In a previous blog post, TCM View of Headaches, I mentioned that headaches can arise from external pathogens or internal impairment. This post will look at one of the headaches caused by external pathogens: the common cold headache.
What are external pathogens?
A quick dive into TCM theory reveals that many disease conditions are due to external factors. Ancient healers noticed that even seemingly healthy people can suffer and looked to the external environment for a cause. With nothing going wrong internally there had to be an external reason for the illness. In TCM these external factors were named for the elements: wind, cold, heat, dry and damp. The ancient Chinese character for “wind” includes the character for “insect” – a small organism carried by the wind and causing disease. Sounds like an interesting way to describe bacteria and viruses.
Signs of a Common Cold Headache
The common cold headache is the headache that accompanies a cold. Sometimes they are the first symptom that a cold is coming on. Typically these headaches are a dull pain located at the back of the head. In Traditional Chinese Medicine the common cold can be divided into two different presentations: Wind-Cold and Wind-Heat.
Wind-Cold Type
- stiff or sore neck and upper back
- aversion to wind and cold
- nasal congestion, sneezing, runny nose (thin, clear discharge)
- cough with thin, clear sputum
Wind-Heat Type
- fever and sweating
- aversion to wind and cold
- nasal congestion and turbid, yellow discharge
- sore throat and thirst
- cough with thick, yellow sputum
Treatment
These headaches tend to be short lived. They are often only present in the first couple days of a cold. As we all know, there is no cure for the common cold. Some self-care can make you feel better faster.
- gentle heat on the back of the neck to relieve tight muscles: a rolled up towel straight from the dryer or a microwavable wheat bag or even an old-fashioned hot water bottle
- acupuncture stimulates the immune system to help you recover faster as well as reduce the symptoms
- herbal medicine – to reduce symptoms
- if you are constantly catching colds herbs and acupuncture can help you regain your health so you can fight them better
Prevention
Maintaining your health and keeping a strong immune system will help you avoid the common cold. Some tips to staying healthy:
- eat a healthy diet
- get plenty of sleep
- exercise and make sure a few times a week your workout is hard enough to generate a sweat
- wear a scarf around your neck on chilly days to prevent draft and excess tension in the neck muscles
- get acupuncture regularly to maintain your health and correct small problems early
For some more information on herbs that help prevent the common cold check out this video by Mei Leaf.
Learn more about acupuncture for headache relief here: Headaches
