Headaches can be incredibly discomforting and disruptive to our daily lives. While there are various ways to manage and relieve headaches, using herbs can offer a more restorative approach to alleviate symptoms. We’ll explore seven remarkable herbs that can help you find relief. Plus, we’ll also delve into different types of headaches, uncover their root causes, and and ensuring your safety when using these herbs.
To alleviate headaches reach for any of these herbs. Antispasmodics will aid in easing tension headaches: cramp bark, valerian root, ginger rhizome, vervain aerial parts, lavender flower bud, and skullcap aerial parts. Analgesics will help migraines: feverfew and meadowsweet.
Your Herbal Allies for Headache Relief
The path to headache relief lies in nature’s remedies. To soothe your aching head, consider these herbs:
- Cramp Bark: A gentle sedative and nervine that relaxes both smooth and skeletal muscles, providing respite from tension headaches.
- Ginger Rhizome: A warming herb that eases tension headaches, particularly helpful for jaw-clenching-induced pain. It’s also beneficial for migraines.
- Vervain: Known for its relaxing effects on the nervous and musculoskeletal systems, vervain is ideal for stress-related headaches and migraines.
- Lavender: Offers muscle tension relaxation and increased circulation, making it an effective remedy for tension headaches.
- Skullcap: An antispasmodic and muscle relaxant, perfect for restoring the nervous system when stress leaves your mind racing.
- Feverfew: An analgesic anti-inflammatory herb that works best as a preventative for migraines. Consider combining it with ginger or willow for enhanced effects.
- Meadowsweet: This analgesic herb supports the digestive system, making it beneficial if gastrointestinal issues contribute to your headaches.
For those interested in learning more about herbs and their therapeutic benefits, consider exploring courses and resources at the Herbal Academy. They offer a wide range of educational materials that can help you dive deeper into the world of herbalism and holistic wellness. Click on the banner below to access their courses and start your herbal journey today!
Understanding Types of Headaches
Headaches come in two primary types: tension headaches and migraines. To effectively address them, it’s crucial to identify their root causes, for effective management.
Dietary Factors: Skipping meals or food intolerances (e.g., gluten, dairy) can trigger headaches.
Environmental Factors: Weather changes, bright lights, loud noises, and strong odors may be headache triggers.
Emotional Factors: Overwhelming stress, anxiety, and emotional distress can lead to tension headaches.
Hormonal Factors: Fluctuations in estrogen levels (e.g., during pregnancy, menstruation, menopause, or due to birth control) can also contribute to headaches
Tension headaches arise due to an emotional disturbance cause by stress in the environment. This can be anything from increased work load or responsibility, changes in routine, to changes in lifestyle. This may cause a person to tense up over time, which may lead to a headache.
When we forget to nourish ourselves through food and water, this will eventually create stress on the body from lack of essential nutrients. Similarly, if we are eating the wrongs foods that can throw out body out of balance by making the body too acidic can also lead to these headaches.
Migraines, on the other hand, are more intense than a tension headache and for around 85% of people who get them, it can cause visual disturbances, like auras or sensitivity to light. The pain can be quite excruciating, making it difficult to treat with herbs alone.
Honestly, the best treatment for migraine is going to preventative plan of action. This includes attempting to know your specific triggers if you frequently get migraines, like those in the lists above.
Herbs for Headache Relief
Antispasmodics as well as the nervines mentioned in stress and anxiety post will aid in easing tension headaches: cramp bark, ginger rhizome, vervain aerial parts, lavender flower bud, and skullcap aerial parts. For migraines: ginger rhizome, feverfew, and meadowsweet
Cramp bark (Viburnum opulus) is a sedative and nervine. It relaxes both smooth and skeletal muscle, thus making it great for tension, and stress-related conditions. It is also mild hypotensive and cardiovascular tonic. This can be used topically as well for headaches.
Ginger rhizome (Zingiber officinale​) is a warming . Helps to relieve tension headaches for tense muscles like jaw-clenching. Great for migraine headaches, better or comparable to migraine medication sumatriptan. Research suggest taking 400 mg powder.
