Headaches are debilitating at times, whether it’s a migraine or a persistent pain that lasts all day, no one likes to suffer from the throbbing or discomfort. Understanding how headaches work and where the pain radiates from is a good place to start in addressing how to get rid of them and there are several herbs, home remedies and oils you can utilize to free yourself from the pain.

The Anatomy of a Headache

Did you know that brain tissue itself is not sensitive to pain because even though it is made out of nerve cells it lacks pain receptors? Maybe you’ve thought, “I just have a little headache and it will go away soon” but halfway through your day it feels like a vise squeezing your head. This sensation is a disturbance of pain sensitive nerves or sensory neurons in areas around the brain and we’ve all experienced it. There are several areas around the head and neck that have these trigger points which include but are not limited to the cranium, muscles, nerves, arteries, veins, eyes, ears, sinuses, and mucous membranes.

Herbal Remedies for Headaches

So what does this all mean and where can we find relief? We’ve got a few tips! In Hanna’s book “Ageless Remedies from Mother’s Kitchen” there are home remedies for a variety of headache pains.

For headaches radiating from one particular spot, drink one cup of black tea. The small amount of caffeine in the tea will constrict your capillaries and bring relief.

For headaches on the right side of the head peel and eat an orange, eat half and wait a half hour then eat the other half.

Remedies for headaches are easier to find than you think!

Wet a cloth with equal parts vinegar and water and place over forehead. (This remedy is also useful for feverish conditions).

Add a ¼ teaspoon of allspice to juice and drink twice daily for headaches on one side of the head.

Lavender is useful for headaches. We have dried lavender available to be made into a tea to drink for headaches as well as dipping a cloth into the tea and applying to your head to relieve local pain. Using lavender essential oils can soothe tension when rubbed onto your temples. (Read our blog about essential oils to learn more about essential oils and how they can bring healing and relief to other areas of your body and life.

Homeopathic Headache Remedies

• My-Grastick^TM is a roll-on stick that applies peppermint and lavender essential oil to soothe and cool the temples and forehead.
• Hyland’s^TM Cell Salt # 9 is a homeopathic remedy designed for headache relief.
  

  Nux Vomica is a homeopathic remedy that is helpful for headaches.

• For headaches with a cold, Belladonna
• For headaches from constipation, Bryonia Alba
• For headaches from menopause, Lachesis
• For headaches from overeating, Nux Vomica
• Headaches caused by muscle fatigue, Rhus Tox

While there is a time and situation for modern medicine, overdoing it with any over or behind-the-counter medication can cause trouble in the body. For example, if you’re using acetaminophen in large doses long-term to reduce headache pain, you could be causing damage to your liver. To learn more about how this could happen, see a recent article here.

For additional information on headaches, visit our Learn Link for different types of headaches and their probable causes.

Headaches are unfortunately a fact of life but with these remedies and homeopathic products, we hope you’ll be able to get over them faster! What remedies do you use?