Some Native American remedies for headaches sound more suited to causing than curing one. Some tribes, for example, believed in curing headaches by holding bundles of skunk cabbage against the head. Others used poultices made of crushed pine needles, and an analgesic rub was made from petroleum oil, essentially the same goo you feed your car. Needless to say, Native Americans, like millions of people today, were desperate for relief.
Fortunately, there were better options available, many of which are still in use. Here are the best.
Relieve the pain with heat. About 90 percent of headaches belong to a category called tension headaches. This doesn’t mean they’re caused by stress, although stress may be involved. Tension headaches are caused by tense muscles in the shoulders and neck. The best way to relieve this type of headache is to relax the muscles, and applications of heat do just that.
Native Americans luxuriated in sweat lodges when they needed a dose of warm, moist heat. Today, you can get the same effect by holding a hot water bottle or a hot, moist towel against the tight muscles—or you can run a hot shower or bath and let the water work directly where it hurts.
Put your mind at ease. Research has shown that emotional stress and tension are responsible for a great many headaches, not only tension headaches but migraines as well. If you frequently get headaches, it’s worth doing all you can to dispel some of the stress in your life. “What helps to keep them much in health is the harmony that prevails among them,” wrote one 17th-century observer of the Native Americans.
Take an herbal cure. The Native Americans had a cornucopia of herbal remedies for treating headaches. Some herbs stopped the pain itself, whereas others helped reduce emotional stress and tension. Herbal teas recommended for easing pain include willow, peppermint, goldenrod, violet, rose, lavender, and sage. Vervain tea is a mild sedative and can help relieve headaches caused by stress.
Stop migraines with feverfew. This herb wasn’t commonly used among Native Americans, but it’s received tremendous attention from scientists, who believe it can stop migraines as well as some medications do. According to herbal authority James A. Duke, Ph.D., “Feverfew works for about two-thirds of those who use it consistently.”
The editors of The Harvard Medical School Health Letter report similarly encouraging results. “Some people for whom conventional treatments for migraine have not worked have turned to feverfew with good results,” they write.
You can chew feverfew leaves or use them to make a tea. A more convenient way to take feverfew is to use supplements, available in health food stores.
Don’t take feverfew if you’re pregnant because it can increase the risk of miscarriage.
This home remedy for headache article is taken from :
Healing Secrets of the Native Americans - Porter Shimer