Vervain (Verbena officinalis) has relaxing effect on the nervous and musculoskeletal systems. Great for stress-related conditions of headaches and migraines, as well as insomnia, pain or aches, and general nervous exhaustion.
Lavender (Lavendula officinalis) useful in aromatherapy by minimizing the perception of pain. Relaxes muscle stiffness and relieves tension headahces.
Skullcap (​Scutellaria lateriflora​) is an antispasmodic, muscle relaxant. The headache stems from stress that leaves the mind racing, this a great herb to restore the nervous system.
Feverfew (chrysanthemum parthenium/tanacetum parthenium), is an analgesic anti-inflammatory herb that is best taken as a preventative, about 4-6 weeks prior to an episode, for migraines. It’s effects are said to be better when used in combination with ginger or willow.
Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) an analgesic herb that is supportive to the digestive system and therefore great if intestinal issues are the source of headaches.
Pain Relief
These herbs do not work like painkillers (aspirin, acetaminophen, etc.) and will not work as such, but rather most of these herbs modulate the physical body by relaxing tense muscles, increasing or decreasing the circulation of blood, or dilating or constricting blood vessels. It is best to use these herbs, in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle, as a nourishing addition to your normal routine.
Aspirin is now chemically synthesized from salicylic acid in the lab. It was originally synthesized from meadowsweet which has salicylate content, which is a chemical that soothes pain and is anti-inflammatory. Some other herbs with this quality include willow, wintergreen, ginger, and birch.
There are herbs that work as pharmaceutical painkillers do, such as opium poppy, however they have a high chance of being highly addictive and therefore should be used with caution or with a professional.
Tea Formulas for Headaches
Consider these soothing herbal tea blends to ease your headaches and download the accompanying pdf here:
Ease the Headache Tea
3 parts lemon balm
3 parts meadowsweet
2 parts chamomile
1 part catnip
1/4 part lavender
Subtle Tension Tamer Tea
2 parts skullcap
1 part willow
1 part feverfew
1/2 part lavender
Head Relief Brew
3 parts chamomile
3 parts lemon balm
1 part passionflower
1 part skullcap
Click here to download your free pdf!
Acetaminophen
There are definitely instances where using a painkiller such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen are preferred. You may choose to reach for these of course, no judgement. Occasional use of these will most likely not cause long term damage. However, repeated use of these drugs are super harmful to your liver and studies have shown long term use to be connected with the triggering and onset of autoimmune issues.
I developed ulcerative colitis after my pregnancy, that I attribute in part to my history of abuse with ibuprofen. Back then I didn’t know there were adverse effects from prolonged use and therefore took them for any minor or major thing. I was a student, working two jobs and didn’t have time for pain. Little did I know, the pain was telling me to slow down.
Ready to take your herbal knowledge to the next level? The Herbal Academy offers a range of advanced courses and certifications that can help you become a skilled herbalist. Whether you’re looking to enhance your herbal practice or embark on a new career path, their comprehensive programs have you covered. Click on the banner below to explore their advanced herbal courses and boost your expertise in herbalism.
**Dealing with stress or anxiety? Check out this post to see what herbs to reach for!**
Safety
Crampbark: generally safe.
Ginger: avoid in peptic ulcers, gallstones, and with anticoagulants.
Vervain: Contraindicated during pregnancy, especially early pregnancy due to emmenagogue action. Emetic in high doses. Dimishes effects of mineral supplements.
Lavender: likely safe for most people.
Skullcap: caution with daytime use, avoid in pregnancy.
Feverfew: avoid during pregnancy.
Meadowsweet: contraindicated for issues with constipation, anemia, or malnutrition.
References
Introductory Herbal Course by The Herbal Academy
Herbs for Stress and Anxiety by Rosemary Gladstar
The Complete Herbal Tutor by Anne McIntyre
An Herbalist’s Guide to Formulary by Holly Bellebuono
