Headaches are hard. Sometimes they turn into migraines. They are hard to deal with because there is a number of things that can trigger them and if you keep trying to avoid the triggers because you know them and still get headaches…most will always resort to using over the counter medications.
That is ok!
But when you continually use OTC meds to help you manage your headaches and are maybe seeing the signs of overusing them with some GI issues or liver issues or just want a different option this article is for you.
I have suffered countless migraines and countless headaches starting at a very young age.
Of course I did not know any other alternatives and when I became an RN the only options that were talked about were prescription meds. I went ahead and got on a prescribed med for treatment of my migraines and had so many side effects from it that I ultimately decided to switch back to OTC whenever a headache was approaching.
It was a long road to realize what triggers my own headaches.
I tried to avoid a lot of triggers but always ended up going back to OTC because nothing seemed to work.
Even though I am still seeing what works for me permanently, I want to share some things with you for you to look into when dealing with your own headaches as well as some herbs that work really well for headaches.
Prevention
Somewhere to always start is prevention. A lot of people I speak with tend to think of herbal medicine being in the same boat as allopathic medicine. Which oftentimes overlooks a holistic approach.
Looking at lifestyle and diet changes that can be tweaked can help decrease the chances of you getting a headache.
Here are some common triggers for you to look into:
- Dairy products
- Chocolate
- Eggs
- Citrus fruits
- Wheat
- Tomatoes
- Red meat
- Shellfish
- Alcohol
- Stress and fatigue
- Hormone levels
- Sensory irritants (flickering lights, odors)
- Stuffy rooms, polluted air, smoking
These triggers can cause an actual onset of a headache or there may be physical events that happen that will inevitably lead to a headache. Catching the triggers can provide important clues to controlling the headache and making changes.
The Type
While treating a headache naturally, the type of headache is not as important as catching the signs of it when they first begin to appear. The different types of headaches are like clues to your health and if you have a recurring type of a headache then certain lifestyle and diet changes can be used as a preventative.
Tension headaches are the typical type of a headache accounting for 90% of headache cases most doctors deal with. They often feel like constrictive sensations, soreness and painful knots in neck and scalp muscles.
Migraines often occur more often with women than with men. There might be a feel of dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, sensitivity to noise and light.
Cluster headaches might feel like migraine headaches but they occur in intense clusters. Some times they go away for a period of times and come back with the same amount of pain as a migraine would with much congestion and throbbing.
Natural Help
1. Essential Oils
The first thing that I do when I feel a headache come on is to use essential oils on my temples. Essentials oils help tremendously in calming the nervous system down. The limbic system is responsible for releasing a lot of hormones that signal to your body that something is off causing inflammation in the body.
Essential oils are great to use as a general start but if the headache moves beyond the begging stages, there might be a huge aversion to the smell of oils as they would make the pain worse.
Essential oils that can help soothe headaches are:
- lavander
- spearmint
- ginger
- chamomile
- petitgrain
- rosalina
- black pepper
- fir needle
- marjoram
- frankincense
I like to have a roll-on bottle ready because I am so prone to headaches and I do not have think about much when pulling oils together. If you are wondering with which oil to start, lavender is your best and safest option. 1 drop diluted with some carrier oil and massage around the temples and base of the skull along the hairline.
If you would like to try a roll-on blend here is a good one for a general headache:
1 drop rosalina
1 drop marjoram
1 drop lavender
fractioned coconut oil
Add the drops into a glass roll-on bottle and top it off with the fractioned coconut oil. Use whenever you feel a headache coming on on the temples and the back of your neck. Or blend the drops together and use one drop of the blend per 5ml of coconut oil to use as a massage.
2. Hydration
My husband always tells me to drink more water when I feel a headache coming on. And he is right!
It keeps me hydrated and lowers my stress response.
If you are dehydrated, the headache will oftentimes get worse as your body is trying to get water from other organs in your body. So even though it is not something we think about often…hydration helps.
