5 Best Natural Remedies for Headaches
Headaches can come and go, but they can also become constant aspects of everyday life. Either way, seeking natural remedies when you feel a headache coming on is a natural reaction to the disappointing benefits and significant side effects of conventional treatment options.
What are the best natural remedies you can use for headaches? Before you reach for supplements, are there any lifestyle changes you can make that might relieve your head pain? Find the answers to these and other commonly asked questions in this guide.
What causes headaches?
The brain itself doesn’t have any pain receptors, so even if a headache feels like it’s originating somewhere deep inside your skull, it’s likely caused by tension in the muscles in your scalp instead. Some types of headaches are also caused by the blood vessels that flow through your brain, and many headaches have neurochemical origins even if the brain can’t directly feel pain.
Good practices for avoiding headaches
If you’re experiencing a sudden tendency to get headaches, you might want to consider some lifestyle changes before deciding on supplements. In many cases, changing how you do things throughout your day can help just as much as — or more than — even the most useful natural substances.
Stay hydrated
Dehydration is one of the most common causes of headaches. Reputable sources recommend that adults drink at least half a gallon of water per day to prevent dehydration. If you aren’t already drinking that much water every day, staving off dehydration is a great way to start on your path toward a headache-free life.
Get plenty of sleep
Developing a headache during the day is more likely when you didn’t get enough sleep the night before. Headaches are especially common in cases of chronic sleep deprivation, so aim to get a solid 7-9 hours of sleep per night if you’re serious about curing your headaches the all-natural way.
Try massage
Studies show that getting massages might reduce your likelihood of experiencing chronic tension headaches. If your headaches aren’t caused by stress in your life, massage might not be as effective. Nobody can deny, though, that both the body and mind find it relaxing to receive a professionally performed massage.
Manage your stress
If you haven’t figured out exactly why you’re getting headaches, stressors in your life are good places to start. Difficult jobs or frayed personal relationships can make life so hard your head starts to hurt. For your health, it might be time to start making some difficult decisions.
Give acupuncture a shot
A staple of Chinese medicine for thousands of years, many Westerners now also swear by the benefits of acupuncture, an ancient practice that involves inserting tiny needles into the body’s pressure points. We can understand if acupuncture is a little bit too “out there” for you, but some chronic headache sufferers have reported incredible results.
Best natural substances for headaches
If lifestyle changes alone didn’t relieve your constant headaches, it might be time to try some natural supplements. From hemp-derived cannabinoids to simple essential oils, nature has provided us with some excellent tools for fighting back against chronic head pain:
1. CBD
CBD won’t get you high, but many swear by this cannabinoid’s benefits for pain of all types. A 2021 scientific survey found that more than 67% of CBD users were able to reduce their pain medication dosages, and a mountain of other academic research indicates that CBD is being seriously investigated as a potential analgesic substance.
A quick look through Secret Nature CBD’s 10,000+ customer reviews is enough to show that using CBD for pain is a popular practice. Many people who have used CBD for headaches and other forms of chronic pain have reported experiencing incredible relief, so this well-tolerated and non-intoxicating cannabinoid is definitely worth a shot.
2. Magnesium
It’s unfortunately common to become deficient in magnesium, and magnesium deficiency is a major cause of headaches. The good news is that supplementing with magnesium has been shown to reduce the frequency of migraine headaches.
If you don’t want to take magnesium supplements or incorporate this essential mineral into your diet, taking epsom salt baths is another excellent option. Epsom salt is composed of crystallized magnesium, and it absorbs well through your pores as you soak in the warm water.
3. Lavender essential oil
Lavender essential oil contains the relaxing terpene linalool, and studies have shown that both oral and diffused lavender oil can help with headaches. There aren’t any serious side effects associated with lavender, and this essential oil both smells and tastes excellent, making it an easy and enjoyable remedy to try when you’re suffering from a headache.
4. Butterbur
Butterbur is an herb used in traditional medicine for its analgesic properties. Studies have shown that using butterbur reduces the frequency of migraine headaches without causing any serious side effects. Many people with other types of headaches have also reported that butterbur is effective.
5. Ginger
A delicious spice and an important component of Ayurvedic medicine, ginger is widely available and easy to consume in food or tea. Research published as recently as 2021 confirms that ginger shows promise as a treatment for the pain of headaches that have already started.
Using natural remedies for headaches: The bottom line
The more we learn about the human body, the more we find out that gentle, careful treatment yields better results than brash, invasive approaches to health. It turns out that nature has provided us most — if not all — of what we need to heal common maladies without resorting to synthetic medicines that often have serious side effects.
Whether it’s high-grade CBD flower or a simple cup of ginger tea, taking the natural route when dealing with headaches is often more rewarding. Don’t forget to consider any lifestyle changes that might reduce the frequency or severity of your headaches.
Natural headache remedy FAQ
Knowledge is power when it comes to fighting back against headaches. Check out these frequently asked questions to deepen your knowhow:
How do I get rid of a headache naturally?
There are lots of natural approaches you can try when getting rid of a headache. Start by drinking some water, and try brewing some ginger tea. If there’s anyone available to give you a massage, ask for one, and prevent future headaches by getting plenty of sleep at night.
How do you get rid of a headache in two minutes?
It might be overly optimistic to expect any headache remedy to work within two minutes or less. Your best shot, though, would be CBD flower or a CBD vape since inhaling substances allows them to kick in much faster. Other popular headache remedies usually aren’t available in inhalable forms.
How do you stop a headache immediately?
Headaches can be so painful that it’s natural to seek methods that deliver instant relief. While you might not feel the effects for around 30-60 seconds, inhaling some high-quality CBD flower or live resin CBD vape concentrate is one approach you could try that’s designed to deliver instantaneous results.
What are some instant home remedies for headaches?
Even if they’re effective, most home remedies for headaches often take up to half an hour to kick in since they’re ingested orally. CBD flower and CBD vapes are designed to be inhaled, however, and inhaling substances allows them to kick in much faster. As a result, many people who suffer from chronic headaches have learned to keep some inhalable CBD on hand at all times.
Which pressure points are associated with migraine relief?
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, headaches are most commonly associated with pressure point LI-4, known as “Hegu.” This pressure point is located between the thumb and forefinger, and it’s one of the easiest pressure points in the body to stimulate. Simply grip the area between the thumb and forefinger of one hand with the thumb and forefinger from your other hand, and then switch sides to safely explore the benefits of pressure points for migraines and other headaches.
Which foods stop headaches?
Foods that are high in magnesium — like pumpkin seeds, almonds, spinach, and cashews — may be useful in treating headaches that are caused by magnesium deficiency. Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish, may also be useful for headache relief, and fruits that contain B vitamins (like citrus fruits) can sometimes help make headaches feel better. Avoid heavily processed foods with added sugar since they can increase headache severity or symptoms.
What are the four types of headaches?
There are far more than four types of headaches, but the four most common types are migraines, tension headaches, sinus headaches, and cluster headaches. Migraines are powerfully painful headaches that generally affect one side of the head and can cause visual disturbances.
Tension headaches are caused by stress, and sinus headaches are caused by sinus infections and other conditions affecting this system of fluid-filled canals that passes through your head. Cluster headaches occur in cycles that take place over the course of a few weeks.
