Want to find a safer way to relieve your headaches than just taking medications? We all get headaches, some more than others. But what is even more frustrating is that we are damaging our bodies when we are constantly taking over-the-counter medicine to relieve this pain. Modern medicine comes with all kinds of side-effects which usually are not worth the risk of taking on a regular basis. I have learned some different herbal remedies for headaches that I would like to share to help others who also constantly suffer from headaches and migraines.
Headaches are a common ailment among adults and children. If you are anything like me, you want to try and take as little medication as possible, even with simple headaches. Learn how to not take medication but still not having to suffer through the pain of headaches at the same time by reading this post about herbal remedies for headaches that give you relief!
This post is all about herbal remedies for headaches.
Diet
Before we get into the herbal remedies, the first thing you should look into is your diet. I know it is not an easy task to modify foods we eat, but sometimes we need to look at how we are feeding our bodies in order to understand why our bodies are reacting the way they are.
Sugar
Sugar is in almost everything these days, and it’s not the healthier raw cane sugar that is being used. It is processed beyond belief and causes SO many sicknesses and diseases. Be cautious of consuming food that has a ton of sugar in it.
Companies often try to disguise the term sugar in their ingredient list. Instead, they will come up with alternative terms such as dextrose, fructose, galactose, lactose, maltose, sucrose, evaporated cane juice, corn sweetener, rice syrup, fruit juice concentrate, golden syrup, ethyl maltol, diastatic malt, and Florida crystals.
Highly processed sugar has a negative effect on our bodies and brains which can very easily-seen be causing headaches/migraines in consumers.
Dairy
The safety of consuming raw milk is controversial. We are led to believe that consuming raw milk is harmful to our bodies and can cause us to become extremely sick.
History
This belief dates back to the turn of the 19th century where the top two drink products were milk and spirits. Since the demand for these two drinks was extremely high, distilleries started popping up everywhere.
When making spirits, there are two by-products made: barley mash and other spent grains. Companies thought they had come up with a perfect solution to making wasted by-products: feeding it to the large supply of dairy cows.
Cows were moved to be closer to the distilleries which led to the cows having a very poor environment. They were crammed closer together, stuck in a muddy mess caused by their own fecal matter, and fed little nutritional value.
All of these changes led to unhealthy sick cows. Their milk was obviously effected as well. This new feed and extremely poor living conditions would turn the milk a blueish color which was called “swill milk.” It was unusable to create even the simplest foods such as butter.
In order to even drink this milk, it had to be mixed with eggs and a starch to make it thicker, adding in plaster of paris to make the milk white again, and sweetened with molasses…all just to make it drinkable.
Add in the additional problem: dirty hands were milking these cows.
The idea of sanitation hadn’t yet become an importance. During this time of US history, immigrants were flocking over and needing jobs. With them, they often brought many different diseases. These people still needed jobs, so many of them were hired to milk the cows.
So we have sick cows in terrible living arrangements being handled and milked by people who are themselves ill. No wonder why the milk made people sick!
The common person was not aware of this change in living conditions and feed for the cows. They just knew their milk tasted funny.
A man named Louis Pasteur came up with the pasteurization process which heats milk to just below boiling. While this does solve the problem of killing germs and sicknesses, it also kills all the vitamins and minerals that raw milk offers.
The taste is also altered.
By changing the dynamics of milk, we have changed the liquid that God has given us and instead, we consume an altered form of it without any regards to how it can effect our bodies.
It’s no wonder that the consumption of this pasteurized milk leads people to be lactose intolerant!
We were not meant to consume this form of milk. It is not pure.
Why Should This Matter To You?
One of the causes of consuming pasteurized milk and milk products is…headaches!!
If you are suffering from headaches, try easing back from milk products. Or even better, try switching to raw milk and raw milk products!
The important thing to remember when consuming raw milk is to make sure the cows are living in a safe and healthy environment. When cows are grazing on good green grass and have space to roam in the sun, you know they will provide good quality milk that is perfectly safe to consume.
Pasteurized milk is hard for our bodies to digest and can cause lots of problems such as headaches. Consuming raw milk is much easier on our bodies. Many people who are lactose intolerant can very easily tolerate raw milk.
