Exploration of the Medication Patterns of Chief Physician Qiao Shuzhen in Treating Liver-Yang Headache Based on Data Mining

Abstract

Objective: To conduct data mining and analysis of the prescription medication characteristics of Shaanxi Provincial Distinguished TCM Physician Qiao Shuzhen in the treatment of liver-yang headache using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Inheritance Support System. Methods: Prescriptions for liver-yang headache cases treated by Dr. Qiao Shuzhen at Shaanxi Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2020 were selected. Data mining and statistical analysis of medication patterns were performed using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Inheritance Support System (V2.5). Results: A total of 158 valid prescriptions were collected, involving 83 Chinese herbal medicines with a cumulative usage frequency of 2,762 times. Analysis showed that Chief Physician Qiao Shuzhen preferred herbs with neutral properties, among which sweet-flavored herbs were used most frequently, and the meridian entry was primarily the Heart meridian. The top 6 herbs by usage frequency were Curcumae Radix (Yujin), Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Gancao), Gastrodiae Rhizoma (Tianma), Cyperi Rhizoma (Xiangfu), Chuanxiong Rhizoma (Chuanxiong), and Polygalae Radix (Yuanzhi). Conclusion: Chief Physician Qiao Shuzhen’s treatment of liver-yang headache centers on regulating qi movement, emphasizing the coordination of the five zang-organs with a focus on soothing the liver, combined with psychological adjustment. The high-frequency herb combinations summarized in this study not only reflect her clinical characteristics in treating liver-yang headache but also provide a reference for the pattern differentiation and treatment of dizziness, emotional disorders, and sleep disturbances caused by liver-yang hyperactivity, thereby expanding the clinical diagnostic and therapeutic approach to liver-yang headache.