A migraine is a common type of headache that may occur with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light. In many people, a throbbing pain is felt only on one side of the head.
In conventional medicine, migraine is considered to be due to a disturbance in blood flow to the brain. there is firstly constriction of blood vessels followed by vasodilation. It is constriction in the blood vessels, which is associated with the visual symptoms and dilatation that leads to the classical headache, this explanation explains the emphasis in conventional treatment of using drugs that affect blood flow. Three quarters of people with migraine have a family history of this condition.

Some people who get migraines have warning symptoms, called an aura, before the actual headache begins. An aura is a group of symptoms, usually vision disturbances, that serve as a warning sign that a bad headache is coming. Most people, however, do not have such warning signs.

The conventional label of migraine is a loose collection of different energetic entities, in terms of Chinese Medicine. With imbalances in the Liver there may be a particular association with emotional disturbances or the menses. In the case of a Stomach imbalance, the headaches will be worse with dietary factors such as red wine, chocolate and shellfish – all of which are creating heat energetically. Chinese Medicine has recognised the aetiology of migraines for over two thousand years and many long-term sufferers now live pain-free.