Tension headaches are most commonly caused by stress, but may also be due to sleep problems, caffeine, or a rebound effect from painkiller usage.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) they are diagnosed as resulting primarily from Liver Qi Stagnation which is also the most commonly diagnosed syndrome in TCM.

What is Liver Qi Stagnation (LQS) and what causes it?

LQS is the obstructed movement of energy in the Liver. If emotions, especially anger, frustration and resentment are not expressed, but are suppressed inside they stagnate inside the Liver leading to LQS.

What we generally refer to as ‘stress’ obstructs or constricts the smooth flow of Liver Qi causing it to stagnate in the Liver. The Liver acts like an emotional dustbin filling up with stagnant qi. It has a limited capacity to store this, so once it is full it starts to overflow into the connected Gall Bladder channel which passes up through the trapezius muscle causing shoulder tension, then up through the neck causing neck tension, crisscrossing the top and sides of the head causing tension headaches finally to exit via the eyes.

In TCM different emotions are associated with and are viewed as affecting different organs. Grief affects the Lungs, Joy affects the Heart, Worry affects the Spleen, Fear affects the Kidneys and Anger affects the Liver.

However, the Liver holds a special place with regards to the emotions and is overall more affected by all emotions, not just anger, because just as the physical liver filters, processes and eliminates all toxins, so the energetic liver filters, processes and eliminates all spent emotions within our energy body and their corresponding physical toxic neurological waste products.

The Liver is therefore vital in our response to manage stress and all the emotions it generates within us.

The Liver is particularly sensitive to anger, including frustration and resentment which everyone to varying degrees experiences in day to day life. Unexpressed anger especially causes the Liver Qi to stagnate and leads to symptoms such as tension, tremors, twitches, period pains, high blood pressure, headaches and migraines. As such Liver Qi Stagnation is one of the commonest syndromes diagnosed in TCM and may often underly or cause other syndromes if left unchecked.

How can acupuncture help tension headaches?

The acupuncture meridian or channel network is like an energetic plumbing system within the body. Although Qi is usually translated as energy, it’s conceived in TCM as having fluid like properties akin to water and flows through a network of channels like an irrigation system or even in modern parlance a central heating system.

When we are under stress, pressure builds within the system, generating heat which rises up to the head causing tension headaches. Although unpleasant this is a natural phenomenon and the way in which toxic energy is released.
The acupuncture technique to release this toxic energy and relieve the headaches is to open the Liver and Gallbladder channels by inserting needles in corresponding acupoints on the feet. This is akin to bleeding a heating system in a house by bleeding the bottom radiator in the system. This will drain out the excess of LQS down through the feet thereby reducing the tension in the head/neck/shoulders.

To book an appointment or to arrange a consultation with Richard at Wimbledon Acupuncture & Herbs, see contact details below:

Richard Collisson
LicAc MBAcC DipPhyt MNIMH
 0208 946 1342 or 07766 734370
 info@wimbledonacupunctureandherbs.co.uk

4 Spencer Road,
Raynes Park,
London SW20 0QP

For clinical evidence of the benefits of acupuncture for tension headaches please follow the link below.
https://acupuncture.org.uk/fact-sheets/headache/

Artwork ‘Neurons’ by Jara Luz’
https://www.jaraluz.com