Pay attention to what feels better for you. Sometimes it is cold beverages, or sometimes it is tea. Any way to get water down or maybe even looking at coconut water if you do not like water. Stay away from coffee and soda as they can cause the headache to intensify.
3. Herbs
When the things above have not helped and I know that my headache is about to go into a full on migraine if I do not do something soon, herbs are really helpful to try. One herb in particular has gained tremendous popularity when it comes to helping people with headaches as a preventative and that herb is Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium).
The work of Dr. Peter Hylands and his colleagues started doing the research on Feverfew to be used as a preventative in migraines specifically, with favorable results. (1)
Chewing the leaves can cause mouth sores with some people so looking at a tincture or a dried herb is something that might help as a long term treatment, not as an immediate cure for headaches.
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) can help circulation as well as relive nausea. I have used this herb as a capsule. Swallowing the dried herb or drinking it can be hard to get down.
Ginger is great for tension headaches or migraines and can also get rid of the migraine headache if taken at the onset.
Some people like to use Ginger in cooking or as a fresh root juice in order to mask the taste.
Willow bark (Salix nigra) contains salicylic acid and helps with inflammation just like its OTC relative…Asprin.
Because Willow contains salicylic acid, it should not be given to children at the risk of Reyes Syndrome.
The doses of these herbs really depends on each person and their body weight. My own suggestion would be to start small and see how your body responds to the herb as a tincture or a capsule and then increase if you need to. I prefer to take things in tinctures just for the simple fact of it being convenient and I can get them down fast in a case of a headache.
Which herb depends on how I feel. Some days Ginger is needed because I have been looking at my screen to long and feel tension. Or maybe I need to relieve some nausea as well due to a migraine coming on and also reach for the Ginger in that case.
A lot of doctors are now aware of the effects of Feverfew on migraines and even if you are taking medications for migraine headaches, this in an herb to really look at for long term so please discuss ahead of time with your doctor if you are adding any herbs to your diet if you are on ANY type of medications.
Willow Bark helps for on the spot relief in a tincture but if I do not have the tincture ready to be used, Ginger is available at any grocery store.
Personally I like to use Willow Bark and Lemon Balm in the beginning of the migraine so I also get the calming effect on the muscle with the Lemon Balm.
4. Sleep
Sleep helps tremendously while in the midst of a headache. But when your head is throbbing good quality sleep is hard to get, even sometimes with OTC meds. To use natural products here looking at tea to help you before bedtime can be helpful.
Nervine herbs are effective when it comes to soothing headaches and are gentle herbs that are used to calm the nervous system.
Some herbs that can be used in tea include:
- Catnip
- Lavander
- Chamomile
- Lemon Balm
When drinking tea it is of course important to not drink the cup too close to bedtime as you will be getting up in the middle of the night. Or these can be made ahead of time and cooled down and used as a cold beverage if you are not drawn to hot tea.
My favorite recipe for a relaxing tea is:
- 1 tsp chamomile
- 1 tsp lemon balm
- 1 tsp lavander
Steep in 1 cup of boiling water for 10 min covered and then drink.
Sometimes mixing essential oils with a carrier oil can be helpful for sleep (if you are not getting a bigger headache with scent that is) here is my favorite combination of oils that can be used to rub over the chest or the bottoms of your feet at night.
- 2 drops lavander
- 1 drop sandalwood
- 1 tsp carrier oil
Final thoughts
Patience is needed when trying to heal a headache naturally. Pain mixed in with life is always hard to handle in a natural way. There have been many many times when I have chosen to still use OTC meds to help my migraines so do not feel like you need to just tough it out.
Having proper support during the journey to natural healing helps also.
I know that when my husband is here and takes care of the farm and the kids while I am trying to naturally deal with my migraines is extremely helpful because there is a pressure that is off of me to handle life on top of pain.
But either way, it will require some patience.
Trying to figure out triggers or lifestyle changes or scents or herbs that can help your own body always requires time and I hope this article has given you some insight into small steps you can look into to help you on your journey.
If you need support in this area of your life, reach out here for your free consultation so we can discuss your own headaches and patterns to help you with natural support.
