Acupuncture and Headaches
Have you been suffering from debilitating migraines? Do chronic cluster headaches keep you from going out? Have your sinus headaches been keeping you from sleeping?
There are many causes of headaches. The head is the place where all Yang meridians meet. Also the Qi and Blood of all the internal organs flow upward to the head. Thus any organ or meridian imbalance may create a headache.
As a Licensed Acupuncturist, one of the simplest ways for me to treat your headache is by differentiating which areas of the head are affected. Also by paying attention to the onset, timing, and quality of the pain, I can better determine what pattern of imbalance may have occurred.
Onset and Timing:
If the onset of the headache is recent and the pain comes in short durations, this usually indicates an attack of an Exterior pathogenic factor, most often Wind Cold.
A gradual onset typically points to an Interior cause such as Liver Qi Stagnation due to stress.
If the headaches occur primarily during daytime hours, this points to Qi or Yang Deficiency. If they generally occur at night, then Blood or Yin Deficiency may be playing a role.
Quality:
A sensation of heavy-headedness is indicative of the Internal pathogens Dampness and Phlegm.
Pain on the inside the skull, as if it feels like the brain itself is hurting can be due to a Deficiency in the energetics of the Kidney.
Sharp, boring, or stabbing pain tells us that there is likely a pattern of Blood Stagnation involved.
If the pain worsens with cold, the causative factor is usually an Internal or External Cold pattern.
If it is worse with heat, then it may be an External or Internal Heat pattern.
If the pain gets worse when you’re fatigued, Qi Deficiency is a likely culprit in cause of the headache.
Location:
Forehead pain or frontal headache is indicative of a disharmony in the Stomach or Large Intestine merdians. There may possibly be patterns of Stomach Heat or Blood Deficiency.
Pain at the base of the skull/nape of the neck is indicative of a disharmony in the Urinary Bladder, Kidney, or Small Intestine meridians. There could be possible patterns of Exterior Wind Invasion or Interior Kidney Deficiency.
Pain located at the very top of the head and/or behind the eyes is indicative of a disharmony in the Liver or Pericardium meridians. And possibly a pattern of Liver Blood Deficiency.
Pain in the temple and/or side of the head is indicative of a disharmony in the Gallbladder or San Jiao meridians. Patterns of Exterior Wind Cold or Wind Heat, and Interior Liver or Gallbladder Yang Rising can be possibilities.
Whole head pain with a squeezing sensation, like a band wrapped around the skull, is indicative of a Spleen or Lung meridian disharmony. Possibly a pattern of Exterior Wind Cold Dampness or Interior Dampness.
By paying attention to these signs and symptoms, as well as other indicators in my patient’s lifestyle, work habits, diet, and medical history, I can get a very good grasp on the root cause of the headache. And by treating the root, my patient soon sees lasting relief from their headaches.
If you live in the Fort Collins or Northern Colorado area and would like to learn more about how Traditional Chinese Medicine can be of benefit in reducing the duration and severity of your headaches, please don’t hesitate to email me at terry@artesianspringom.com or call my office (located inside Fossil Creek Chiropractic) 970-226-6002.
