Herbal Remedies for Headache and Migraine Relief
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This list of easily accessible herbs can help reduce headache and migraine pain and frequency. Herbal Tea is a great way to treat a headache. Lets find the perfect herb for you!
I am not giving medical advice, merely sharing my opinion based on my own research and experiences. For more disclaimer information, see my Disclaimer page. I am not claiming to cure any medical condition.
Please consult your medical provider before using herbal preparations, especially if pregnant.
As I have learned more and more about why natural living and whole foods are important, I have noticed that a lot of the common aches and pains that we have nowadays are not normal.
Headaches and Migraine headaches were not a part of everyday life 100 years ago. Food additives, dyes, preservatives, pesticides, and herbicides, among other things, have led to increased health issues and pains.
I personally have been having an increase in headaches and migraine attacks as I have gotten older, most particularly in the last few months. Yes, I have seen my healthcare provider. But I don’t always want to be taking medication (or over the counter pain relievers) for everything, especially with very frequent headaches. I would rather work on improving my health through a more holistic approach by using food as medicine.
Now, as I have been getting more and more into the homesteading and natural living world, I have been exposed to herbalism as a truly remarkable and achievable option.
How to Herbs Help?
Just like medications, herbs work in different ways throughout the body.
They affect different receptors depending on what action they have on the body.
The “way it works” and “how long it works” of these herbs vary based on what herb it is, how it is used, what dosage is used, and how frequent the dosage.
Why Herbs?
Herbs are a great way to increase nutrition and naturally heal the body with fewer side effects of medications.
Using medicinal herbs has many health benefits, such as increased nutrients to the body, healing chronic illnesses, treating acute issues, pain, and other daily body issues.
These herbs have been used for thousands of years as medicine by humans in folk medicine. The long history and positive results of Traditional Chinese medicine are just one example. It is a skill and art that has gone by the wayside only in the last 200 years in favor of modern medicine.
Though these herbs are not recommended in a daily way in this post, herbs are best used in that way to help treat the root cause of illnesses, pains, and conditions.
Many people don’t realize that a lot of medications contain derivatives of plants which are the active ingredient of the medication.
Whereas medications treat symptoms and can sometimes go a little deeper in supporting the root cause. Natural remedies are aimed at healing and treating the root cause of an issue for good.
Are Herbs safe?
Yes! A lot of herbal medications are herbs that we can use on a daily basis, just in higher dosages.
For example, if I want to use basil in a pizza sauce for flavoring, I would just sprinkle a little bit in my pot. If I want to use basil as a medicine, I would increase the dose based on what I am trying to accomplish and increase the frequency of use.
That being said, there is always a point at which it is too much, and you may feel some side effects like upset stomachs or worsening headache symptoms. These herbs are safe in appropriate dosages.
While the herbs I am sharing are safe in larger doses, please consult a medical herbalist or medical provider for more specific advice and dosages for you and your body.
How to use them?
There are several ways to use herbs as herbal medicine. It just depends on how much you need of the herb and how you want to take it!
You can directly eat the herb or make tea, oil, salve, or tincture. In this list of remedies, I will mostly be focusing on herbal tea unless stated.
How to Make an Herbal Tea
You can choose one herb or make a mixture of tea blends. I like to go by smell and the effects I am trying to achieve to mix my teas.
Some people like to add their loose-leaf tea to a base of green tea or black tea (before it’s brewed.)
How to make herbal teas taste better?
Herbal teas are not always the best-tasting drinks. I used to think that you had to drink the tea straight in order to get the effects I was looking for. This is not true, thank goodness!
You can add whatever you would like to make the tea more palatable. I usually will add honey or a little sugar depending on how I am feeling and how much I want to savor the drink!
Can I put milk in herbal tea?
Yes, you can absolutely add milk to your herbal tea. I will usually add cream to my tea. A yummy creamy drink is such a delight!
Here is a list of Herbs that can help you in your fight against headaches and migraines.
Feverfew
Feverfew tea has been gaining popularity in the eyes of those looking for relief from migraine symptoms because of its ability to help prevent and decrease the length of migraines. It is used for pain, inflammation, nausea, and vomiting.
