Case: A man in his forties with tightening pain from the occiput to the neck on about half the days of the week. Shoulder stiffness and eye fatigue, worse toward evening. Desk work. The tongue is dark red with stasis spots; the pulse is wiry and choppy.
1. Conventional pattern differentiation and treatment
Classical theory may organize this as liver yang rising or qi stagnation and blood stasis, bringing liver-calming and blood-moving methods, or points such as Taichong, Fengchi, and Hegu, into consideration. However, neither the pattern nor the treatment method can be established from headache location or timing alone.
2. Mapping the case to the nine nine MLMN layers
| L2 Etiology | Overwork (prolonged desk work) = sustained qi stagnation |
|---|---|
| L4 Qi, blood, and body fluids | Progression from qi stagnation to blood stasis (dark-red tongue, stasis spots, choppy pulse) |
| L5 Channels | An observational hypothesis within classical theory relating occipital pain to the course of the taiyang channels and governing vessel |
| L7 Sanjiao | Obstruction of upper-jiao qi movement prevents clear yang from ascending to the head |
| L9 Temporal phase | Record evening worsening in relation to daytime activity, posture, and accumulated fatigue |
3. Comparative hypotheses within MLMN
MLMN adds L5 channels and pathways and L9 temporal phase to compare relationships with location, posture, activity times, and recurrence alongside whole-body differentiation. This is a hypothesis for expanding the information to be checked through interview and records, not a determination of treatment.
Adding channels and pathways (L5) and temporal phase (L9) clarifies how to record location and changes over time.