Looking for headache relief? You’re in the right place. I’ve put together a list of home remedies for headaches and migraines that will help ease away the pain – and you probably already have everything you need!
Headaches and migraines affect almost everyone – and we all function better without them!
(Did you know that 18% of women experience migraines?) 🙁
I polled my Facebook fans about the natural remedies they use for headache relief. I knew you all would have some great suggestions.
Between an overwhelming response from all of you and more research on my part, I came up with a seriously good list of effective home remedies for migraines and headaches to share.
Here’s what I found:
21 Home Remedies for Migraines and Headaches
Below are some of the most popular headache relief remedies that I found. Not every remedy will work for every person, and it may help to combine more than one to really get results.
Just be careful with combining herbal remedies, as you can definitely have too much of a good thing. It’s safer to combine one herbal remedy with one of the non-herbal ideas (like a bath, a nap, or a glass of water).
1. Peppermint.
Have a mint or drink some peppermint tea – it can really take the edge off! Peppermint is very soothing to the nerves and aids circulation. (You can even place the tea bag on your forehead after you make your tea for extra relief.)
Did you know peppermint has been shown to help with tension headaches?
2. Willow bark.
Known as the natural alternative to aspirin, willow bark is actually what aspirin was originally made from. It contains the pain-relieving compound salicin, and is one of the most common natural remedies for headaches and inflammation (source).
You can make a tea out of willow bark root for practically instant headache relief.
3. Take a nap.
Sometimes the best headache remedies are the things we should be doing anyway – like getting extra sleep. Ever notice how the world seems renewed after a nap? A simple power nap can be enough for your body to reboot and squash your headache.
4. Eat something!
Headaches are often a sign that you’ve gone too long without eating a balanced meal. In fact, my last headache is a good example: I’d gotten caught up in my work and hadn’t eaten in a while.
Next thing you know, I had a raging headache. (Needless to say, I couldn’t work much after that.)
An ounce of prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure in this case! Eat regular meals and snacks to keep your body fueled.
5. Acupuncture.
Acupuncture increases blood flow to tissues and is shown in studies to prevent migraines. If you get debilitating headaches or migraines, regular acupuncture treatments can make a difference.
6. Water.
Headaches can often be a sign of dehydration. One of the easiest natural remedies for headaches is simply drinking a glass of water. (source)
Staying hydrated is also a good way to prevent headaches from occurring in the first place.
(Note: sometimes it helps to balance water with electrolytes, so adding a little juice and a dash of sea salt to your water can help. Or you can try this homemade pedialyte recipe.)
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7. Massage.
A good massage improves circulation and is obviously relaxing, and it might be just what you need to melt away that headache. In any case, we all need more excuses to get a massage! 😉
Regular massages can help if you have reoccurring headaches or migraines. In the case of occasional headaches, a neck and shoulder massage from a loved one can make a difference.
8. See a chiropractor.
Being out of alignment can definitely give you head pain. Many of my readers report that regular visits to the chiropractor can provide very effective headache and migraine relief. Usually, a chiropractor will work with you to address the root causes of your headaches, too.
9. Feverfew.
This herb has been used since ancient times to treat pain, including headaches. You can try feverfew capsules or tea when you feel a headache coming on. Get feverfew tea here.
More information on the research about feverfew and headaches.
10. Hot showers.
As with a massage, I’m always up for an excuse to take a hot shower. I always feel more relaxed and rejuvenated afterward, which goes a long way for relieving headache pain.
Try using a cold pack (below at #14) on the back of your neck while you’re in the shower or bath. The hot/cold combination can be super effective for headache relief.
11. Strengthen your neck.
Neck stretches and strengthening exercises have been shown to reduce headaches. Simply doing a few neck exercises for 3-5 minutes per day can make a big difference in long-term pain management – especially if you have the dreaded “text neck” or “computer neck” problem.
12. Acupressure.
Acupressure is similar to acupuncture, but without the needles. You simply apply pressure to specific spots on the body to release tension and relieve pain.
One suggestion is to pinch the spot between your thumb and index finger. Gently increase the pressure until there’s a dull ache, then hold until your head pain subsides.
You can try this throughout the day as needed. This headache remedy is easy to combine with other ideas – try acupressure, a cup of peppermint tea, and a hot bath to attack your headache on multiple fronts.
13. Magnesium.
Magnesium deficiency can be the root cause of chronic migraines and headaches. Correct the deficiency, end the migraines. Magnesium supplements (or magnesium oil) can even get rid of a headache that’s already begun. Learn more about magnesium here.
