11 Natural Herbs and Plants for Headache Treatment

We can say with unequivocal certainty that headaches are the biggest, most common, form of pointless pain most people will have to experience. Whether you didn’t get to sleep enough or you are just feeling sick, relief is always somehow hard to find. If you are like us then you realize how bad it is to spike your body with harmful chemical ‘medicines’ in order to get the headache to go away. The best case treatment would be something all natural that you could pick up and keep around. For that reason alone we investigated the top 11 natural herbs and plants for headache and migraine relief! Keep the following herbs and plants on hand any time you need to fight off those powerful migraine headaches.

White Willow Bark

If you want to find a way to get your migraine treatment out of the way so you can enjoy your day then look no further than a bottle of white willow bark. White willow bark, when taken in high doses, can treat you to nearly instant pain relief. White willow bark is a masker of pain more than an antidote to the underlying headache but in an instant it can help you. Look for this supplement in the form of a tea or a pill from your local pharmacy and make sure to take the dosage most in line with your height and weight proportions. As white willow bark simply hides the pain you are best served adding another herb that goes toward fixing the root cause. Either way, the pain relief it brings is real and it definitely deserves a spot on your pharmacy’s shelf.

Chamomile

If you are a tea lover then you probably are already somewhat familiar with the relaxing nature of Chamomile tea. Growing up with a family who drank tea we were always pushed a cup of the warm brew into our hands when experiencing a particularly stressful day or powerful headache. Chamomile works wonders on your body as it helps you to alleviate stress and anxiety while simultaneously calming your nerves. As many headaches are byproducts of the aforementioned things, Chamomile is a quick fixer of problems. Chemically, Chamomile also works as an anti inflammatory on your body, alleviating certain headaches right at their root. Chamomile is appropriate for people of all ages so you don’t have to have any concern if you want to give your child a cup in order to feel better.

Ginkgo Biloba

The next remedy on our list comes from a tree called the Ginkgo Biloba. This plant based remedy isn’t for everyone and should be used more commonly in senior citizens. When used on younger people who are suffering from migraines or headaches the problem can actually be worsened. But in older citizens the Ginkgo Biloba acts as a pain relieving assistant for those suffering from debilitating headaches. You can take the Ginkgo Biloba in the form of a pill or you can steep it in your tea to drink. The nuts that come from the Ginkgo Biloba are also effective in their pain relief and these are edible if you wish to add them to a soup or porridge. The Biloba tree is effective but you have to know at which age to apply it as a pain reliever.

Feverfew

One of the most famous remedies for migraines and headache, the Feverfew clocks in at #8 on our list — mostly because you probably already know about it. Feverfew contributes directly to a sense of calm which will leave you less stressed out than before. Feverfew can be eaten raw, as the leaves are actually tasty, or steeped inside of your tea. Feverfew not only is a herbal reliever but it is also a headache preventative. Have a little bit of this wonder herb every day and you’ll start noticing a steep reduction in the prevalence of your own headaches and migraines. Best of all: Feverfew can be had all organic and it is a completely natural pain reliever. No more sucking down heavily fortified pharmaceuticals that put your organs at risk. Nope, instead you can have a nice cup of tea or a bit of the herb inside of your salad. You do need to take it consistently for about a month until you see benefits.

Peppermint

Peppermint has a place inside of the home of every all natural DIYer. Peppermint has had loads of applications within the realm of beauty products but now people are starting to use it to help fight that nauseous feeling you get when a headache starts really kicking it. If you also struggle with sinus headaches, from colds and flu’s in particular, then you’ll want to use this remedy. You can mix peppermint inside of your tea or apply peppermint oil directly to both of your temples. If neither of these sound particularly appealing you can also put a few drops of the peppermint in some hot water and just inhale the steam. Any of the aforementioned ways will work well.

Black Cohosh

Before we really started to understand medicine in the Western World there were North American Native Americans using the Black Cohosh plant as a restorative and headache reliever. Black Cohosh is particularly effective in women due to the effects it has on estrogen but it also provides relief for headaches associated with depression. Specifically, the Black Cohosh plant can be used to fight ‘black could depression’. Again, you can steep it in tea or take it via pill format.

Lavender

Some people love the smell of lavender and other people loathe it. I fall in the ladder category but even I can’t argue against its effectiveness as an herbal remedy for headaches and migraines. The smell of lavender has been proven to have a positive effect on relieving anxiety and pushing a sense of calmness over you. When you have headaches related to stress or anxiety you can take lavender oil and rub it directly on your temples and forehead, thus alleviating the headache. If you want to add in a little bit of mental trickery then consider putting a lavender air freshener in your home or your car to get the benefits whenever you are around. Though less effective, the smell of lavender alone has been shown to alleviate headache symptoms.

Ginger

Ginger is a go-to herb in many dishes but now you might want to start reaching for it when you are having a migraine. We can trace the history of ginger as a headache reliever all the way back to Denmark nearly 600 years ago. It was then that we can see its first usage as a migraine reliever. The first woman to look to the herb for relief ate ginger fresh and raw and reported almost instant relief. Now you don’t have to eat it raw and many people use powdered ginger in meals to help get the effect in a tasteful way. Ginger is particularly effective for those headaches that seem to pound in your forehead while also reducing headache related nausea.

Thyme And Fenugreek

As long as we are hanging around the herb and spice rack we might as well throw thyme into consideration. When thyme is used in conjunction with fenugreek, another herb, you can steep them into a tea that is excellent at addressing those pulsing headaches that lead to nausea and a plea to the world for the pain to just stop. Now, be careful using thyme oil as you don’t want to use it alone. Thyme oil needs to be cut with another herb, like fenugreek, and steeped in cold water for at least 8 hours. When you decide to drink it you can go ahead and down it cold or warm it up a little bit. For slight headaches or almost daily migraines this is your best mixture.

Passionflower

Passionflower is the next herb that makes our list due to its usefulness in fighting both stress and headaches. Passionflower has always been used to combat anxiety and as an aid for those people who struggle with insomnia. As we found out it also works fantastically as a form of headache relief for those caused by stress and anger. If you are prone to feeling those emotions turn into headaches then keep some passionflower in your house and use it as an herbal tea to immediately begin fighting the pain.

Valerian

Valerian Root sounds like something out of Lord of the Rings but it really is just another herb that should be kept on hand as often as possible. Valerian is used most commonly for people who struggle with sleep but it is also a grade A pain reliever. Valerian leads the a healing of the nervous system and an immediate stress reliever. Use valerian in a tincture or tea in order to combat any headaches, especially when you want to avoid the side effects that Tylenol gives.