Headaches are a common problem that many people face almost every day. There can be many causes ranging from stress to restricted blood flow to serious medical conditions. Fortunately, most headaches are simple tension headaches and there are many herbal remedies that can give you quick relief.
There are herbal herbal remedies for headaches from virtually every medical philosophy including Chinese herbal medicine, Ayurveda medicine (the traditional medicine in India), and traditional herbal and homeopathic medicine.
A common herb used in Chinese medicine is ginger and it is one of the recommended treatments for headaches. You can eat a small piece of fresh ginger or drink a ginger tea. Ginger is now available at many health food stores and even in a lot of normal grocery stores.
There are a couple common treatments that are used in Ayurvedic medicine for headaches. The first uses warm mustard oil on a cloth. You apply this compress to your forehead to relieve pain. Another way to treat headaches is to add boiling water to some coriander seeds. You then inhale this coriander seed steam. Enhaling the steam can be helpful getting rid of sinus headache pain.
Drinking warm tea is another common herbal remedy for headaches. Tea can be made from rose hip, chamomile, or peppermint. Tension headaches can often be relaxed away with a nice cup of tea. You may also try valerian root which can be taken in capsules or as a tea. Be careful when you use valerian root though because it may make you very drowsy.
Let’s close with a couple very enjoyable herbal remedies for headaches taken from the Aromatherapy philosophy of medicine. The first is to use lavender oil. You can rub it into your temples (or have somebody else do it for you) or put a couple drops at the base of your nose. You will often find the relaxing effect of lavender soothes your tension headache. Another aromatic remedy is to take a hot bath using relaxing scents like lavender or chamomile. Both of these remedies are great to add to your daily relaxation ritual even if you don’t have any headache pain.