Herbal Remedies for Headaches
Try these herbal remedies for relief from different types of headaches.
By Michael Castleman
Biofeedback has been shown to help control both tension headaches and migraines. It reduces the muscle tension that causes tension headaches and the blood vessel contractions and dilations that trigger migraines. Migraines may be triggered by food intolerances. An elimination diet may help.
Herb | Form | Best For | Dose | How It Works |
Willow bark (Salix spp.) | Powdered bark | Tension headaches | 2 teaspoons powdered bark per cup of water; simmer at a low boil for 10 minutes. Drink up to 3 cups daily. | Willow bark is herbal aspirin. |
Peppermint (Mentha ×piperita) | Essential oil | Tension headaches | a few drops of essential oil | Massaged into the temples, relieves the muscle tension that causes tension headaches. |
Feverfew (Tenacetum parthenium) | Freeze-dried leaf | Migraine headaches | 82 mg per day as needed | Minimizes blood vessel constriction and dilation that causes migraines, and reduces the production of the compounds involved in pain (prostaglandins). |
San Francisco health writer Michael Castleman is the author of 11 consumer health books.
Click here for the main article, Ask the Doctor: Herbs for Headaches.