Angioneurotic headache

[Introduction]
Angioneurotic headache is usually believed to be caused by
disturbance of cerebral vessels and nerves and to be related to
various active agents in blood. Clinically angioneurotic
headache is unilateral and recurrent, often accompanied by
nausea, vomiting and premonitory signs. It is usually of family
history and frequently seen among women. It is similar to
headache and migraine in TCM. The causes are either attack by
exogenous pathogenic wind or dysfunction of the liver, spleen
and kidney that lead to retention of pathogenic factors in the
meridians, or hyperactivity of liver yang, or obstruction by
phlegm and stagnation, or failure of qi and blood to nourish the
head.
[Syndrome differentiaton]
1. Wind attacking meridians
Frequent severe headache, onset with the attack of cold and
wind, pain involving the neck and back, thin and white tongue
fur, taut and tense pulse.
2. Hyperactivity of liver yang
Headache, dizziness, occurrence with mental upsets or
nervousness, dysphoria and susceptibility to rage, in-somnia,
flushed cheeks and bitter taste in the mouth, red tongue with
yellow fur and taut pulse.
3. Asthenia of both qi and blood
Continuous headache, dizziness, relapse with over-strain,
spiritual lassitude and fatigue, pale complexion, light-colored
tongue, thin and weak pulse.
4. Interior obstruction of phlegm and turbid sub-stance
Headache, chest oppression, nausea, vomiting of phlegm and
drool, white and greasy tongue fur, slippery pulse.
5. Qi stagnation and blood stasis
Prolonged duration, fixed location of pain, prickly pain, or
history of traumatic injury of the head, purplish tongue or with
ecchymoses, thin and unsmooth pulse.
[Treatment]
1. Body acupuncture
Prescription: Baihui ( GV 20 ) and Taiyang ( EX-HN 5).
Modification: For wind attacking meridians, acu-points should
be selected according to the location of head-ache. Yintang
(EX-HN 3), Shangxing (GV 23) and Hegu (LI 4) are added for
pain in the forehead; Touwei (ST 8), Fengchi (GB 20), Waiguan
(TE 15) and Xiaxi (GB 43) are added for pain in the side of the
head; Fengchi (6B 20) and Kunlun (BL 60) are added for pain in
the back of the head; Fengchi (GB 20) and Taichong (LR 3) are
added for pain in the vertex of the head; for hyperac-tivity of
liver yang, Fengchi (GB 20) and Xingjian (LR 2) are added; for
asthenia of both qi and blood, Qihai (CV 6), Zusanli (ST 36),
Pishu (BL 20) and Shenshu (BL 23) are added; for interior
obstruction of phlegm and tur-bid substance, Fenglong (ST 40)
and Neiguan (PC 6) are added; for qi stagnation and blood
stasis, Fengchi (GB 20), Hegu (LI 4), Taichong (LR 3),
Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Geshu (BL 17) are added.
Performance. Each time 4 - 6 acupoints are selected according
to the pathological conditions. For the treat-ment of asthenia of

both qi and blood, reinforcing needling technique and

moxibustion are used. The rest syndromes are needled with
reducing or mild reinforcing and reducing needling techniques.
For the treatment of blood stasis, Taiyang (EX- HN 5) is pricked
for bloodletting.
2. Ear acupuncture
Prescription: Subcortical (AT4), Occipital (AT3), Forehead
(AT1), Temple (AT2), Liver (CO12) and Gall-bladder (CO11).
Performance. Each time 3 - 4 acupeints are selected and the
needles are retained for 30 minutes. Or Wangbu liuxingzi
(Semen Vaccariae) is used for ear pressure.