As an alternative or in addition to painkillers, natural solutions such as acupuncture or essential oils relieve headaches and help to space them out when they recur. We take stock of the best natural remedies for migraines and headaches.
Nearly one in six people worldwide suffer from headaches every day, especially if you spend the whole day on your computer playing TonyBet. A context of fatigue, anxiety, personal or professional stress are often triggering factors for a migraine. In this case, avoid stimulants such as alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, have a balanced diet and regular physical activity. A doctor should be consulted in the following cases:
if the headache does not pass despite taking painkillers; if you take painkillers several times a week.
A homemade massage with mint essential oil to calm a headache or migraine
Peppermint, or mentha piperita or officinale, is known for its tonic and stimulating action, but above all analgesic and anesthetic.
How to use it ?
Applied to the skin, the menthol of this essential oil provides a refreshing and effective analgesic effect on a headache. “A light massage with 2 g of peppermint essential oil diluted in 125 mg of hazelnut oil on the forehead, temples and earlobes every five minutes can calm the symptoms”, explains Dr. Danielle Tallec, herbal doctor and aromatherapist. Peppermint essential oil can also be combined with basil essential oil which has a strong antispasmodic action.
What precautions?
Be careful not to use pure essential oil! It must be diluted in sweet almond or hazelnut oil. It is not recommended before the age of 18, as well as for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Feverfew for its antispasmodic action against tension headaches
Why does it work?
Feverfew, or matricaria discoidea, is the major plant used against headaches, as it has antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties. By its composition in sesquiterpene lactones, this plant would reduce the neurovegetative and cerebral circulatory disorders interfering in tension headache. It even has a clinical study conducted with more than 200 migraine sufferers which showed a reduction of just over half in the number of monthly attacks. However, these results remain to be confirmed.
How to use it ?
“Matricaria powder, at the rate of 2 to 4 capsules at 400 mg per day (max. 6), can relieve a punctual headache”, explains Dr. Tallec. If the headaches are chronic, 2 capsules twice a day for one to two months are recommended. “If hepatobiliary signs are associated, chelidonium majus is recommended. In case of stress, prefer valerian, passionflower and lemon balm,” adds Dr. Tallec. Feverfew is not recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
White willow, a natural aspirin to treat headaches
Its bark contains salicin, a molecule of the same family as aspirin, and its use to relieve headaches is recognized by the European Medicines Agency at daily doses ranging from 750 mg to 1.5 g.
Even if willow is better tolerated than aspirin or anti-inflammatories (which remain more powerful), precautions are in order: it is contraindicated in case of allergy to salicylates, gastric ulcer, before 18 years old and during pregnancy, where only paracetamol is recommended for self-medication.