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Chinese Herbs for a Migraine Headache

If you have splitting headaches that you just can’t seem to find a cure for, aspirin and ibuprofen could be making your headaches worse. Finding a Chinese herb or two that can get rid of your migraine headache may be simpler than you think; here are some formulas you may want to try.

When you’re searching through alternative medicine sites and stores, you may find herbs that are difficult to pronounce, so when you’re looking for something that will treat a migraine headache, ask for herbs like Angelica root, which may also be called bai zhi, or Feverfew herb. Angelica root will also help you to get a good night’s sleep, and feverfew can be used to calm your hay fever during allergy season.

Other herbs for a migraine headache include Magnolia bark, which acts like a natural aspirin, and is referred to in Chinese medicine as hou po. Vitex fruit may also be found at your local health food store in the tea or capsule form, and can help to relieve the pressure and pain around the eyes.

It is also believed that the principle of wind, which is one of the five elements, should be used to rid oneself of a migraine headache. So, the herbs that you select should have wind-moving properties, such as safflower, rhizome, red peony root, and salvia root. These substances have been known to take away the pressure that you feel all around your head during a migraine, and promote proper blood circulation so that the pain will go away quicker. You can also find these roots in tea form, but remember to use the bags as instructed, as too much of the herbs could cause more complications.

In addition to using Chinese herbs for a migraine headache, you may also want to make an appointment for acupuncture, so that a therapist can use the needles and heat compresses to treat the source of the pain. When these isolated areas of the body are treated, you will most likely feel relief quicker and for longer periods of time.


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