Some studies have shown feverfew having significant positive effects on migraines with a high-safety margin—the exact way in which feverfew is not currently known. But we are getting closer to the way it works and have found several ways in which it may work with our genes to help with headaches.
Feverfew also dilates the blood vessels in the brain to help decrease pressure on the brain, which in turn assists in decreasing headache pain.
Cloves
One science paper claims that one drop of clove oil placed on the roof of the mouth can reduce and cure many types of headaches. It also suggests that you can boil a clove bud in water to help with nausea, but this would also work with headache and migraine control.
I would definitely mix this in with some other herbs as it will be a strong flavor. It helps by reducing the way you sense pain and is actually used for many different kinds of pain relief, including tooth pains.
Peppermint
Peppermint tea has been known to ease tension headaches due to its relaxing effects on the body. It is also an anti-inflammatory which may help headaches and migraines as well, depending on what is causing the pain.
In some people, peppermint oil on the skin causes significant relief from headaches. Because of peppermint’s relaxing effect, it is a great herbal remedy for tension headaches.
Ginger Root
Ginger has long been known to be a natural headache relief in many different systems of natural medicine for centuries.
It has been shown to have properties that stop migraine pain but also has been shown to prevent them from happening when taken on a normal basis. A nice cup of ginger tea goes a long way in a significant reduction of pain.
Dandelion Root
While not directed towards decreasing the pain of a migraine, Dandelion root is a great option to help fix the cause of the headache.
Some headaches are due to increased blood pressure which puts a lot of pressure on the brain, thus causing a headache. Dandelion works by making you pee out the extra water volume you have in your blood, thus decreasing blood pressure by reducing blood volume.
Burdock
Burdock Root works in a similar way as Dandelion. It is known to relieve frontal headaches by reducing inflammation and stress in the body.
This root has antioxidant qualities that scavenge free radicals, which cause havoc on the body and brain. Also, it is an herb that can make you pee more to reduce blood pressure. Thus reducing pressure on the brain.
Holy Basil (Tulsi)
Holy Basil (Tulsi) is very effective in relieving pain. It is great for reducing throbbing headaches. A cup of tea or even steam treatment can really help not only headache pain but with nausea and other stomach upsets that are associated with migraines. In addition, It is high in antioxidants as well.
Lemon Balm
Lemon Balm is a great stress reducer and is great to help with tension headaches. It also helps to reduce blood pressure which in turn decreases pressure on the brain. It is a wonderfully flavorful additive to your tea mixture with any number of these other herbs.
Lavender
Lavender has been a staple in pain relief and relaxation for years. It is great at calming and relaxing the mind and body, which is a great way to decrease emotional stress.
Stress-induced and tension-type headaches respond well to lavender. Plus, a nice floral cup of tea with a bit of sweetener wounds wonderful right now!
Cinnamon
Cinnamon helps to reduce the severity, frequency, and duration of headache pains. This is a great all-around herb to use to add to your everyday cooking to assist your battle with headaches and migraines.
You could make a cup of tea or use it a little more heavily in baked goods to help give an extra daily dose of headache prevention.
Hops
Hops (the bud, not from the alcohol!) are a wonderful herbal remedy for many things. In fact, its a very effective pain reliever and has a slight sedative effect to help with stress and decrease anxiety.
If my memory serves me correctly, I have heard that it is as effective as cannabis without the THC and recreational drug qualities we want to avoid! Right on!
Chamomile
Chamomile tea is a wonderful thing to take as a relaxant to help you cope and relax during these head pain episodes. Anyone who knows migraines understand how hard it is to get rest. There can be a significant lack of sleep due to pain.
Easing the nervous system through chamomile tea is a wonderful card to keep in your back pocket.
I put these natural remedies for headaches and migraines for me as much as I did for you, my friend! I needed an easy way to remember what herbs are good for migraine on the fly when my brain isn’t working right! Hopefully, these work for you as much as they do for me!
See you later, my friend!
Conclusion
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