind heat can be another cause for headaches with the symptoms of swelling pain accompanied with fever and face flushing. It can also cause dehydration and constipation.
Toxic fire headaches cause high fever, dehydration, and irritability. These headaches are severe and come with sharp pain .
Wind damp headaches cause the feeling of pressure around the whole head, which can be worsened by cold conditions. This may be accompanied with the feeling of pressure on the chest, reduced appetite and loose stool.
Liver qi stagnation headaches are often associated with menstrual pains and symptoms of PMS. The headaches may worsen with stress and emotions. These feel like pressure and tension headaches accompanied with muscle tension and stiffness, red eyes, and ear ringing.
Sharp swelling headaches accompanied with red eyes and bitter taste may be caused by liver fire.
Headaches caused by liver wind and yang rising have many symptoms including but not limited to dizziness, insomnia, bitterness in the mouth, and many more.
Stomach fire can be diagnosed if the headache is mostly located on or around the forehead. This can be accompanied by profuse sweating and binge eating. These symptoms can be alleviated with cold drinks.
Headaches caused by damp phlegm can be diagnosed if you feel nauseous, with the feeling of pressure around the head, struggle concentrating, feeling sluggish and heavy, and boating of the abdomen.
Qi deficiency headaches can cause light-headedness, fatigue, shortness of breath, cold limbs, and loss of appetite. These headaches feel like a dull pain in the head.
Blood stagnation feels like a stabbing pain but it is in a fixed location. This headache can be accompanied with lack of concentration, poor memory, and a purple complexion. The symptoms can be worsened with strong emotions and during the night time.
Dizziness, lower back pain, weakness in the joints, fatigue, tinnitus, forgetfulness, and face blindness can all be caused by kidney essence deficiency. This can be treated by stimulating 13 meridian points
Blood deficiency headaches can be linked to dizziness, hair loss, palpitations, insomnia, blurred vision, and numbness of the limbs.
Kidney yin deficiency headaches can also have the symptoms of dizziness, vertigo, lower back pain, and tinnitus.
Taiyang channel headaches cause pain in the inner eye that goes up the vertex and down the occipital region. It is easy to catch colds with this type of headache and it can also be accompanied with dizziness and fatigue.
Shaoyang Channel headaches are mainly in the temporal region and are a bilateral stabbing pain. It can be worsened with stress, bright lights. This can also cause alternating of cold and heat sensation
Yangming channel headaches are mainly around the eyes, nose, and forehead. This can be accompanied with many other symptoms such as dizziness, yellow or watery snot, flushed appearance, and itching and burning sensations. These symptoms can be exacerbated after eating.
Phlegm turbid syndrome causes fuzziness, heaviness, nose congestion, pressure on the chest, nausea, and vomiting.
Sources
Kuoch, D. J. (2011). Acupuncture desk reference: Your guide to complete knowledge. Acumedwest.
