It goes without saying that millions of people across the world suffer from headaches every day for a variety of reasons, and they’re often not sure what to blame! There are so many causes, which include stress, fatigue, allergies, hormones, nutritional deficiencies, constipation, poor posture, low blood sugar, and alcohol or drug consumption. Then, of course, there’s the wicked combination of a couple of those causes. If you suffer from frequent headaches and struggle to find an effective treatment, there are no shortage of natural headache remedies out there. But perhaps you haven’t tried the one option, the one principle ingredient/s that can make the biggest difference? I’m talking about essential oils for headaches.
Essential oils serve as headache treatments because they safely and effectively treat the headache trigger, getting to the root of the problem instead of minimizing the pain temporarily. The following essential oils are used for these purposes:-
1. Peppermint:- Peppermint is actually a hybrid species of spearmint and water mint. It’s known for its cooling sensation, and it offers a calming effect as well as the ability to inhibit muscle contractions and stimulate blood flow to the forehead when applied topically. As peppermint essential oil is quite an effective natural painkiller, as well as a muscle relaxant, it’s particularly helpful for soothing away a tension headache when used topically on the temples and across the forehead.
2. Marjoram:- Marjoram (Origanum majorana) essential oil is a well-known natural analgesic − it helps to relieve the pain of a headache. It is also an anti-spasmodic so it helps to relieve the tight, sore muscles that generally accompany a migraine headache.
3. Peppermint:- Peppermint (Mentha piperita) essential oil helps with pain relief. It is a natural anti-inflammatory and digestive aid. Peppermint quickly helps to ease the pain and nausea associated with migraine headaches.
4. Lavender: – Lavender, with its highly calming therapeutic properties, has been demonstrated to effectively alleviate headaches and migraines—measurably more than placebos. You can use lavender essential oil externally [or] aromatically to get relief or use dried culinary lavender to create an infused beverage
5. Eucalyptus Oil:- Eucalyptus oil has many health benefits, including reducing headache pain. It is an anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and decongestant, which can all help relieve pain. Additionally, it acts as a deodorant, antiseptic, and antibacterial.
6. Rosemary oil:- Rosemary oil has powerful anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain-killing) properties. It’s been used in folk medicine for hundreds of years for stress reduction, pain relief, and improved circulation, which can all help headaches. One study even found that rosemary oil helped with withdrawal symptoms. It also helps reduce insomnia and relax muscles, which can help with headaches.
7. Chamomile:- The essential oil of chamomile relaxes the body and soothes muscles, and for this reason can be a great aid in treating tension headaches. It can also help treat anxiety and insomnia, which are common causes of headaches. Pregnant women should not use chamomile essential oil as it carries a risk of miscarriage.