Professor Wang Qingqi’s experience in treating intractable headache by applying the four methods of dredging collaterals is introduced. According to traditional Chinese medicine theory， prolonged illness enters the collaterals， so does the persistent pain. Professor Wang believes that it is pathogens stagnating in the collaterals and deficient collaterals failing to nourish that causes intractable headache because loss of smooth flow and nourishment leads to pain. Intractable headache is a disease with the coexistence of multiple syndromes and intermingled deficiency and excess. Therefore， when it comes to the treatment， Professor Wang adheres to the principle of “dredging for normal function” and uses the four methods of dredging collaterals flexibly. The compatibility of pungent medicine， insect medicine， rattan medicine and medicine for nourishing blood and dredging collaterals in the prescription can often have significant effect with just one dose. One proven case is included for clarification.