🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Primary migraine is a common and frequent condition characterized by recurrent, pulsating headaches typically affecting one or both sides of the head. Migraines may begin in childhood but are most prevalent among young adults, with female incidence about four times higher than male. Many patients have a family history. Triggers include weather changes, fatigue, menstruation, and psychological factors. Some patients experience aura symptoms before attacks, such as blurred vision, flashing lights, partial blindness, numbness in half the face or limbs, lasting several minutes to half an hour. During attacks, autonomic nervous system symptoms often accompany, including pallor, increased heart rate, rapid breathing, and gastrointestinal dysfunction.
Clinically, diagnosing migraine is not difficult through detailed medical history, physical examination, and necessary imaging or auxiliary tests. However, differential diagnosis is essential to avoid delaying treatment of underlying diseases that may present as secondary migraines, such as intracranial tumors or space-occupying lesions.
In traditional Chinese medicine, pain pathogenesis mainly stems from "obstruction causes pain." Various etiologies and pathological products—including blood stasis, phlegm turbidity, and cold-dampness—block meridians and vessels, preventing vital nutrients like blood, qi, and essence from nourishing the head and face, leading to headache. Based on syndrome differentiation, appropriate acupoints are selected to stimulate relevant organ functions, promote meridian and vessel unblocking, or reduce formation of new pathological products, thus preventing the disease.
The Department of Acupuncture at the First Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, under the leadership of Academician Shi Xueming, has conducted extensive clinical and basic research on migraine. They found acupuncture influences multiple neurotransmitters and vasoactive substances. Based on TCM syndrome differentiation, they categorized migraine into four types: hyperactivity of liver yang, phlegm turbidity disturbing upward, qi stagnation and blood stasis, and deficiency of liver and kidney yin. Using main acupoints such as Baihui, Touwei, Fengchi, and Taiyang, combined with auxiliary points and different acupuncture techniques, results show significant effectiveness in relieving acute migraine episodes and preventing recurrence. (Liu Dao'an)