Oils
Few things intrude on a person’s day like the throbbing, deep-seated pain of a bad headache. Migraine sufferers often have to take to darkened bedrooms until their misery subsides. Happily, a bounty of pain-suppressing herbs and botanicals can help.
Headache pain can be sharp and squeezing, or dull and thudding; it can come and go or provide a steady throb; feel mild or intense or a mixture of both. Even though the brain itself has no fibers to feel pain, the surrounding tissue, arteries, veins, and nerves are easily inflamed. They can be triggered by fatigue, stress, allergies, eyestrain, poor posture, alcohol, drugs, hormones, or blood sugar. They may also be hereditary.
Headaches are classified into primary headaches: tension, migraine, and cluster; secondary headaches, such as sinus headaches, caused by disease, drug abuse, or structural damage to the head or neck; and cranial neuralgia, which includes facial pain.
HEAD BANGERS
Tension headaches are perhaps the most common, although researchers are still not sure what causes them. It may be contractions of the muscles that cover the skull, possibly caused by strenuous labor, sitting at a computer and focusing for any length of time, or high levels of stress or anxiety. They are characterized by mild or moderate pain on both sides of the head. Cluster headaches appear at the same time each day for a week or so, and then go away for months or years. They may be triggered by changes in sleep habits or certain medications, resulting in a sudden flooding of histamines and serotonin in the brain. The pain is described as excruciating and is usually located behind one eye. Inflamed sinuses cause pressure and pain that emanate from your forehead, cheeks, and the bridge of your nose.
Oils
Pain Management: It is possible to relieve headache pain without resorting to over-the-counter medications, although one painkilling remedy, willow bark, contains a compound that is a close cousin to aspirin. Taking magnesium is also very effective; many migraine sufferers have low levels of the mineral. Taking 200 to 600 mg daily can reduce the frequency of attacks. Peppermint or lavender oil applied to the forehead provide a cooling sensation and bring blood flow to the area as well as reduce muscle contractions. If necessary, dilute the essential oils with almond, grapeseed, or coconut oil. Applying a topical preparation of cayenne pepper can relieve headache pain, reduce inflammation, and relax muscles. Capsaicin, a compound found in the pepper, depletes the element that creates pain, called substance P.
Willow bark
MIGRAINE HEADACHES
The intensity and duration of these headaches can lay sufferers low for more than a day. Symptoms may include pain, visual auras, nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and noise.
Herbal Relief: Based on a recent study, inhaling lavender oil for 15 minutes can reduce the intensity of migraines. Out of 129 reported attacks, 92 reponded to the herb. Feverfew supplements are known to prevent the onset of migraines, reduce their frequency, and treat their symptoms. Try a dose of 50 to 100 mg. Butterbur is an herb that reduces the inflammatory effect of chemicals that bring on headaches, especially migraines. A dose of 75 mg twice a day is recommended.
Butterbur