Treating Simple Headaches… Part 3
This week, I’m finishing up this series so that I am on schedule to help naturally “arm” you with information for allergy season! This week, we discuss another one of my favorite and efficient natural remedies, lavender oil. This option is especially effective when headaches strike during evening hours, when we can potentially lose valuable relaxation and sleep hours.
Lavender essential oil has many therapeutic and curative properties. It induces relaxation and relieves tension and stress, through sedative, antidepressant, anti-anxiety, anxiolytic, and calming properties. There is growing evidence that lavender oil serves as an effective treatment of neurological conditions and disorders. For this reason, lavender oil can be used to treat headaches caused by anxiety disorders and related conditions.
Lavender also regulates serotonin levels, which helps minimize pain in the nervous system that can lead to migraine attacks. A 2012 study published in European Neurology found that lavender essential oil is an effective and safe modality for migraine headache management. In this study, the treatment group inhaled lavender oil for 15 minutes during a migraine headache. The patients were then asked to record their headache severity and associated symptoms in 30-minute intervals for two hours.
The difference between the control and treatment groups was significant. From the 129 headache cases in the treatment group, 92 responded entirely or partially to lavender oil inhalation. In the control group, 32 out of 68 recorded that headache attacks responded to the placebo; the percentage of responders was significantly higher in the lavender group than the placebo group.
The use of lavender therapy on migraines was also reported in a study published in the Journal of Herbal Medicine. After a three-month period, participants in the group using lavender reported a reduction in the frequency and severity of their migraines. This study suggests that long term lavender use for migraines can be safe and effective with minimal side effects.
To reduce muscle tension, boost mood, aid sleep and relieve stress, diffuse five drops of lavender oil at home or the office. You can also apply lavender oil topically to the back of neck, temples, bottom of the feet, or wrists to relieve stress or tension headaches. Adults can also inhale lavender essential oil without dilution. Or, another inhalation option involves adding 2 to 4 drops of oil to 2 to 3 cups of boiling water.
Finally to simply relax your body and mind, add five to 10 drops of lavender oil to a warm-water bath and take deep breaths so the sedative properties begin to take effect and reduce and prevent potential headache tension. Before giving lavender to an infant or young child, you should speak with your medical provider, especially when considering use in prepubescent boys.
