| Each year over 70 million people in the US alone | | | | Symptoms: stiff, aching shoulders, sporadic pain, |
| suffer from recurring headaches. More than a | | | | sensitivity to cold temperatures, pain exacerbated |
| third of these have been clinically diagnosed as | | | | by the wind. Additionally the tongue may have a |
| migraine sufferers. For most people their first | | | | thin, white coating and the patient may suffer |
| step is to seek the help of western medicine | | | | acute thirst. |
| practitioners, but a growing number of people are | | | | Kidney Deficiency Pattern |
| finding natural migraine relief through Traditional | | | | Symptoms: dizziness, fatigue, sore back, ringing in |
| Chinese Medicine (TCM). | | | | the ears, insomnia. The tongue appears red and |
| The goals of both approaches are the same - to | | | | patients will have a thin-weak pulse. |
| relieve or prevent pain in order for patients to | | | | Wind Dampness Pattern |
| function well in their daily lives. However their | | | | Symptoms: "Heavy" feeling pain along with |
| methods of diagnosis and treatment are worlds | | | | heaviness in the whole body. Chest congestion, a |
| apart. | | | | confused feeling, difficult urination also occur. The |
| Headache Treatment With Traditional Chinese | | | | tongue will have a sticky white coating. |
| Medicine | | | | Liver Yang Pattern |
| We know that different triggers cause migraine in | | | | The origin of this pattern is said to be emotional |
| different people, but TCM practitioners group | | | | disturbance, particularly anger. Symptoms include: |
| symptoms in patterns and then treat the pattern | | | | dizziness with pain, anger, anxiety, insomnia. |
| as it occurs in individual patients. The pattern is | | | | Patients usually present with a bitter taste in their |
| characterized by the type of pain, appearance of | | | | mouths, red face and a thin yellow tongue coating. |
| the sufferer, general body conditions, palpation of | | | | Blood Stagnation Pattern |
| the patient's tongue, and the appearance of the | | | | Symptoms: chronic pain in a fixed location. Tongue |
| person's tongue. | | | | appears purple with a thin-white coating. |
| The pattern can be caused by internal imbalances | | | | Phlegm Retention Pattern |
| such as blood or kidney problems, or external | | | | People who are overweight or who consume |
| effects like weather, chemicals or environmental | | | | large amounts of sweet and fatty foods over a |
| factors. | | | | long period will have this pattern. Symptoms: dull |
| Those interested in pursuing a TCM solution for | | | | headache, a feeling of oppression of the chest, |
| natural migraine relief will be interested in the | | | | nausea and, as the name suggests, phlegm |
| most commonly manifested headache patterns | | | | retention in the throat. The tongue appears |
| and their symptoms: | | | | white-sticky. |
| Wind Heat Pattern | | | | Blood Deficiency Pattern |
| Symptoms: Severe, splitting pain, fever, sensitivity | | | | Loss of blood or chronic illness can be the |
| to warm temperatures, along with red eyes, red | | | | precursors of this pattern. Symptoms: heart |
| face, thirst, constipation. The tongue will appear | | | | palpitations, fatigue, pale tongue with a thin white |
| very red with a yellow coating. | | | | coating, pale complexion, and a weak pulse. |
| Wind Cold Pattern | | | | |