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| title | Historical Treatments for Headaches |
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- Yan Yong-he Jisheng Fang. "On the Treatment of Headache" states: "All headaches are due to deficiency of both blood and qi, and the invasion of wind, cold, summer heat, and dampness evils damaging the yang meridians, which linger and do not disperse, is called real headache. The term 'syncope' refers to rebellion, where the rebellion and congestion rush to the head... There are also wind-heat phlegm syncope, qi deficiency kidney syncope, and headaches caused by exposure to wind after bathing or sleeping in the open air." His exploration of the causes of disease is considered appropriate. Yan highly praised "Scorpion and Aconite Pill for treating qi deficiency and qi attacking headache is particularly suitable," because "Aconite Lateral Root is used to assist yang and support deficiency, stalactite is used to tonify yang and stabilize, scorpion is used for its drilling and piercing properties, onion juice is used to promote the flow of qi, and the decoction is used with pepper and salt, as pepper can reach downward and salt can guide, causing the deficient qi to return to its lower position. When used according to the syndrome, it is always effective." This method of warming the meridians and relieving pain, supplemented by the use of insects to search and remove, has been adopted by later physicians.
- During the Jin and Yuan periods, Li Dong-yuan classified headaches into endogenous and exogenous headaches. On the basis of the Neijing's six meridians and the Shanghan Lun's treatment of headache syndromes, he added taiyin headache and shaoyin headache. This method of differentiating meridians for medication has had a profound influence on later generations. "Lanshi Micang. Headache Section" states: "Taiyang (EX-HN5) headache, with aversion to wind and floating tight pulse, is mainly treated with Sichuan Lovage Rhizome, Notopterygium, Pubescent Angelica, Ephedra, etc.; shaoyang meridian headache, with wiry and thin pulse, alternating chills and fever, is mainly treated with Bupleurum; yangming headache, with spontaneous sweating, fever and chills, and floating, slow, long, and solid pulse, is mainly treated with Cimicifuga Rhizome, Pueraria Root, Gypsum, Dahurian Angelica; taiyin headache, which must involve phlegm, is mainly treated with Atractylodes Rhizome, Pinellia, and Southern Star; shaoyin meridian headache, where the three yin and three yang meridians do not flow and cold reversal occurs with cold feet and qi counterflow, with deep and thin pulse, is mainly treated with Ephedra, Aconite Lateral Root, Asarum; jueyin headache at the vertex, or with vomiting of phlegm and cold syncope, with floating and slow pulse, is treated with Evodia Decoction." It also states: "Blood deficiency headache is mainly treated with Chinese Angelica, Sichuan Lovage Rhizome; qi deficiency headache is mainly treated with Ginseng, Astragalus Root; headache due to deficiency of both qi and blood is treated with Middle-Regulating and Qi-Tonifying Decoction plus Sichuan Lovage Rhizome, Chastetree Fruit, Asarum, with miraculous effects. White Atractylodes Rhizome, Pinellia, Gastrodia Tuber Decoction is a medicine for treating phlegm syncope headache; Head-Clearing Ointment, is a medicine for wind-dampness headache; Notopterygium Aconite Decoction , is a medicine for treating jueyin headache... Jiegu said: This jueyin taiyin combination of diseases is called wind phlegm, and is treated with Taiping Huimin Heji Jufang Yuhu Pill..."
- Li Zhong-zi "Yizong Bidu, Headache": "Headache due to wind is characterized by twitching and aversion to wind; headache due to heat is characterized by irritability and aversion to heat; headache due to dampness is worse on cloudy days; headache due to phlegm is characterized by heaviness and continuous desire to vomit; headache due to cold is characterized by tightness and aversion to cold with shivering; headache due to qi deficiency is characterized by dislike of labor and a large pulse; headache due to blood deficiency is characterized by susceptibility to fright and vigilance, and a milky pulse." Li also explained the mechanism of using wind medicines for headache: "There are many causes of headache, so why do ancient prescriptions often use wind medicines? The high peak can only be reached by wind; the thin flavors are yang within yin, rising from earth to heaven. In cases of wind-cold and dampness, they are rightly used; even in cases of deficiency and heat, they are used to guide the meridians."
- During the Qing Dynasty, Ye Tian-shi accumulated rich experience in the treatment of headaches, as recorded in "Linzheng Zhinan Yi'an · Headache" Zou Shicheng noted: "The head is the meeting point of all yang energies, and the jueyin liver meeting point of vessels at the crown. Various pudendal coldness pathogens cannot ascend to cause yang qi obstruction, allowing turbid pathogens to occupy the upper regions. jueyin wind-fire can then ascend and cause pain. Therefore, the headache condition is all due to the failure of clear yang to rise, allowing fire-wind to take advantage of the deficiency and ascend. Observing the master's methods for treating headaches, they do not deviate from this principle. For example, in cases of yang deficiency and turbid pathogen obstruction, where qi and blood stasis cause headache, the use of insects and ants to search and dredge the blood collaterals, and to promote the flow of yang qi, is the main approach. For cases where fire-wind changes and summerheat convulsion pathogenic qi ascend and cause headache, fresh Lotus Leaf, bitter tea, Vitex, and Gardenia are used, with a focus on dispersing and lightening. For cases of yin deficiency and yang floating causing headache, Zhongjing's Pulse-Restoring Decoction and the method of using licorice and Chinese date, along with gelatin, peony, and oyster shell, are used to calm and benefit deficiency, harmonize yang, and extinguish wind. For cases where jueyin wind-wood ascends and touches, combined with internal wind causing headache, Shouwu, cypress seed, wild soybean, chrysanthemum, raw peony, and wolfberry are used to extinguish liver wind and nourish kidney fluid as the main approach."
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