14. Cold packs.
Whether an ice pack or a cool washcloth, cold can definitely ease headache pain. The back of the neck or the forehead are the best places to apply your cold pack. Try 10 minutes on and 10 minutes off until you feel relief.
15. Yoga.
The benefits of yoga include improved circulation, relaxation, healthy blood pressure, and heightened neurotransmitter levels.
All of these combined make for a great headache remedy. Regular yoga practice is the perfect natural remedy for chronic headaches and migraines.
More information about research on yoga as a migraine remedy.
16. Cherries.
Cherries contain the active compound quercetin, which is a powerful antioxidant and has strong anti-inflammatory properties. Research shows cherries can help with head pain.
Several of my readers report that eating cherries or drinking cherry juice helps tremendously with headaches.
17. Get outside.
Let’s face it: the air inside of our homes and other buildings isn’t ideal. Fresh air is vitally important for health, as is getting adequate sunlight.
A few minutes outdoors can be surprisingly refreshing, even enough to relieve your head pain. So grab a cup of herbal tea and enjoy a few minutes relaxing outside.
18. DLPA.
This supplement (a form of the amino acid phenylalanine), naturally increases dopamine levels, which can help ease pain of all kinds. I also find DLPA boosts my energy level and my mood. Learn more about how I use amino acid supplements here.
19. Salt loading.
This one sounds interesting (I haven’t yet tried it myself), and has to do with detoxing bromide from the body. I’ve heard some pretty impressive reviews about salt loading and headache relief. Read more about it here.
20. A cup of tea.
Not only is a warm cup of tea relaxing, but a tea that uses herbs like peppermint or willow bark can also directly help reduce your headache pain. You can also try chamomile tea if you tend to have stress/tension headaches.
Green tea is also especially helpful, as it contains a small amount of caffeine, which many people find helps with headaches and migraines. Hint: a peppermint/green tea combo is delicious and effective!
21. Eliminate the cause.
This is more of a long-term approach to migraine remedies, but it’s by far the most effective. Certain food additives, lack of sleep, too much sitting, nutrient deficiencies – all these things can play a role in causing headaches and migraines.
Make a note of when your headaches occur and see if there are any clues to what the root cause might be.
Q & A
“Do these headache remedies really work?”
Yes, they really do! But not every remedy will work for every headache. Headaches and migraines are stubborn and complex.
That’s why I emphasize getting to the root cause of your headache. It can help to combine a few remedies and try something new if something else isn’t working.
It also really helps to eat regularly, stay hydrated, get enough sleep, and do deep breathing exercises or meditation regularly to lower your stress levels. Healthy habits can prevent a lot of headaches (quite literally).
“I get migraines that cause me to get dizzy and throw up. Will these migraine remedies help me?”
To be honest, serious chronic migraines are difficult to treat. These natural remedies will probably be most effective if you use them right away when you feel a migraine coming on.
Work with a health professional to develop a plan for long-term migraine treatment and find out how you can include natural remedies within that approach.
“Can headaches be caused by stress?”
Absolutely! I used to get a pounding headache every time I was overwhelmed with stress. Make it a priority to lower your stress levels – this has many health benefits beyond headache relief!
But let’s be honest: there’s a lot of stress we can’t do anything about. In that case, healthy habits are all the more important. I know I’m repeating myself – but eat well, stay hydrated, get some sleep, and meditate when you can. These all lower the impact of stress on your body.
“Are headaches a sign of PMS? Do I use the same remedies for PMS headaches?”
Some women experience more headaches in the week before their period. The headache remedies in this post can definitely help, but it can also be helpful to have your hormone levels checked and try some natural remedies specifically targeted toward PMS (because PMS is usually associated with an underlying hormonal imbalance, usually of estrogen, progesterone, and/or testosterone).
More of our natural remedy posts:
- Calendula Oil Recipe + Why You Need to Make This Today
- Homemade Cough Syrup Recipe
- Weird Home Remedy for Pink Eye
- The Benefits of Bamboo Leaf Tea
Elizabeth is the founder of Nourished Live and has been writing about natural living for 12 years. Her work has been featured at Shape, Bustle, and Mother Earth Living. Her mission is to help you lower your stress levels and find fun ways to become happier and healthier. Read more about Elizabeth here.
Ginger works too! It blocks the protoglandins that cause pain and inflammation in the blood vessels of the brain. Take 1/3 tsp either fresh or powdered when you feel a headache coming on.
