If you are sick and tired of relying on otc medications for migraine headaches, you might want to consider treatment for migraines from a natural herbal source. After all, it wasn't until the advent of modern medicine that pills and capsules became the mainstays of treatment for migraine headaches meaning that the bounty of benefits to be reaped from shrubs and berries were the keys to medicine for hundreds of years. Considering that many of the medicines we take today derive their ingredients from nature, it's easy to see how migraine treatment natural options could be highly beneficial. It's also important to consider the long term effects of taking medicines for migraine. Ibuprofen based treatment for migraine headaches, for example, can lead to long term kidney damage. In addition, using combination products like Excedrin Migraine, while helpful to alleviate pain, over time can cause permanent kidney damage. If you have been diligent about finding reasons for migraine headaches that you can change such as dietary and lifestyle considerations, it might be time to think about either supplementing your otc medications with herbal remedies. When looking for an all natural treatment for migraine headaches, consider this list of the 10 best herbs for migraine headaches in adults:
1. Butterbur: This herb has been suggested to reduce the length of migraines, and possibly reduce their frequency.
2. Peppermint: One of the most ancient herbal treatment for migraine headaches, peppermint essential oil can be used via steam, massage, and bath healing methods to help alleviate the symptoms.
3. Feverfew: This medicinal herbal wonder has been proven in clinical trials to relieve discomfort and pain associated with migraine headaches in adults.
4. Ginger: There is insufficient evidence to link benefits of ginger to migraines, however users have reported success in treating the pain associated with these cranial crushers.
5. Willow Bark: A centuries old pain reliever and fever reducer.
6. Periwinkle: Can help stabilize blood vessels and thereby aid in migraine prevention.
7. Clove Oil: Containing between 60% and 90% Eugenol, clove oil is a genuinely multipurpose essential oil considering its anesthetic, antifungal and antiseptic properties. It has been touted as a herbal remedy for everything from depression to toe fungus, and it is thought that a single drop can quickly relieve headaches when dabbed on the roof of the mouth.
8. Di Huang: A Chinese herbal treatment thought to reduce the pain and length of migraines, although there is no conclusive evidence that this is the case. Further, many Chinese remedies rely on combinations with other herbs.
9. Hot Peppers: Because of capsaicin's reported effects on the trigemenal nerve branches, sensors thought to be key in migraine attacks, it is thought that this herbal compound might be an effective migraine treatment; and the clinical studies are starting to back up this claim. Further, the inhibition of Substance P, a neuropeptide whose swelling can result in headaches, migraines and sinus headaches, could possibly be both relieved and prevented by this powerful substance.
10. Shan Yao: The use of Shan Yao for migraines relies on the theory that poor kidney function can trigger attacks. Since the source of attacks is often hard to pinpoint, there is no evidence that Shan Yao is effective for migraines.
Remember to discuss any herbs that you are considering with your health care provider. He or she will want to discuss potential side effects, drug interactions and concerns regarding your current conditions with you in relation to your supplement choices for treatment for migraine headaches.
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