Introduction

 

96% of people will experience some sort of headache throughout their lifetime, with women predominating[i]. The main symptom of an headache is pain in the head or face. It can come about as a throbbing, constant, sharp or dull pain. For some, headaches can be a major problem and the constant battling can lead to anxiety and depression.

 

Types of Headache

 

In western medicine, there are four main types of headaches. Tension headaches are the most common and normally found behind the neck, forehead, behind the eyes and the top of the shoulders. Pain levels are mild to moderate. Common causes may be due to stress, fatigue, cold, poor posture, and dehydration.

 

Cluster headaches are the most severe and more commonly found to affect men under the age of 30. These headaches are usually one-sided and accompanied by watery eyes, red face and pain at the facial trigeminal nerve area. Common causes included alcohol and smoking.

 

Sinus headaches are from sinus infection and feel like painful pressure around the eyes, cheeks, forehead, teeth and other symptoms such as post nasal drip, nasal congestion or fever.

Migraine is also another form of severe headache, normally accompanying symptoms such as visual disturbances and auras prior to onset, increased sensitivity to light, nausea and vomiting, one-sided throbbing pain. Common causes include hormonal changes, food sensitivity, weather changes, iron deficiency or thyroid issues.

 

How Headaches Come About

 

Headaches often result from traction or irritation of the meninges (the membrane covering your brain and spinal cord) and blood vessels. The brain itself has no pain receptors and hence is not sensitive to pain. Several areas of the head and neck however contain pain receptors that can sense pain. These include the certain blood vessels in the brain, venous sinuses (cranial sinuses), cranial and spinal nerves, head and neck muscles, meninges, falx cerebri (the partition between the two brain hemisphere), parts of the brainstem, eyes, ears, teeth and lining of the mouth. The pain receptors may be stimulated by head trauma or tumours and cause headaches. Other reasons such as blood vessels spasms, dilated blood vessels, inflammation or infection of meninges and muscle tension can also stimulate pain receptors. Once stimulated, a nociceptor (a sensory neuron) sends a signal via the nerve fiber to the nerve cells in the brain producing a headache.

 

Causes of Headache according to TCM

 

In TCM, headaches can be caused by two factors: external factors and internal factors. External factors or external pathogens such as wind, cold, damp and heat invade the body either singly or in combination with one another. The pathogens disrupt the distribution of blood and qi through the superficial tissues of the head and neck. Each pathogen produces a characteristic type of headache in which the pain is radiated to specific parts of the head. In most cases, these headaches would be accompanied by exterior signs and symptoms.

 

Internal factors can be further divided into internal excess and internal deficiency. The internal excess can be caused by Liver qi constraint, Liver Fire, Phlegm, Damp, Blood stasis, and Stomach heat. Liver Qi constraint from unexpressed frustration, anger, worry or other internalized emotion leads directly to the tension headaches that affect majority of people.

Internal deficiencies can be caused by Qi and Blood deficiency, Kidney Yin or Yang deficiencies. Chronic illnesses or inherited tendency are usually the causes to such deficiencies. For example, chronic Qi constraint can develop into Liver Fire or Blood Stasis, or weaken the Spleen leading to Qi and Blood deficidency, Damp and Phlegm. While others may be an inherited tendency to phlegm, damp, qi or blood deficiency. Migraine headaches are often found to run in the family, with many patients reporting onset of headaches from a young age. Deficient type headaches are usually mild to moderate and dull, and are associated with mental or physical fatigue.

 

Treatment of Headaches

 

In TCM, herbs and acupuncture are very often used in the treatment of headaches. Acupuncture helps to disperse stagnation, deactivate trigger points, and dispelling external factors. Herb decoctions helps in relieving pain and balancing the body’s constitution. In general, headaches due to deficiency respond better to herbal therapy, while Liver associated headaches work better with regular acupuncture and massage. Blood stasis associated headache works well with acupuncture, but often require herb treatment for sustained result. Headaches due to external pathogens usually respond quickly to the use of both herbs and acupuncture.

 

Tips on Managing Headaches

1. Stay hydrated and drink plenty of water throughout the day
2. Keep fit and exercise regularly to improve blood circulation
3. Keep a low salt and sugar diet and balance your diet with vegetables and fruits
4. Manage stress levels
5. Establish and maintain a regular sleeping schedule: strive to sleep before 11pm
6. For tension headaches, try acupoints 太阳 Tai Yang (EX-HN5), 合谷 He Gu (LI4), 风池 Feng Chi (GB20). Apply firm pressure, rub for 1-2 mins

Our Specialty

 

Physician Jacinda is trained in the use of Re-Balancing Acupuncture which utilizes quick needling technique to deactivate trigger points and relieve pain and blockages. Unlike traditional acupuncture, Re-Balancing Acupuncture is faster and results can be instantaneous (varies from person to person). As Re-Balancing Acupuncture touches on the whole body, it also aids in the overall blood circulation and relieve of muscle tension throughout the body, while at the same time balancing the body’s constitution.

 

If you or someone you know has been suffering from severe or persistent headache, seek medical help today. Book an appointment with us at 65609979 or come visit us at Blk 252 Jurong East Street 24 #01-111, S600252 for a consultation with Physician Jacinda and get started with a treatment plan to relieve your headache and pain.

 

 

Note: The above information provided is not a substitute for a physician or any form of medical care. Individual symptoms differ due to different body constitutions and external causes. One should consult a licensed TCM practitioner for accurate diagnosis and treatment.

 

[i] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2017.09.005