Migraines have also been linked to a deficiency in vitamin B-12 (as have ADD and Anxiety disorders, so if you deal with the trifecta as I once did this may be exactly what is missing). Taking sublingual tablets or drops of B-12 is more effective than pills that you swallow, as the sublingual tabs go directly into your bloodstream via the capillaries under your tongue. Once I made B-12 supplements a daily thing for me, migraines became a thing of the past.
Red meat is an excellent source of B12 as well. I know the official scuttlebutt is that it’s dangerous, but they say the same about saturated fat and they’re not right about that either.
Yes, raw milk, liver and grass-fed beef are all great natural sources of bioavailable vitamin B12.
Needed this today! Thank you!
Said this already on the Facebook page but if there’s a chance you’re deficient in magnesium, and you like hot baths, take a hot bath with Epsom salts in it. They contain magnesium, and you can absorb it through your skin, and I daresay that’ll work faster than popping a magnesium pill.
I agree that magnesium supplements are a secondary choice, though some may find them more convenient. Epsom salt baths are great for general health and wellness in addition to correcting magnesium deficiencies. Also great for kids, too.
You can also buy magnesium flakes, and I believe those have a higher concentration of magnesium and in a different form than Epsom salts.
True. I’ve been meaning to experiment with magnesium chloride flakes myself. From what I understand, magnesium chloride is better for absorbing magnesium, while Epsom salts are useful for detoxification.
Do you have an alternative for those who cannot take baths due to health reasons?
I would look into magnesium oil spray, that might be a good alternative to a magnesium bath.
Oil spray is not strong enough. In my experience you must take it twice a day, glycinate form. Or you can get injections. See your doc.
Good to note. I think it definitely depends on the severity. Magnesium glycinate can be very helpful.
The one thing that seems to reliably relieve my migraines is drinking a cup of roasted chicory with raw milk. One or two cups either knocks out the migraine altogether or reduces the pain enough for me to function again. I’ve never seen anyone mention this as a potential migraine remedy, so thought I’d mention it in case it works for someone else.
Great tip! Love to hear about remedies that work.
rhonda – what triggers your migraines? my worst ones are weather related, they can last over 24 hours. i’ve been med free for nearly 2 years, including ibuprofen, tylenol (except once for high fever). i found that the maxalt while it made my migraine pain better, it gave me rebound headaches, so i’d suffer less day one, but then be in a fog with headpressure for up to a week. chiropractic adjustments and very clean diet has helped me nix most headaches, but i still get whopper migraines with weather changes. i’d love to find something to make weather migraines tolerable.
I get those too… oh boy do those hurt. I have had great success with peppermint teas, my husband giving me a massage (feet, head, neck) the goal is for me to relax so I’m not tense and making it worse, and warms baths with aromatherapy oils.
A really valuable tool I learned is to put bare feet on the warth for half hour per day. Alternatives to bare feet are grounding shoes (without insulating rubber or other materials) or grounding mats. Walking barefoot is excellent and you get the added benefit of accuprrssure on your feet. It is the magnetic connection to the earth that helps. It’s science, not just a hippie remedy!
just wondering who your chiropractor Is ??. I might give him a call .
I’ve been using manual trigger point therapy from My chiropractor and for the first few years it really helped I didn’t have to take any meds for years maybe occasionally.
But now my headacheS Are back like the way it was when I started to go to him .
also what kind of Chiropractic treatments did he give you. was it also manual trigger point therapy
thanks so much should you have sometime I’d love to hear from you
I’ve tried that Rhonda, it doesn’t even touch the side of my migraines. Are you diagnosed with migraine? Or just having bad headaches. Two totally different things. Many migraines can not be stopped by raw milk and chicory. There is no evidence about ginger either, but it works better as an anti-inflammatory – already mentioned here.
Lying down with a warm wheat or flax bag placed on the face or back of neck helps me.
Feverfew is excellent, even when migraine is caused by solvents. Never gets past the sparkly aura. Good enough to be able to drive within about 15-20 minutes so it never incapacitates. Has also worked for abdominal migraine from which another family member suffers. Dehydration seems to be one of the triggers for her.
Lavender oil is also good for relieving headache pain. Rub a small amount on temples and outer brows (be careful you don’t get any in your eyes!). Also a warm bath with a few drop of Lavender oil + chamomile oil will help you relax if you have a tension headache.
Believe it or not, I’ve found a few minutes of gentle bouncing on my rebounder will get rid of a headache. I don’t get bad headaches, though, so I don’t know if this would be a good idea for a headache that is ibuprofen material.
(I also like the nap cure. Naps cure all kinds of grouchiness for me!)
