Headache

There are multiple lifestyle triggers for headaches. It could be a big night out, over-exercising, lack of exercise, emotional stress, lack of sleep, overwork, constant anger or frustration, or your diet that triggers a headache, but the root cause comes down to your liver, yin and yang, and chi. If yin and yang are out of balance, and chi is not flowing smoothly liver functions are impaired and ‘energy’ can accumulate in your head causing pain and discomfort.

Overwork can cause a headache by depleting chi and blood, or by rising yang. A diet of too much hot and spicy food can cause imbalance of yin and yang and an ‘excess’ condition leading to headaches. A diet of too much raw and cold food can create deficiency patterns that cause headache. Sugar may relive a headache in a deficiency pattern but it will aggravate in an excess condition. Alcohol may ease an excess headache but worsens a deficiency headache.

Headaches are really common (women are more prone to headache than men) but if you have regular headaches you need to address your lifestyle and your diet to identify where the yin and yang imbalances are coming from. I also recommend seeing a TCM practitioner to identify whether you have an excess or deficiency condition. Chinese medicinal herbs and nutritional supplements are great to nourish yin and build healthy yang. But there are many simple little lifestyle changes you can make that will do this as well, and keep your chi flowing. Follow the recommendations in Clock On To Health and life gets better every day.