Acupuncture Tension Headache
and Neck Pain

Successfully treated in my acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine clinic, tension headache is the most common type of headache. It is suffered at some time by the majority of people in some form. Neck pain almost always accompanies the condition.

Tension headache arises in the temporal areas on both sides of the head, (whereas cluster headache may be retro-orbital). The headache may be either generalised or localised. If the headache is generalised, it will often radiate forward from the back of the head (occipital region) and upper neck to the front of the head and temporal area.

If it is well localised, patients usually can use a finger to easily locate the exact painful spot on the skull. This painful spot is very useful when choosing acupuncture points for treatment.

Once the tension headache is active, the pain is usually constant. Pain can be mild and aching or it can be a non-painful tightness and pressure. It is often described as a dull, tight or like a pressure. It is also often described as if a tight band wraps the head. There may also be pressure at the vertex.

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Please, don't forget to read this: Do NOT Ignore Your headache pain.

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In traditional Chinese medicine, the tight band around the head indicates the necessity of eliminating damp from the body while pressure at the vertex points towards a liver involvement.

The headache is less severe in the morning but gets worse as the day goes on. It is usually not associated with significant disease.

This pain may continue for weeks or months without interruption. The severity may vary, with no associated vomiting or photophobia (usually common with migraine headache). Normal activities can be continued and the pain is less noticeable when you are occupied with an activity.

In general, the onset of tension headache is gradual, the duration variable; it can last for hours or days but often weeks or months. It is recurrent or persistent over long periods.

Why acupuncture is very effective for tension headache

I’ve found that tension headache is frequently a pain that affects the head as a result of overwork or emotional strain, involving tension in the muscles of the neck, shoulder and face.

Mood disorders, sleep dysfunction and anxiety states can precipitate a tension headache. Therefore, associated symptoms of anxiety, tension and depression could manifest.

Emotional strain or anxiety is a common precipitant to tension type headache and there is sometimes an underlying depressive illness. Anxiety or worry about the illness itself may lead to continuation of symptoms.

The wholistic approach of traditional Chinese medicine is beneficial because of two reasons:

• firstly, it treats the cause as well as the symptoms;
• second, tension headache responds poorly to pharmaceutical analgesia or pain killer drugs.

The headache worsens with sustained muscular tension such as driving, typing, computer work or emotions. Pain reduces with muscle relaxation, stress management, breathing exercises, and gentle exercise such as tai chi is very beneficial.

If necessary, the acupuncturist or herbalist will include discussion about changes to lifestyle in order to prevent recurrence of tension headache.

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