therefore necessary to use points to nourish Liver-Blood and/or tonify Kidney-Yin.- SP-6 is tonified to nourish Liver-Blood. Being the meeting point of Liver, Spleen and
Kidney channels, it will also help to pacify the Liver. It also calms the Mind and helps to
promote sleep. This is important in chronic headaches because if the person does not
sleep well, it will be much more difficult to cure the headaches. - T.B.-5 is reduced to subdue Liver-Yang and affect the side of the head. The use of this
point is based on the relationship existing between the Triple Burner and Gall-Bladder
channels, both pertaining to the Lesser Yang channel system. The relationship between
Yang hand and foot channels is very close indeed because they meet superficially on the
head region and merge into one another. For this reason, in practice they are almost
interchangeable. In this case, T.B.-5 is chosen to affect the Lesser Yang area (which
includes the Gall-Bladder channel area) on the head where the Liver-Yang headache
usually occurs. But why do we choose the Triple Burner instead of the Gall-Bladder
channel, and why T.B.-5 in preference to other points on that channel? If a choice exists
between Yang hand or foot channels (as it normally does) to affect their
common-influence area, the hand channel points have a more moderate effect than those
of the foot channels. Thus T.B.-5 has a milder effect than, say, G.B.-43. The choice
between Yang hand or foot channel points can therefore be guided by the severity of the
symptoms: in severe cases Yang foot-channel points will be used. Of course, both hand-
and foot-channel points can be used simultaneously for an even stronger effect.
T.B.-5 is used in preference to other points on this channel because it is the Connecting
point and, as such, is especially suited to treat channel problems. This point is therefore
used not so much to subdue Liver-Yang at internal-organ level, but to pacify rebellious
Yang within the Lesser Yang channels area. Specifically, T.B.-5 will affect headaches in
the temple area. - G.B.-20 is used as an adjacent point to subdue Liver-Yang. It subdues Liver-Yang and
Liver-Wind and is specific for headaches from these two causes. It will also relax the
muscles of the upper neck and brighten the eyes, both of which actions will help chronic
headaches.
This point is needled at least 0.5 cun deep with the needles pointed towards the opposite
eye. This direction can, however, be changed and the needle directed towards the eye on
the same side in order to treat a unilateral headache on that side. This point, contrary to
points situated further up the neck and skull, can be manipulated with reducing method. It
can be needled with the patient lying down and reached without the patient having to sit
up. - Taiyang is an extra point on the temple. It is specific to subdue Liver-Yang when it
causes temporal headaches. It is used only if the headache is situated on the temple,
otherwise different local points are selected. It is manipulated with even method.