Occipital pain according to Chinese Medicine
The information provided here is not a replacement for a doctor. You shouldn't use it for the purpose of self-diagnosing or self-medicating but rather so you can have a more informed discussion with a professional TCM practitioner.
occipital stiffness and occiput pain redirect here
Occipital pain can be the consequence of several so-called “patterns of disharmony” in Chinese Medicine.
Chinese Medicine sees the body as a system, not a sum of isolated parts. A "pattern" is when the system's harmony is disrupted, leading to symptoms or signs that something is wrong (like occipital pain here). It is similar to the concept of disease in Western Medicine but not quite: a Western disease can often be explained by several Chinese patterns and vice-versa.
A pattern often manifests itself in a combination of symptoms that, at first glance, do not seem necessarily related to each others. For instance here occipital pain is often associated with aversion to cold, fever and body aches in the pattern “Damp-Wind”.
Once identified, patterns are treated using medicinal herbs, acupuncture, and other therapies. In the case of occipital pain we’ve identified five herbal formulas that may help treat patterns behind the symptom.
We’ve also selected below the five medicinal herbs that we think are most likely to help treat occipital pain.
Damp-Wind, a "pattern of disharmony" that can cause occipital pain
In Chinese Medicine occipital pain is a symptom for the pattern "Damp-Wind". Below is a small explanation for it with links for more details.
Notopterygium Roots (Qiang Huo) is the king ingredient for Qiang Huo Sheng Shi Tang, a formula used for Damp-Wind
Damp-Wind
Pulse type(s): Slippery (Hua), Floating (Fu)
In addition to occipital pain, other symptoms associated with Damp-Wind include aversion to cold, fever and body aches.
Damp-Wind is often treated with Qiang Huo Sheng Shi Tang, a herbal formula made of 7 herbs (including Notopterygium Roots - Qiang Huo - as a key herb). Qiang Huo Sheng Shi Tang belongs to the category of "formulas that dispel wind-damp", which might be why it is often recommended for this pattern. Its main action as a formula is: "Expels wind and dampness".
Five herbal formulas that might help with occipital pain
Xiao Feng San
Source date: 1617 AD
Number of ingredients: 13 herbs
Key actions: Disperses Wind. Eliminates Dampness. Clears Heat. Cools the Blood.
Why might Xiao Feng San help with occipital pain?
Because it is a formula often recommended to treat the pattern 'Damp-Wind' of which occipital stiffness is a symptom.
Qiang Huo Sheng Shi Tang
Why might Qiang Huo Sheng Shi Tang help with occipital pain?
Because it is a formula often recommended to treat the pattern 'Damp-Wind' of which occipital stiffness is a symptom.
Jiu Wei Qiang Huo Tang
Source date: 1308 AD
Number of ingredients: 9 herbs
Key actions: Induces sweating . Dispels Dampness. Expels Wind-Cold. Clears Interior Heat .
Why might Jiu Wei Qiang Huo Tang help with occipital pain?
Because it is a formula often recommended to treat the pattern 'Damp-Wind' of which occipital stiffness is a symptom.
Ku Shen Tang
Source date: 1806 AD
Number of ingredients: 8 herbs
Key actions: Dispels Wind. Dries Dampness. Kills parasites. Relieves itching.
Why might Ku Shen Tang help with occipital pain?
Because it is a formula often recommended to treat the pattern 'Damp-Wind' of which occipital stiffness is a symptom.
Acupuncture points used for occipital pain
The five Chinese Medicinal herbs most likely to help treat occipital pain
Why might Liquorice (Gan Cao) help with occipital pain?
Because Liquorice is an ingredient in several formulas indicated to treat occipital pain as a symptom, like Qiang Huo Sheng Shi Tang or Sang Ju Yin for instance.
Liquorice is a Neutral herb that tastes Sweet. It targets the Heart, the Lung, the Spleen and the Stomach.
Its main actions are: Tonifies the Basal Qi and nourishes the Spleen Qi. Clears Heat and dispels toxicity. Moistens the Lungsexpel phlegm and stop coughing. Relieves spasms and alleviates pain. Harmonizes and moderates the effects of other herbs.
Why might Angelica Root (Bai Zhi) help with occipital pain?
Because Angelica Root is an ingredient in several formulas indicated to treat occipital pain as a symptom, like Hai Tong Pi Tang or Cang Er Zi San for instance.
Angelica Roots is a Warm herb that tastes Pungent. It targets the Spleen, the Stomach and the Lung.
Its main actions are: Relieves the Exterior and disperses Wind. Disperses Wind and Cold from the Yang Brightness channels. Relieves Wind-Damp Cold painful obstruction. Dries Dampness and pus and reduces swelling. Opens the nasal passages.
Why might Wild Mint (Bo He) help with occipital pain?
Because Wild Mint is an ingredient in several formulas indicated to treat occipital pain as a symptom, like Sang Ju Yin or Cang Er Zi San for instance.
Wild Mint is a Cool herb that tastes Pungent. It targets the Liver and the Lung.
Its main actions are: Relieves the Exterior and disperses Wind-Heat. Clears Wind-Heat from the head, eyes and throat. Allows the release of toxins from the skin. Moves Stagnant Liver Qi
Why might Saposhnikovia Root (Fang Feng) help with occipital pain?
Because Saposhnikovia Root is an ingredient in several formulas indicated to treat occipital pain as a symptom, like Jing Fang Bai Du San or Xiao Feng San for instance.
Saposhnikovia Roots is a Warm herb that tastes Pungent and Sweet. It targets the Bladder, the Liver and the Spleen.
Its main actions are: Relieves the Exterior and disperses Cold. Relieves Wind-Damp-Cold painful obstruction. Disperses Wind.
Why might Szechuan Lovage Root (Chuan Xiong) help with occipital pain?
Because Szechuan Lovage Root is an ingredient in several formulas indicated to treat occipital pain as a symptom, like Jing Fang Bai Du San or Qiang Huo Sheng Shi Tang for instance.
Szechuan Lovage Roots is a Warm herb that tastes Pungent. It targets the Gallbladder, the Liver and the Pericardium.
Its main actions are: Regulates and moves the Blood. Relieves Wind-Cold and pain. Circulates the Qi in the Upper Burner, relieving headaches.
Other symptoms often associated with occipital pain
Aversion to cold Fever Body aches Headaches Chills Itchy throat Sore throat Sneezing Coughing Runny nose