Headache

Headache

Everyone gets a headache now and then, but an estimated 15 percent of the population--some 40 million Americans--have at least one a week. There's a lot of pain out there.

An estimated 90 percent of headaches are tension headaches, which begin in the back of the neck or head and spread outward with a dull, nonthrobbing pain.

The other 10 percent, including migraines, cluster headaches and caffeine-withdrawal headaches, are caused by the opening and closing (dilation and constriction) of blood vessels in the head that set off pain nerves. Classic migraine is a severe and throbbing headache, usually on one side of the head and often preceded by visual disturbances. Nausea and vomiting often accompany the migraine.

Migraine headaches inflict misery on 25 million Americans. For unknown reasons, about three times as many women as men experience this painful condition. Women often develop migraines just prior to menstrual periods or during pregnancy, and the migraines disappear after menopause in about three-quarters of women.

Green Pharmacy for Headache

No single natural therapy--or pharmaceutical, for that matter--works for every type of headache. There are, however, several herbs that can help relieve the different types.

Bay (Laurus nobilis). Bay contains compounds known as parthenolides that are extremely useful in preventing migraine. Although the mechanism of these headaches is not thoroughly understood, it appears that release of the neurotransmitter serotonin from blood cells known as platelets plays a causative role. Parthenolides inhibit serotonin release from platelets.

If I had frequent migraines, I might add bay leaves to feverfew, my top-choice herb for treating this condition.

Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium). It's been more than ten years now since feverfew helped my sister-in-law beat her migraines. This herb also helped my secretary's sister. I consider feverfew one of the most interesting herbs in modern herbalism.

In my own experience, and this is reflected in the medical literature, feverfew works for about two-thirds of those who use it consistently. My sister-in-law's experience is typical. Before she tried feverfew, she averaged about one migraine a week and spent about $200 a year trying to counteract the pain.

If we assume that the estimated 25 million Americans who suffer from migraines on a regular basis spend in the same way that my sister-in-law did, that would be an incredible $5 billion a year for migraine medication. I don't think the purveyors of modern pharmaceuticals would be pleased to see feverfew replace the many profitable drugs that are now prescribed for treating migraine. That's partly why I'm so interested in promoting this herbal alternative.

I'm not the only one. Studies published in the British Medical Journal agree that taking feverfew regularly prevents migraine attacks. And according to the Harvard Medical School Health Letter, "Eating feverfew leaves has become a popular method for preventing migraine attacks in England. Some people for whom conventional treatments for migraine have not worked have turned to feverfew with good results." It's nice to know that I'm in such good company on this one.

People who use feverfew often use fresh leaves, typically ingesting one to four leaves a day to prevent migraines. If you have access to the fresh herb, you might try this approach, but don't expect the leaves to taste good. And some 10 to 18 percent of the people who use fresh feverfew develop mouth sores and/or inflammation of the mouth and tongue.

The good news is that you don't have to eat the leaves to get the full benefits of this herb. You may be able to avoid the side effects by making a tea with about two to eight fresh leaves. Steep them in boiling water, but do not boil them, as boiling may break down the parthenolides.

You can also take this herb in capsules, which is really the easiest way to do it. Depending on the potency of the herb, doses may vary from one capsule a day (60 milligrams) to six capsules a day (about 380 milligrams) of fresh, powdered leaf or two daily 25-milligram capsules of freeze-dried leaf. Feverfew capsules are sold at many herb shops and health food stores. By all means discuss the herb with your doctor if you have a hard time arriving at an appropriate dose.

One caveat: Pregnant women should not take feverfew because of a remote possibility that it might trigger miscarriage. And women who are nursing should not use it because of the possibility of passing the herb to infants in breast milk. Finally, long-term users often report a mild tranquilizing or sedative effect, which may be welcome or unwelcome, depending on your temperament.

Feverfew Feverfew, which is kin to dandelion and marigold, is most famous for preventing and even curing migraines and other headaches.

Willow (Salix, various species). Commission E, the group of experts that advises the German government about herbs, endorses willow bark as an effective pain reliever for headache and anything else treated by willow's pharmaceutical derivative, aspirin.

When herbalists talk about willow bark as herbal aspirin, they usually mention white willow (S. alba). But this species is rather low in salicin, the aspirin-like chemical in the bark that relieves pain. If you want more headache relief per cup of tea, there are other willow species that are more potent: S. daphnoides, S. fragilis and S. purpurea.

Commission E recommends getting 60 to 120 milligrams of salicin to treat a headache, which works out to 1 teaspoon of the high-salicin barks or 1 to 11Ž2 teaspoons of white willow. More than 86 percent of the salicin in willow is absorbed by the digestive tract, providing a good blood level of the chemical for several hours.

If you're allergic to aspirin, you probably shouldn't take aspirin-like herbs, either. And you should be aware that if aspirin upsets your stomach, willow bark may do the same. Then again, it might not. Leon Chaitow, a British naturopath and osteopath, says, "Unlike aspirin, which is an isolated, concentrated chemical, willow bark acts gently and without aspirin's potential for irritating the stomach." Also, do not give either aspirin or its natural herbal alternatives to children who have headaches with viral infections such as colds or flu, as there's a chance that they might develop Reye's syndrome, a potentially fatal condition that damages the liver and brain.

Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis). This is one of the best sources of the pain-relieving compound phenylalanine. For those with chronic headaches, nutritionists may recommend a daily dose of six to eight capsules of evening primrose oil.

