Headache
头痛 (Tóu Tòng)
A Chinese medicine perspective — in everyday language
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In Chinese medicine, two people with “headaches” may be understood very differently.
Assessment looks at the whole picture — including constitution, lifestyle, emotional load, and physical patterns.
How are headaches understood in Chinese medicine?
In Chinese medicine, headaches are not seen as a single condition.
They are understood through patterns — looking at how the pain feels, where it appears, and what may be influencing it.
Service Name
The way the pain feels can offer useful clues. ・Dull or heavy → often linked to low energy or sluggish flow ・Tight or band-like → often linked to tension or pressure ・Throbbing or pounding → may relate to heat or rising activity ・Sharp or fixed → may reflect something more stuck or not moving well
Service Name
The way the pain feels can offer useful clues. ・Dull or heavy → often linked to low energy or sluggish flow ・Tight or band-like → often linked to tension or pressure ・Throbbing or pounding → may relate to heat or rising activity ・Sharp or fixed → may reflect something more stuck or not moving well
Service Name
The way the pain feels can offer useful clues. ・Dull or heavy → often linked to low energy or sluggish flow ・Tight or band-like → often linked to tension or pressure ・Throbbing or pounding → may relate to heat or rising activity ・Sharp or fixed → may reflect something more stuck or not moving well
Service Name
The way the pain feels can offer useful clues. ・Dull or heavy → often linked to low energy or sluggish flow ・Tight or band-like → often linked to tension or pressure ・Throbbing or pounding → may relate to heat or rising activity ・Sharp or fixed → may reflect something more stuck or not moving well
Service Name
The way the pain feels can offer useful clues. ・Dull or heavy → often linked to low energy or sluggish flow ・Tight or band-like → often linked to tension or pressure ・Throbbing or pounding → may relate to heat or rising activity ・Sharp or fixed → may reflect something more stuck or not moving well
Service Name
The way the pain feels can offer useful clues. ・Dull or heavy → often linked to low energy or sluggish flow ・Tight or band-like → often linked to tension or pressure ・Throbbing or pounding → may relate to heat or rising activity ・Sharp or fixed → may reflect something more stuck or not moving well
Explore Headache Patterns
Chinese medicine recognises different patterns that may contribute to headaches. Explore the categories below to see how each may present and what may support it.
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Deficiency & Fatigue
“A sense of low energy, depletion, or lack of support”
Digestive & Internal Heat
“When heat or imbalance in digestion rises upward”
Stress & Tension
“Pressure builds up”
Heaviness & Congestion
“A sense of heaviness, fogginess, or blockage”
Stagnation & Obstruction
“When movement becomes blocked or fixed”
This understanding guides the choice of acupuncture points, herbal support, and other therapies.
These are always selected after a full individual assessment, rather than following a fixed protocol..
When to seek medical advice
This overview is shared for education and understanding.
It does not replace medical diagnosis or care.
Persistent, severe, or changing headaches should always be assessed by a medical professional.