bubble_chart Concept

Head tilting refers to the symptom of the head tilting and drooping, unable to lift.

Suwen.Maiyao Jingwei Lun "Head tilting and deep gaze indicate that the spirit is about to be taken away." Linzheng Zhinan Yi'an. The "head drooping and wanting to bow" in deficiency fatigue belongs to this symptom.

Head tilting is often seen together with heaviness of the head, as in the "cold-damage disease theory. yin-yang transmission chapter" which records "heaviness of the head and unwillingness to lift." However, there are many causes of heaviness of the head, and the condition is relatively mild; head tilting is a severe symptom of organ qi deficiency and decline, and the two are different and should be distinguished. For the differentiation of heaviness of the head, please refer to the relevant entry.

bubble_chart Pattern Analysis

1. Spleen Qi Deficiency︰The head droops weakly and cannot be lifted, the complexion is shallow yellow, the body is thin and weak, the limbs are sluggish and mentally fatigued, shortness of breath and reluctance to speak, poor appetite, loose and thin stools, a pale and swollen tongue or with tooth marks, and a thin and weak pulse. It is mostly caused by dietary overstrain, or prolonged illness, major illness injuring middle qi. Qi deficiency prevents clear yang from ascending, hence the head droops weakly and cannot be lifted. A shallow yellow complexion, shortness of breath and reluctance to speak, physical exhaustion and mental fatigue, poor appetite, loose and thin stools, a pale and swollen tongue with tooth marks, and a thin and weak pulse are all signs of middle qi deficiency. Treatment should focus on tonifying the middle and replenishing qi, lifting clear yang, using Middle-Tonifying Qi-Replenishing Decoction.
2. Insufficiency of the Sea of Marrow︰The head tilts and cannot be raised, tinnitus deafness, soreness and weakness in the waist and knees making it difficult to stand for long, or unsteady walking, seminal emission impotence, a pale tongue with scant coating, and a deep, faint pulse. This is mostly caused by excessive indulgence damaging the kidneys or the decline of kidney essence due to aging. Kidney deficiency leads to insufficient filling of the sea of marrow, hence the head tilting and deafness. Soreness in the waist, weak legs, inability to stand for long, unsteady walking, a pale tongue with scant coating, and a deep, faint pulse are all signs of declining kidney essence. Treatment should focus on tonifying the kidney and replenishing essence, using Left-Restoring Pill and Great Life-Endowing Pill.

The condition of head tilting is generally caused by deficiency. Treating deficiency with tonification, for those with insufficient middle qi, it is necessary to strengthen the spleen and stomach to aid the source of transformation; for those with insufficient marrow sea, it is necessary to replenish kidney essence to fill the marrow sea. If the head tilts and the celestial pillar collapses, and the vision is deep while the spirit has already dispersed, then the prognosis is poor.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. Lingshu．Kou Jian Chapter: "Insufficient abnormal rising of qi causes the brain to be unsatisfied, the ears to suffer from ringing, the head to suffer from tilting, and the eyes to suffer from dizziness."
2. Linzheng Zhinan Yi'an．Deficiency Fatigue: "The pulse is thin and rapid, with three to five interruptions, the head droops as if wanting to bow, and upon lying down, the breath rushes and does not continue. This indicates that the kidney has no root, the governor vessel is not functioning, and the deficiency has reached such a state that there is no way to reverse it."