emotionally very distressing and the mother often has deep feelings of loss, and even failure.

External Pathogenic Factors

The main external pathogenic factors which cause headaches are Wind and Dampness.

Wind affects the top part of the body and is a very frequent cause of acute headaches which may
arise independently without other symptoms, or may occur together with the symptoms of
invasion of Wind-Cold. External Wind also affects the neck muscles causing a pronounced
stiffness. Wind is normally a cause of acute headaches, but repeated invasions of Wind may give
rise to chronic headaches and stiffness of the neck and shoulders (called "Head-Wind").

External Dampness can also affect the head even though this particular pathogenic factor
normally invades the lower part of the body. However, acute invasions of Dampness easily affect
the Middle Burner: from here, Dampness may rise to the head and prevent the clear Yang from
reaching the head and clearing the head's orifices.

Channels

The "Correct Seal of Medical Circles" says:

The head is like Heaven [being at the top]: the clear Qi of the three Yang

channels [Greater Yang, Lesser Yang and Bright Yang] and the six Yang organs

as well as the Blood and Essence of the three Yin channels [Greater Yin, Lesser

Yin and Terminal Yin] and the five Yin organs, all reach it. It is affected by the six

external pathogenic climates as well as by internal pathogenic factors.3(56)

The head is the highest part of the body not only anatomically but also energetically according to
the flow of Qi in the 12 channels. It is, in fact, the area of maximum potential of energy in the
circulation of Qi in the channels. Qi circulates in the channels because there is a difference of
potential between the chest and the head. If we consider the first four channels, for example, we
see that Qi starts at the chest area in the Lung channel: this is the area of minimum potential of
energy. In order to understand this we can visualize a certain amount of water at the bottom of a
hill, where its potential of producing energy is minimal. If we slowly carry this water up the hill,
gradually its potential of producing energy will increase, as we know. When the water reaches
the top of the hill, its potential of producing (hydroelectric) energy will be maximum. The
bottom of the hill corresponds to the chest, half-way up the hill corresponds to the hands (or feet)
and the top of the hill corresponds to the head. Thus, from the Lung channel in the chest, Qi
starts to move upwards towards the head. At the fingertips, Qi changes polarity, i.e. it flows from
the Yin Lung channel to the Yang Large Intestine channel, but it is still flowing towards the head
and its potential is increasing. When it reaches the head the potential is at its maximum and it