Research Progress on the Clinical Application and Efficacy Mechanism of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Hypertensive Headache

Hypertensive headache is a typical accompanying symptom of target organ damage in patients with hypertension, and its pathogenesis is closely related to the imbalance of cerebrovascular vasomotor function, the disorder of neurotransmitter metabolism, as well as the stagnation of meridians, qi, and blood in the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). This symptom not only interferes with patients’ daily activities but also significantly reduces their quality of life. As one of the core techniques in the system of TCM external therapy, acupuncture has the unique advantages of “treatment based on syndrome differentiation and addressing both the root cause and symptoms”: through precise acupoint compatibility and standardized acupuncture operation, it can not only quickly relieve the main symptom of headache but also assist in regulating blood pressure levels; moreover, its incidence of adverse reactions is much lower than that of some antihypertensive drugs, making it an important choice for the clinical adjuvant treatment of hypertensive headache. This article systematically integrates clinical research and basic experimental data at home and abroad from the past five years, and conducts a review from four dimensions: TCM pathogenesis and syndrome differentiation types of hypertensive headache, clinical standardized protocols for acupuncture treatment, efficacy mechanism, and key points for safe application. It conducts in-depth discussions on core issues and summarizes key conclusions, aiming to provide high-quality evidence-based references for clinicians to carry out acupuncture treatment, avoid the drawbacks of “simplified and empirical” treatment, and further improve the accuracy and clinical effectiveness of acupuncture intervention.