What plant do you use if you have a headache?

Answer 1

Feverfew, Peppermint, Passionflower, Ginko, Ceyenne, and Willow can be used to treat headaches. Meadowsweet, valerian (excellent if you can't sleep), skullcap, chamomile (also common for relaxation) can also be used. Feverfew, also called bachelor's button, is a popular folk remedy for headache. This herb is a member of the daisy family, and many people grow the plant themselves and then harvest the leaves. For a long time feverfew was thought to relieve fever symptoms (hence the name), but that didn't turn out to be the case. Today it's mainly used as a preventative for migraines. Migraine relief is supposed to be achieved by taking a controlled amount of feverfew on a daily basis. In one study, over 2/3 of migraineurs experienced relief by taking feverfew regularly. Unfortunately, the successful studies of feverfew have often been poorly controlled, and the more scientific studies have failed to see the positive results that some people have claimed. So it may still be a while before we find out if feverfew migraine relief is a reality. One of the more positive studies was published in 1997 (Palevitch, D. G. Earon, and R. Carasso. "Feverfew as a prophylactic treatment for migraine..."). This was a well controlled study which showed feverfew to not only significantly reduce pain, but also nausea and sensitivity to light and noise. Feverfew is an anti-inflammatory, and so works much like ibuprofen. It is also believed that the herb may inhibit chemicals that cause the blood vessels in your head to spasm. New research is telling us that one key chemical in feverfew, parthenolide, may have leukemia-fighting properties (Monica Guzman, PhD, of the University of Rochester Medical School and research team, 2005). Someday it may be used in more varied treatments. Peppermint, for hundreds of years, has been used as a headache remedy. From tea to extract, there are lots of ways to enjoy peppermint. Be warned that peppermint is not the thing to take if you have heartburn or similar stomach acid problems. Peppermint is just as useful for its aroma and cooling properties as an essential oil. Passionflower is a calming herb. Taken as a tea before bed, it can help you sleep. At least one clinic trial has found it to lower anxiety. It is also believed to have anti-inflammitory and pain killing properties. The leaf of the ginko tree is an extremely popular herb for headache, but the medical evidence is still hotly disputed. Ginko is said to improve the flow of blood and get more oxygen to the brain, hence not only relieving headache but improving memory and alertness as well. **Note that Ginko is one of those herbs that can cause side effects when taken with headache medications, including aspirin and lithium.** Yes, that's right - the pepper. Many peppers have an ingredient called capsaicin, which among other things seems to raise the pain threshold. It's gained attention in the medical world in recent years especially for its treatment of cluster headaches, and it's often given in the form of a nasal spray. Cayenne pepper is an excellent spice to have on hand (well, don't put too much ON your hand or you may burn it!), and may lessen your migraine. White willow bark is an especially popular herb for headache because it works much like an aspirin, relieving your headache pain and causing the inflammation to go down. Like any painkiller, it should not be taken long term. **Be very careful about taking willow with other painkillers and medications - check with your doctor!**

Herbs for migraine and other headaches can be very helpful, but there's lot of bad and even dangerous information out there. If you really want to look into natural herbal alternatives, get a good guide that tells you the scientific facts. An excellent comprehensive guide to herbs is The Herbal Drugstore by Linda B White MD and Steven Foster. Another handy guide is The Complete Herbal Companion by Elizabeth Burch, MD.