Headache & Migraines

What are they any ways?  Quite possibly many feel that it could be the change in the weather.  Others feel that it could be spirits trying to get you off your game or the yin and yang within a person may be off balance. Some various reasons can be either mild tension to searing intense pain.  Stress can cause the muscles to tense up within the muscles of the face, neck and head.  This could reduce the blood supply, which then can produce pain.  What ever is the cause at least throughout history there was thing to help them out. 

For whatever they are to a person, here is some good information from ancient healers that may help.  I found much of the information in the book Ancient Healing Secrets, practical cures from Egypt, China, India, South America, Russia, Scandinavia and more by Dian Dincin Buchman, PH.D.  There is so much goo information in here I can’t help but share a little.

Book written by Dian Dincin Buchman, PH.D.

The use of water had been used back in the days of the great Persian Empire.  When weary travelers made their way through the empire the post houses offered hot, wet compresses for their headaches.  When the wet heat is applied to the head it would relax the painful scalp muscles and speed the circulations in the constricted areas.  

A simple foot bath can help those with headaches as well, as found by European villagers. They divert congestion from the head by drawing the blood to the feet. 

·       Run hot water into a dishwater tub.  Use the essence of pine, four tablespoons of strong thyme tea, two tablespoons of powdered mustard seed.  Set your feet in there for about 10 minutes.  The fatigue and tension that can cause a headache to ease.

Rosemary

In Hungry, the use of a jam made from rosemary and sugar was said to do the trick for headache.

·       Combine fresh tops of rosemary with the times their weight of sugar.  Use a teaspoon at a time in rosemary, cloves or woodruff tea.

Early Greek physicians used to use two types of mint for headaches.  

·     The ancient Greeks would drink peppermint tea each morning and evening.

·     Bind the wet tea leaves in a cloth and lay it across a person forehead while you have a headache to ease the pain.

During the Renaissance times, Italians would stuff fresh mint leaves into their nose to help cure headaches.

In the Appalachian area of the United States it was recommended that catnip as being a highly effective remedy for headaches and insomnia.

Basil

·     For adults, combine 3 to 4 tablespoons of catnip with a cup of boiling water.  Steep, strain and drink for relief.

Basil leave would be used throughout, Egypt, Europe and the eastern areas of the continent.  They were used as a nerve tonic and stimulant.  If basil was not available then the herb marjoram was used.

·     Headaches that are caused by nausea or vomiting need to have crumbled fresh basil or 2 tablespoons of dried herb into a cup of boiled water.  Steep, strain and drink when it is needed to help with this type of headache.

·       You could make the tea then add with it 2 tablespoons of witch hazel extract for a warm compress to a persons forehead and temple area to help relieve those areas from the tension.

In Hawaii, the island people would use Awapuhi kuahiwi or gingerroot.  The ancient healer would put gingerroot juice or pounded root and coarse salt to the head.

·       Cut a piece of gingerroot and squeeze out some juice.  Apply to part of the head that hurts.

Ancient Siberian remedy would use onions to help relieve headaches within 2 hours.

·     Pound one onion and mix it with 2 pinches of course salt and one teaspoon of olive oil.  Put the onion paste on a cloth and put it over the area that hurts.  The paste is said to pull out the pain from the affected area.

A Danish remedy used sage and eggs for their traditional headache remedy.

·     Cook a handful of sage leaves in water until they are mushed up.  Then mix that with the egg and put the paste mixture on the area that hurts.

I have only touched on the use of water & herb or plants to help with headaches.  There is so many more hand methods uses to help with tension headaches and migraine issues such as acupuncture, Chinese pressure points, ancient Indian Ayurvedic doctors recommendations or in some cases headaches could be caused by attachments of some sort.  Because of this I will have to extend this topic for another day.  


References:
Buchman, Dian Dincin. Ancient Healing Secrets: Practical Cures from Egypt, China, India, South America, Russia, Scandinavia, and More. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal, 2005. 92-97. Print.

As always, I am not a doctor.  Please talk to your doctor if you would like to try something different for tensions headache or migraine relief.  Some medications can be effected by the use of the products that were mentioned in this article.  If you are unsure of anything please do not use anything orally or externally without the proper medical consultation.  These are just ancient remedies that were used in the past and have been found to help some people.