Sunflower seeds are also well-endowed with phenylalanine, with 4.8 percent on a dry-weight basis. Other good sources of phenylalanine, in descending order of potency, include watercress, bean sprouts, soybeans, pigeonpeas, swamp cabbage, lupines, pigweed greens, peanuts, lentils, yard-long beans, spinach, carob and butternut squash.

Garlic (Allium sativum) and onion (A. cepa). The platelet cells that are involved in blood clotting are also involved in triggering migraines. Of course, you don't want to knock out your platelets entirely, because then you'd bleed to death from minor cuts. Making the platelets a little less active, however, apparently helps prevent migraines. Naturopaths suggest eating lots of garlic and onions, because these blood-thinning herbs interfere somewhat with platelet activity. (That's also why they're recommended for preventing heart attack.)

Ginger (Zingiber officinale). People in Asian cultures often use ginger to prevent migraines. I don't know of any good studies on this, but I am aware of an intriguing anecdote: One 42-year-old woman who had regular migraines stopped taking all other migraine medicines and instead took 500 to 600 milligrams of dry ginger mixed in water at the onset of the visual disturbances associated with migraine. She'd then take the same dose every four hours for four days. Starting within about 30 minutes, her migraine episode was much less painful and disconcerting. Later she switched from dried ginger to fresh ginger. Migraines rarely recurred, and when they did, they were less frequent.

Since ginger is good for you in so many different ways, it seems like this approach is certainly worth a try. If you opt for ginger powder, try 500 milligrams of dry ginger in capsules. If you prefer fresh ginger, the equivalent amount is five grams (about 21Ž2 teaspoons) of fresh, grated root.

For greater effect, you might also want to combine ginger with another herb. Naturopaths sometimes suggest taking turmeric, which is an anti-inflammatory and shares many of ginger's medicinal activities. If I had a migraine, I think I'd try a couple of teaspoons of each in a glass of lemonade, as needed.

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba). A medical study found that headaches often clear up with increased cerebral blood flow. That's what ginkgo does--improve blood flow through the brain. If I had frequent headaches, I'd probably try this herb. I'd suggest taking 30 drops of a standardized extract containing at least 0.5 percent flavonoid glycosides three times a day for a day or two. You could also take capsules; follow the package directions. You can try 60 to 240 milligrams a day, but don't go any higher than that. In large amounts, ginkgo may cause diarrhea, irritability and restlessness.

Red pepper (Capsicum, various species). The hot ingredient in red pepper, capsaicin, is also a marvelous pain reliever. Eight studies I'm aware of show that external applications of capsaicin interfere with substance P, a chemical that scientists believe plays a key role in transmitting pain impulses.

Taken internally, red pepper looks good for treating headache. It is reportedly the richest food source of aspirin-like salicylates.

Capsaicin has been shown in studies to help prevent cluster headaches, which are painfully similar to migraines. In one small study of 12 people with this type of headache, 6 (50 percent) who inhaled one gram of capsaicin up their noses three times a day for several days got complete relief, 4 reported partial relief, and only 2 experienced no relief. Several other studies show similar results.

If I had either a migraine or a cluster headache, I'd try cayenne for relief. But you shouldn't inhale it; you can simply take capsules.

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis). This herb, also known as melissa, can be helpful in treating migraine, according to Norman G. Bisset, Ph.D., professor of pharmacy at King's College at the University of London and author of Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals. Commission E endorses this herb for this use.

The recommended dose is a tea made with one to two teaspoons of dried herb per cup of boiling water and steeped until cool. If I had a headache, I'd spike my lemon balm tea with feverfew, ginger and turmeric.

Peppermint (Mentha piperita). When mixed with a little alcohol and rubbed on the temples, peppermint oil helps alleviate headache pain. I'd mix my peppermint oil with lavender and add eucalyptus and rosemary if they were available. I believe that all of these healing oils can work together harmoniously. But remember, these oils are for external use only.

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) and other foods containing magnesium. Nutritionists suggest getting 600 milligrams of magnesium a day if you're prone to headaches. (The Daily Value is 400 milligrams.) I am particularly interested in magnesium's relationship to headache, because magnesium deficiency has been found in people who have frequent tension headaches or
migraines.

Also, according to a Gallup survey, an estimated 72 percent of Americans report having a magnesium intake that would result in deficiency. Could there be a connection between the prevalence of low magnesium and headache? Perhaps. It certainly shouldn't hurt to get more of this vital mineral in your diet.

Besides leafy greens like purslane, legumes and whole grains are good food sources of magnesium. In my database, purslane is the clear leader in this nutrient with nearly 2 percent magnesium on a dry-weight basis, but green beans, poppy seeds, oats, cowpeas and spinach are close behind.

Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare). Like feverfew, tansy contains parthenolides, which may help prevent migraines. (Pregnant women should not use tansy, though, as it has the potential to cause miscarriage.)

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris). Medical anthropologist John Heinerman, Ph.D., author of Heinerman's Encyclopedia of Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs, suggests drinking thyme tea. Try one teaspoon of dried herb per cup of hot water. He also suggests using it in compresses to ease the aching muscles in the neck, shoulders and back that can contribute to tension headaches.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa). As I've mentioned, you might want to try this anti-inflammatory, particularly in combination with another herb, like ginger.

Assorted herbs. There are almost too many foods that are used as folk remedies for headache, and many have been shown to definitely contain pain-relieving compounds. One of my own favorite pain-relieving teas is a mixture of cinnamon, lemongrass, peppermint and rosemary.

Other herbs that are possibly worth a try include basil, black pepper, caraway, coriander, ginseng, lavender, pennyroyal, plantain, poppy seeds, rosemary, rue, tea and yarrow.