Headache caused by yīn vacuity stirring fire. Yīn vacuity headache is accompanied by heat vexation, red face and upbearing fire flush, insomnia, red tongue, and a fine stringlike rapid pulse.
Medicinal therapy: Enrich yīn and downbear fire with Anemarrhena and Phellodendron Eight-Ingredient Pill (知柏八味丸zhī bǎi bā wèi wán) or Jade Lady Brew (玉女煎yù nǚ jiān). If effulgent fire signs are not pronounced, use Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill (六味地黄丸liù wèi dì huáng wán), Four Agents Decoction (四物汤sì wù tāng), or Left-Restoring [Kidney Yin] Pill (左归丸zuǒ guī wán).
Acumoxatherapy: For yīn vacuity with stirring fire, base treatment mainly on back transport points, KI, and HT. Supplement GV-20 (Hundred Convergences, 百会 bǎi huì), BL-2 (Bamboo Gathering, 攒竹 zǎn zhú), Fish’s Lumbus (鱼腰yú yāo), SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo), BL-23 (Kidney Transport, 肾俞 shèn shù), BL-18 (Liver Transport, 肝俞 gān shù), and KI-3 (Great Ravine, 太溪 tài xī); drain KI-2 (Blazing Valley, 然谷 rán gǔ), HT-7 (Spirit Gate, 神门 shén mén), and HT-8 (Lesser Mansion, 少府 shào fǔ). For yīn vacuity without effulgent fire, use the same formula as above, but remove KI-2 (Blazing Valley, 然谷 rán gǔ), HT-7 (Spirit Gate, 神门 shén mén), and HT-8 (Lesser Mansion, 少府 shào fǔ), and add BL-20 (Spleen Transport, 脾俞 pí shù), BL-17 (Diaphragm Transport, 膈俞 gé shù), and ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ), needling with supplementation.
Point selection according to affected area, see headache.