Headache is a common symptom in clinical practice, usually limited to the upper half of the head, including pain in the eyebrows, upper edge of the ears, and the line above the occipital protuberance. Headache can have various causes, including neuralgia, intracranial infection, intracranial space-occupying lesions, cerebrovascular diseases, extracranial facial diseases, and systemic diseases such as acute infections and poisoning. The onset of headaches is common in young, middle-aged, and elderly individuals.
Massage Treatment
Headache is a subjective symptom experienced by patients and is very common in clinical practice. Headache can be seen in various modern medical diseases, including internal, external, neurological, and ophthalmological diseases, and can be classified into extracranial lesions, intracranial lesions, neurological disorders, and systemic diseases.
The causes of headaches are very complex, but they can be divided into two categories: external causes and internal causes. External causes of headaches include exogenous headaches and traumatic headaches; internal causes of headaches include emotional headaches and internal injury headaches. Exogenous headaches include wind-cold headaches, rheumatic headaches, wind-heat headaches, and summer dampness headaches; traumatic headaches include various types of injury-related headaches. Internal injury headaches include liver yang headaches, phlegm turbidity headaches, qi deficiency headaches, blood deficiency headaches, qi stagnation headaches, blood stasis headaches, and kidney deficiency headaches; emotional headaches mainly refer to neurogenic headaches.
Regardless of the type of headache, the main treatment method is the "conventional massage technique" with a sitting position massage, followed by symptomatic treatment (with a focus on the head and neck).
Chinese Massage Methods for Various Types of Headaches:
For wind-cold headaches, apply pressure on Fengchi, and massage Fengfu, Fengmen (both sides), and Lungs Shu (both sides). For nasal congestion, apply more pressure on the bilateral Yingxiang.
For wind-heat headaches, apply pressure on Hegu (both sides) and massage Quchi (both sides). Rub Da Zhui until it turns red.
For liver yang hyperactivity and liver fire inflammation headaches, apply pressure on Liver Shu (both sides), Gallbladder Shu (both sides), Xingjian (both sides), and Taichong (both sides).
For phlegm turbidity headaches, apply pressure on Spleen Shu (both sides), Sanjiao Shu (both sides), and Fenglong (both sides).
For qi stagnation headaches, apply pressure on Shanzhong, Qimen (both sides), and Zhangmen (both sides).
Blood stasis headaches are the most common type of headache in clinical practice, especially in women.
The main cause of this condition is invasion of external pathogens such as wind, cold, and dampness; failure to dry the hair after washing it; head injuries; consumption of cold foods or certain high-protein, high-fat, or high-cholesterol foods. These factors cause constriction and narrowing of the cerebral blood vessels, increased foreign objects in the blood vessels, increased blood viscosity, or high blood lipid levels, resulting in slow blood flow or blockage of the blood vessels, leading to insufficient blood supply to the brain and causing dizziness. In severe cases, cerebral ischemia can lead to fainting or paralysis.
The common sites of occurrence are the internal carotid artery, vertebral artery, basilar artery, middle cerebral artery, and anterior cerebral artery. It often occurs after a cold, with a sudden onset and severe headache or a needle-like pain. Due to insufficient blood supply to the brain, dizziness occurs, limbs become weak, and in severe cases, there may be a sensation of spinning as if in a moving vehicle or hanging in mid-air, unsteady walking, and even difficulty in sitting or lying down. After 10 to 30 massage treatments, patients with severe cerebral vascular disorders (blood stasis headaches) can achieve an effective rate of 10000, with a cure rate of over 95%.
The treatment method is based on the "conventional massage technique" with a focus on the head and neck. The massage technique mainly focuses on clearing the cervical arteries (especially the Fengchi acupoints on both sides) and the blocked cerebral arteries. During the massage, the direction of the arteries must be followed, and TDP therapy should be used simultaneously. It is worth noting that the treatment of this condition must be persistent until it is cured, otherwise the consequences can be severe.
For qi deficiency headaches, in addition to the "conventional massage technique," use the points Shengdi Baihui and Dianli Buqi method (see qi deficiency cold).
For blood deficiency headaches, apply pressure on Geshu (both sides), Liver Shu (both sides), Spleen Shu (both sides), Stomach Shu (both sides), and Heart Shu (both sides).
For kidney deficiency headaches, apply pressure on the bilateral Kidney Shu and use the method of Da Bu Yuanqi, also known as the "vertical push waist and tonify kidney method." Place the palms of both hands on the Kidney Shu acupoints (kidney area) on both sides of the waist, keep the upper limbs upright, and press with a tightening and relaxing movement in sync with the patient's deep breathing, continuously for about 1 minute.
For neurogenic headaches, apply pressure on Heart Shu (both sides), Jueyin Shu (both sides), Shenmen, Yinzhen, and Tongli (all bilateral), and repeat the head combing technique (dry combing the head from front to back) several times.
During self-massage, pay attention to the sensation under the fingers. Areas where the skin feels thicker or has depressions are often the areas where soreness and swelling are more pronounced.
Disease Prevention
The prevention and treatment of headaches should involve reducing all possible causes of headaches, including avoiding soft tissue injuries to the head and neck, infections, exposure to and ingestion of irritating foods, and emotional fluctuations. Prompt diagnosis and treatment of the primary diseases that cause secondary headaches are also necessary. Sedatives, antiepileptic drugs, and tricyclic antidepressants have a certain effect in preventing primary headaches such as migraines and tension headaches.
If headaches are caused by exogenous wind-cold or excessive exertion, prevention can be achieved by wearing a hat; drinking hot soup or porridge and inducing sweating can also provide relief.
