The treatment of migraine headaches with Chinese medicine

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, Jan, 2005 by Bob Flaws

Treatment method:

Based on the treatment principles of nourishing the blood and emolliating the liver, extinguishing wind and freeing the flow of the network vessels, the following Chinese medicinals were administered: Dang Gui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis), Ju Hua (Flos Chrysanthemi Morifolii), Sheng Di (uncooked Radix Rehmanniae Glutinosae), Gou Teng (Ramulus Uncariae Cum Uncis), Di Long (Lumbricus), and Gan Cao (Radix Glycyrrhizae Uralensis), 15g each, Bai Shao (Radix Albus Paeoniae Lactiflorae), 30g, Shan Zhu Yu (Fructus Corni Officinalis) and Chuan Xiong (Radix Ligustici Wallichii), 10g each, Chai Hu (Radix Bupleuri), 12g, uncooked Long Gu (Os Draconis), uncooked Mu Li (Concha Ostreae), and Niu Xi (Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae), 20g each, and Wu Gong (Scolopendra Subspinipes), 1 strip. Beginning 10 days before the onset of menstruation, one packet of these medicinals was decocted in water and administered orally. One menstrual cycle equaled one course of treatment, and outcomes were analyzed after three successive courses.

Study outcomes:

Cure was defined as complete disappearance of the onesided headache with no recurrence on follow-up within one year. Marked effect was defined as basic disappearance of one-sided headaches or their marked decrease. Some effect was defined as various degrees of decrease in the one-sided headaches and/or decrease in their numbers. No effect meant that there was no obvious improvement in these headaches from before to after treatment. Based on these criteria, 32 cases were judged cured, 20 cases got a marked effect, 14 cases got some effect, and two cases got no effect, for a total effectiveness rate of 97.06%. In addition, no obvious side effects were seen in any of these patients even after prolonged treatment.

Study 3: From "The Treatment of Neurovascular Headache with Tong Qiao Huo Xue Tang (Free the Flow of the Orifices & Quicken the Blood Decoction)" by Xiao Zhong-ran, Jiang Xi Zhong Yi Yao (Jiangxi Chinese Medicine & Medicinals), #1, 1995, p. 27

Cohort description:

Of the 96 patients enrolled in this study, 38 were male and 58 were female. Forty-five cases were between 18-40 years old, 28 cases were 41-55 years old, and 23 cases were more than 55 years old. The length of disease was as long as 11 years and as short as 10 days.

Treatment method:

All the above patients were administered Tong Qiao Huo Xue Tang which consisted of: Chi Shao (Radix Rubrus Paeoniae Lactiflorae), 10g, Chuan Xiong (Radix Ligustici Wallichi), 25-30g, Tao Ren (Semen Pruni Persicae), 10g, Hong Hua (Flos CarthamiTinctorii), 10g, Dang Gui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis), 12g, Jiang Can (Bombyx Batryticatus), 10g, Gan Cao (Radix Glycyrrhizae Uralensis), 10g, Hong Zao (Fructus Ziziphi Jujubae), 7 pieces, and Sheng Jiang (uncooked Rhizoma Zingiberis Officinalis), 3 slices. If there was distension in the head and red eyes, Gou Teng (Ramulus Uncariae Cum Uncis), 20 grams, Long Dan Cao (Radix Gentianae Scabrae), 10 grams, and Huang Qin (Radix Scutellariae Baicalensis), 10 grams, were added. If there was qi vacuity and lassitude of the spirit, uncooked Huang Qi (Radix Astraguli Membranacei), 15 grams, and Dang Shen (Radix Codonopsitis Pilosulae), 10 grams, were added. If there was difficulty sleeping with profuse dreams, uncooked Long Gu (Os Draconis), 25 grams, and Ye Jiao Teng (Caulis Polygoni Multiflori), 12 grams, were added. If pain was enduring and would not stop due to blockage and obstruction by blood stasis, Wu Gong (Scolopendra Subspinipes), 2 pieces, and Quan Xie (Buthus Martensis), 5 grams, were added. If there was cold vomiting, Ban Xia (Rhizoma Pinelliae Ternatae), 10 grams, Wu Zhu Yu (Fructus Evodiae Rutaecarpae), 6 grams, and Sheng Jiang (uncooked Rhizoma Zingiberis Officinalis), 3 slices, were added. One packet of these medicinals was decocted in water and administered per day.