Ginger for migraines?

Question

Has anyone tried taking ginger for migraine headaches? Did it help? If so, how much did you take and was it at the onset of a headache or daily for prevention? Thank You!

Answer 1

Ginger is good for stomach ailments and nausea. It may help migraines because it helps to open up blood vessels. Any "hot" herb or food may help. Niacin is another homeopathic treatment for headaches, but can cause flushing. Niacinamide works just as well, but without the flushing.

Answer 2

Try drinking a ginger tea. Numerous clinical studies have shown that this herb can be used to relieve headaches. Researchers believe it does so by relaxing the blood vessels in the head and diminishing swelling in the brain. It also activates natural opiates in the brain that relieve pain, and it reduces prostaglandins, which are responsible for causing inflammation.

Other traditional headache teas are made with chamomile, lemon balm and linden (the flowers of the lime tree), which is is far more popular in Europe than in North America. In The British Herb Pharmacopoeia, linden is listed as a sedative for treating nervous tension and headaches. Researchers suspect that this herb heals migraines (and other vascular headaches) by improving blood circulation.

One interesting technique that short-circuits a vascular headache, such as a migraine, is to regulate circulation by raising the temperature of the hands by 15 degrees. Simply place your hands in hot (but not too hot) water and add a couple drops of lavender, eucalyptus or peppermint essential oil to the water to increase its effect.

Feverfew herb is also a good choice for the treatment of migraines and other vascular headaches. people who experience many headaches ate fresh feverfew leaves for three months and stopped using their usual headache drugs for at least the last month. The result was less severe headaches and fewer symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. Those who ate feverfew discovered an unexpected side effect as well—an increased sense of well-being.


Lavender Headache Compress

5 drops lavender essential oil

1 cup cold water

Add essential oil to water and swish a soft cloth in it. Wring out the cloth, lie down and close your eyes. Place the cloth over your forehead and eyes. Use throughout the day, as often as you can.

Answer 3

#1 drink about 1/2 gallon of water per day - the head of neurorology at UCDavis (about 10 years ago) likened a car low on oil to a body low on water (engine siezing up).
#2 Daily muscle relaxer (1 or 2 swigs of molasses or 1 or 2 bananas) they contain magnesium and potassium.
#3 Massage therapy - professional or read The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Davies (it teaches you how). The principle that causes the headaches regardless of how severe is that muscles get knots (trigger points), which make the muscles stay tight, which press on nerves.
Your back, shoulders, neck and everywhere on your head will definitely play into the cause and it will take a while to get all the trigger points to go away.

Answer 4

I've never heard of taking ginger for migraines, but I have heard of taking it for nausea, so I guess if you have nausea with your migraines ginger might help you there.