By Silver Sage
Headaches, something everyone suffers from at one time or another. What to do about them? First you need to determine the cause of the headache. Are they from tension, stress, eye-strain, sleeping in a bad position? Perhaps you're suffering from migraines (another thing entirely, as any migraine suffer knows). Once you've determined the cause, you can go on to relieving the pain!
Herbs like lavender, skullcap, passion flower, even catnip can help relieve stress and tension. Lavender has been a favorite anti-depressant used by herbalists for centuries, it also has anti-spasmodic properties. It's very soothing and calming. Lavender essential oil can be used to rub on your temples, or put a few drops in a tub, light some candles, play some soft music and relax for 30 minutes or so. A tea can be made by pouring 1 cup of boiling water over 1 tsp. of the herb and letting it infuse for 10 minutes. It combines well with valerian.
Skullcap is a nervine tonic, a sedative and an anti-spasmodic. It is one of the most widely used nervines. An interesting note is that skullcap will relax states of nervous tension while renewing and reviving the central nervous system. This herb also combines well with valerian. Make a tea by pouring a cup of boiling water over 1-2 tsps. of the herb and infuse 10-15 minutes.
Lemon Balm makes a very pleasant, lemony tasting tea. This herb is also an anti-depressant and a hypotensive. It gently relieves tension and stress reactions. It combines well with Lavender or Chamomile. A lovely tea can be made by pouring a cup of boiling water over 2-3 tsps. of the herb and steeping for 10-15 minutes, keeping it covered while steeping.
Valerian is perhaps one of the most useful relaxing nervines available in the herbal medicine cabinet. It has sedative, anti-spasmodic and hypotensive qualities. It can be used with safety to reduce tension, anxiety, over-excitability and hysteria. It has also proven to be quite effective as aid in treating insomnia, promoting a healthy, relaxing sleep. Most people find that valerian has quite an offensive odor, which probably explains why most valerian users take the herb in capsule form. Valerian capsules are available at most herb and health food stores.
Migraines are another matter entirely. I attended a seminar on migraines some years ago, to find out just what made a migraine different from any other headache. I've found that many migraine suffers don't have any idea of just what goes on in the brain when they get a migraine.
According the physician who gave the seminar this is what happens. First of all the blood vessels in the brain restrict in size, this restriction lessens the blood flow to different areas of the brain, causing the wide range of symptoms experienced during a migraine, i.e., nausea, vision problems, numbness, speech difficulties. Then suddenly the blood vessels expand and the blood which had been restricted rushes through the vessel, causing the walls to stretch extremely tight. This stretching of the blood vessel walls is what causes the intense pain.
Migraines can be brought on by a variety of different things. For women, many times it's a hormonal imbalance. Stress and anxiety can be a factor, as can different foods. Some of the foods known to trigger migraines are ripened cheeses (cheddar, stilton, brie, etc.), chocolate, vinegar (except white vinegar), red wine, dark beer or ale, excessive tea, coffee or cola, Chinese food (or any food containing large amounts of MSG), cold cuts (bologna, slami, pepperoni, summer sausage and hot dogs), anything pickled or marinated. Other migraine triggers are: estrogens, birth control pills, fasting, bright sun - glare, weather changes, high blood pressure, high altitude, fluorescent lighting, and certain drugs (nitroglycerine, histamines, reserpine, hydralazine).
Many of the drugs that are prescribed by doctors for migraines are vaso-dilators. That is, they encourage the dilation of the blood vessels during the time that they are restricted. If this happens, then the vessels don't expand as suddenly and the pain is much less severe, if at all. Feverfew and skullcap are both vaso-dilators. Feverfew is also an anti-inflammatory and a relaxant.
Many migraine suffers find relief using only skullcap, taken as soon as they know a migraine is coming on. Others find that feverfew and valerian is an effective combination. Ffeverfew for it's vaso-dilatory properties, and valerian to relax and relieve pain. Feverfew can be made into a tea or taken in capsule form. How much to use varies from person to person and depending on the severity of the migraine. A good rule of thumb is 1 cup of boiling water poured over 1 to 1 tsp of the herb. Essential oils of lavender, eucalyptus, melissa (lemon balm) and rosemary have also been beneficial in the treatment of migraines, rubbed into the temples or the scent inhaled. Some migraine sufferers have found relief by making sure they get at least 450mg a day of magnesium.
White willow bark is nature's aspirin, in use by the Native Americans when the pilgrims arrived on the continent, as a pain reliever. A tea of white willow bark will get rid of a headache, much as two aspirin tablets will. But, those who can't take aspirin should avoid willow bark as it contains salicylic acid, just as aspirin does.
Remember though, in order to get rid of the headaches you also need to get rid of the cause. Be nice to yourself, try to avoid stressful situations if possible. Take time out for you each day. Get your eyes checked. Eat right and get plenty of rest. Above all relax, be happy and remember that the greatest power of all is love.
As always, consult your health care professional for all health concerns. The information contained above is for educational purposes only. The authors makes no health claims or guarantees for any of the herbs mentioned in these articles.
Silver Sage is a "sis" of mine as well as an herbalist, if you need help locating herbs or more information about them please feel free to email her.
Starshyne
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Starshyne last updated 9/23/01