Essential Oils
Peppermint Oil
Peppermint essential oil is a common and very effective essential oil to relieve headaches. Dilute this oil with a carrier oil before application. Apply it to your temples, back of the neck, and on your forehead.
Basil Leaves
Another herbal remedy for headaches is to consume basil leaves!
There are a couple ways you can do this. The easiest one is to just chew some of the leaves. It will also enhance your breath if you consume it this way.
Alternatively, you can boil some leaves in water to make a tea. Or, you could breath in the steam that comes from boiling the leaves to get some relief from your headaches or migraines.
Chamomile
Chamomile tea is a wonderful way to put yourself to bed at night. But did you know it is also one of the great herbal remedies for headaches!
Steep 2 teaspoons of dried chamomile flowers in one cup of water. Simmer for 5 minutes. You can always add honey to sweeten the taste if desired.
Butterbur and Feverfew
These two herbs are common home remedies for migraines, not headaches.
It is important to know the difference so you can make sure you are choosing which herbs to use for the type of pain you are experiencing.
Migraines occur when there is sensitivity to light and sound. A nauseous feeling of usually accompanies migraines as well. Butterbur will relieve your migraines as well as prevent them from returning! The relief feverfew gives is from nauseousness, sensitivity, and pain.
Lemon Balm
Lemon Balm is a super easy to grow herb. The plant can quickly spread and overtake parts of your garden, so it’s best to grow in a container.
Lemon balm is one of the great herbal remedies for headaches when you convert it to a tincture while adding some feverfew in there as well!
All you need to do is mix 3 parts lemon balm with 2 parts feverfew in a quart jar. Pour 100 proof alcohol over the herbs until they are submerged by an inch or two. Store it in a non-sunny place and shake the jar every day (this is a good job for kids to do.)
After 4-6 weeks, strain off the herbs from the mixture. Cheesecloths are a great way to catch all of the small pieces of herbs that break off.
Place your new tincture into a dark colored bottle in a cool dark place. Now you have a quick and safe home remedy that will be available to you once any headaches kick in.
I like this tincture because it is just as easy to reach for as the over the counter medicine but its way safer for your body and health.
If you aren’t sure what kind of bottle to put this tincture in once it is made, here is an example of bottles that would be ideal for this.
Willow Bark
Willow Bark is one of the most effective herbal remedies for headaches because it is commonly used to replace aspirin. It helps to relieve the pain from headaches, cramps, sore muscles, and arthritis, just to name a few.
To consume, you will want to make a tea. Keep in mind when purchasing willow bark that it is not an herb like most herbal remedies…this is tree bark.
So when you order it, it may look more like a mulch rather than ground up leaves. But don’t let this deter you.
Just mix 2 teaspoons of ground willow bark and 1 cup of water. Let the mixture simmer on your stove for 10 minutes. Turn heat off and let it steep for another 30 minutes. Drain off the willow bark by using a fine mesh strainer or a cheese cloth, and enjoy your delicious and healing tea!
Below is a link to purchase willow bark from a supplier that I purchase most of my dried herbs from. This store sells dried herbs that were grown organically which is so important to your health! Don’t consume the unneeded chemicals when possible.
Specific Types of Headaches with Herbal Remedies to Help
Sinus/Jaw Headaches
Ginger is a great herbal remedy to help headaches from sinuses or pain in the jaw. You can consume this in either a capsule form or make it into a tea.
Tension Headaches
To find relief from tension headaches, use skullcap. You can consume this in either a tea (2-3 cups daily), capsule, or a tincture form (1/4 teaspoon tincture diluted in 1/2 cup warm water).
Stress and Anxiety Headaches
If your headache or migraine stems from stress and anxiety, try catnip flowers! Steep some dried catnip flowers in very hot (not boiling) water. It tastes a little woody so adding in some honey or lemon would help.
Conclusion
There are so many safe alternatives out there when it comes to relieving pain from headaches. I encourage you to find which of these resources you have the easiest access to and try them out. Herbs work differently for different people, so if one herbal remedy doesn’t work for you, try a different one. Once you are able to find one that gives you relief, you will know which one to return to time and time again.
This article is all about herbal remedies for headaches.
Have you heard of arnica oil? It is an AMAZING oil derived from arnica flowers. Read this blog to learn how this oil can help you recover quicker from many skin ailments.
