ABSTRACT
ObjectiveTo summarize the thinking of treatment of headache based on syndrome differentiation by reviewing the literature of materia medica in the past dynasties， so as to guide the clinical practice. MethodAll the literature of materia medica in the Chinese Medical Dictionary， involving 76 works from Han to Qing Dynasties， were searched， and the information of the herbs for treating headache was extracted. According to Chinese Materia Medica （11th Edition） and Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China （2020 Edition）， the nature， taste， and meridian tropism of the selected herbs were statistically analyzed， and the syndrome elements of headache were classified and counted. In addition， the contents of syndrome differentiation and treatment of headache by different herbs were extracted. ResultFrom the 76 monographs of materia medica in the past dynasties， 114 herbs for treating headache were selected. The herbs mainly had cold or warm nature， pungent or bitter taste， and tropism to the lung and live meridians. The syndrome elements of headache treated by the herbs mainly included wind attack， fire disturbance， turbid obstruction， stagnation， cold coagulation， and healthy Qi deficiency. ConclusionHeadache is mainly treated with the herbs with the effects of dispelling pathogenic wind， clearing heat and purging fire， eliminating phlegm and resolving dampness， regulating Qi movement and activating blood， warming Yang and dispelling cold， and tonifying deficiency and reinforcing healthy Qi， and the herbs are often used in combinations. Headache is treated following the principles of dispelling wind and pathogen， regulating Qi and blood， and tonifying deficiency and purging excess， which is in line with the laws of obstruction and nutrient deficiency causing pain.