I Take Headache Medicine Every Day | Incheon Chronic Tension Headaches

"I feel fine for an hour or two after taking headache medicine, but then the pain comes back when the effect wears off. It's especially worse on Monday mornings."

CASE STUDY

This is the story of Mr. Kim Min-jun (pseudonym), a family man in his 40s. For several months, he has suffered from headaches every single day. He starts his day by taking a pain reliever like Tylenol (containing acetaminophen). The pain seems to stop temporarily after taking the medicine, but it soon resurfaces, much like a submarine that briefly submerges underwater. He often found himself retreating to his room to lie down, even when excitedly playing with his child due to headaches, and relaxing on weekends was difficult due to the constant throbbing pain.

He was diagnosed with 'tension headache' at the hospital. When told that stress was the cause, he was puzzled, remarking, "Doesn't everyone who works get stressed?"

For him, stress wasn't the cause of pain; it was simply 'how life is'. But his body was already sending signals in a different language. For the past three months, he experienced severe stiffness in his shoulders and neck, and often couldn't fall asleep easily even after lying down, staying up late into the night watching his smartphone.

How Do Headache Medicines Stop Headaches?

Medications like Tylenol work by inhibiting the production of substances that transmit pain signals, thereby preventing the brain from perceiving pain. This is highly effective at suppressing symptoms, which are the 'results'. However, the problem is that headache medicines do not address the 'root cause of the headache'. If the problem were merely a pain signal, medication should completely control it. However, the recurring nature of headaches despite daily medication is a crucial piece of counter-evidence suggesting another layer of underlying cause.

It's like an overheating warning light coming on in a car, but simply covering up the light. The light is no longer visible, but the engine is still hot. In Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), this accumulation of chronic stress and tension in the body, which obstructs the circulation of Qi and Blood (氣血) and causes symptoms like headaches, is viewed as an aspect of 'Liver Qi Stagnation (肝氣鬱結, ganki-ulggyeol)'.

This Liver Qi Stagnation is also closely related to the overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system within Western medicine's autonomic nervous system. This directly connects to the phenomenon where stress keeps the brain and body in a constant 'ready-to-work' state without rest, causing muscles around the head and neck to become as stiff as rocks and impeding blood circulation.

Our Body is an Organic System

Excessive work and responsibility can unconsciously activate our body's 'tension switch'. When the sympathetic nervous system remains overactive, muscles around the shoulders and neck become as stiff as rocks. This tension impedes blood circulation to the head, preventing smooth delivery of oxygen and nutrients. Ultimately, a chronic state of 'oxygen deficiency' manifests as pain in the form of headaches.

'Liver Qi Stagnation' does not simply mean 'the liver is unwell'. Here, 'Liver (肝)' refers not to the anatomical organ in Western medicine, but to a systemic function that regulates emotional flow and overall bodily circulation. When this function is obstructed (stagnation) and the circulatory pathways narrow, headaches occur. Your daily headaches, for which you reach for painkillers, might just be a strong warning message from your body telling you to 'stop and rest'.

✅ Key Takeaways

• Chronic headaches may not be just simple pain, but a signal of bodily imbalance.
• Stress and physical tension (muscle stiffness) can be the root causes of headaches.
• Headache medicines only suppress the 'results' and do not resolve the 'causes'.

If your headaches show a chronic and recurrent pattern that cannot be resolved by simple painkillers, you should look for the problem not in the pain itself, but in the excessive 'tension' and 'imbalance' in your body that triggers the pain. This is not medical advice for any specific individual. However, it can be an important clue that a shift in perspective on the problem is needed.

Have you ever experienced your shoulders becoming as stiff as rocks, with that tension rising to your head, especially before an important task? That is no coincidence.

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