This is a healing method that involves grasping herbs in the hands to create therapeutic effects. Hand therapy is an ancient method, and is popular among Chinese families. It is most often used for relieving common cold, indigestion of small children, and disorders of the head and face. It is claimed that the palms are warm and moist regions of the body, which promote the herbs acting on the acupoints and meridians, and facilitate the herbal ingredients to be absorbed. Before the process, the hands are washed and soaked in warm water so as to get better results. Below are the herbal remedies for headaches.

• Prepare notopterygium root, pubescent angelica root and Sichuan lovage, 9g for each and 4g of prepared daughter root of common monkshood. Grind the ingredients into a powder, pound some fresh green onion stalks, mix them together. Paste the mixture on the palms, hold the hands in fists until there is a mild sweating. Do this twice a day. This is for tension and migraine headaches.
• Prepare atractylodes rhizome (6g), notopterygium root (10g), alum (6g) and schizonepeta herb (6g). Grind the ingredients into a powder, and mix with a small amount of fresh ginger juice, then paste the mixture on the palms, hold the hands in fists until there is a mild sweating. Do this three times a day. This is for headaches induced by common cold.

Atractylodes rhizome,
notopterygium root,
alum and schizonepeta herb