Thanks for all the suggestions!! I’d love to get my husband and I off our ibuprofen reliance!
The single biggest improvement to my migraines came from eliminating packaged foods from my diet. I believe the main aggravator was MSG, and I have not used a canned soup or broth product in a year and a half. When I cut out canned broth and started using homemade exclusively, I went from 1-2 migraines a week to going over 2 months without one. Now, I only get migraines when there is a huge change in the weather, or else when I don’t pay careful attention to what I eat.
Even my husband and (of all the miracles) my mother are in on it. My husband will even talk me out of getting fast food on the rare occasions I crave it, even though he wants it himself, because he knows it will cause me a migraine.
have you found anything that helps dull the weather migraine pain?
You can also try ginger for headaches and migranes. The tea everyday to prevent and chewing fresh ginger during the pain.
Most of my headaches come from weather changes. I try to get by without taking any medicine, but sometimes if I put it off, then the headache is worse. Sometimes the only thing to get rid of it is sleeping.
Thanks for the post! Just last night oldest dd had a headache (she never does so may be coming down with something). She ate; didn’t go away. We did the peppermint oil which helped but it didn’t go away so about 30 minutes later and after 3+ hours of headache she gave in and took an advil (again – never does). Now I have more things to try thanks to you and the comments. Thanks all!
i like the excuse to eat more cherries! how much cherry juice does it take to knock out a headache?
I’m not sure. I would probably start with a few ounces and then drink more as needed.
my migrains tend to be cycle related, although bright lights and some foods can trigger them as well….those are much easier to avoid. I have a friend who swears by B vitamins. I hate swallowing vitamins I taste them for hours, however that would be better than migraines.
Thanks For Your Home Remedies I Will Definitely Try One Of your Remedy Because I Have A Migraine Problem. So I will try your Remedy.
Interesting ideas, thanks. Frankly, though, getting a massage, acupuncture or taking a bath are not an option usually, because I’m at work or at home with no money (and no functioning bathtub, only a shower). I try to drink water, eat something healthful, take magnesium. I’ll try some of these other ideas. I find the only pill that works on my headaches is a so-called migraine formula with aspirin, acetaminophen and caffeine, even though I’m very sensitive to caffeine. Still, I doubt I go through even one bottle in a year.
A couple theories…
migraine (especially if it affects the eyes) could be called a “liver headache” and according to TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine, where the eyes and liver are considered connected) lemon juice can provide relief. My husband has found that some lemon juice taken quickly at the onset of a migraine alone will kill one in less than 15 minutes and has even better results by combining with plenty of water.
Other types of headaches could be:
Expansion headache: Expansion would be caused by too much sleep, sugar, alcohol, yoga, crying, lots of “airy” thoughts or conversations, very abstract, etc. which could be helped by salt (because it causes contraction) a teaspoon or so shot of umi plum vinegar or high quality tamari could help.
Contraction Headache: caused by too much meat/salt, weightlifting, working on more concrete answers to problems, anger, etc could be helped by something sweet.
So if you get a headache you would look back over the activities of your day to note if there was possibly a particular imbalance of more expansive or contractive activities/emotions, etc. and take the remedy to fix that one. Another note though is that if you have a headache from detoxing (often from sleeping in or from detoxing from caffeine/alcohol) taking lemon juice may just make you feel more like crap because it helps hasten detoxing and you already are detoxing too quickly if that makes sense 🙂
Interesting suggestions. I’m sure these will come in handy!
I was looking more into magnesium and dietary sources for it and found that peppermint was a source. I thought it was interesting and wanted to share.
But, where are the amounts? How much magnesium? feverfew?, etc.
Also, while I appreciate the suggestions, frankly I can’t function when I have a headache or migraine let alone go out to a store to find chickory, raw milk, feverfew, or start defrosting beef from the freezer (if I have any).
I agree with JeanMarie. It’s acetaminophen, caffeine & aspirin.
Dosages depends on the individual and the specific supplements (some are more potent than others). For magnesium, up to 400 mg at a time is the general recommendation. Any more than that is more likely to result in loose bowel movements (if you need more, divided doses is recommended). Herbs like feverfew are usually packaged so that one or two capsules will do the job (I would suggest following the instructions on the bottle, though).
I understand that in the moment we sometimes just need something we know will do the job right away. Having a few natural remedies on hand will give you some options if you have a mild headache. And even if you do end up resorting to conventional means, employing some natural remedies as well (like fresh air, accupressure or a bath) may help you use less or get a more effective result.