Disease Index

Homeopathy for Headache

homeopathy remedies for headache treatment
Written by Dr. Manisha Bhatia

Homeopathy treatment for Headache or pain in head. Find the best homeopathic medicine for headache, including migraine, stress and cluster headache. Are you looking for homeopathy medicine for headaches? This article discusses the homeopathy treatment of Headache along with the best Homeopathic Medicine for headaches.

headache homeopathic treatment and medicines

Are you looking for homeopathic medicine for headache? This article discusses the homeopathy treatment of Headache along with the best homeopathic medicine for Headache treatment.

Head pain or headache is defined as pain anywhere in the region of head or upper part of neck, which can occur due to many different medical conditions.

Head pain can be localized or may radiate from one location to another location; it can also occur as referred pain, which comes from any other region of the body.

The pain is caused by disturbance of the pain-sensitive structures around the brain. Several areas of the head and neck have these pain-sensitive structures, which are divided in two categories:

  • Within the cranium (blood vessels, meninges, and the cranial nerves) and
  • Outside the cranium (bones of the skull, muscles, nerves, arteries and veins, subcutaneous tissues, eyes, ears, sinuses and mucous membranes).

Nowadays it has become the commonest ailment in the people all over the world. There are many forms of head pain like migraine headache, cluster headache, tension headache etc. There are various factors which can aggravate head pain like light noise, sound, strong smell etc.

Homeopathic treatment of Headache

homeopathic medicine for headache

Homeopathy is one of the most popular holistic systems of medicine. The selection of remedy is based upon the theory of individualization and symptoms similarity by using holistic approach. This is the only way through which a state of complete health can be regained by removing all the sign and symptoms from which the patient is suffering.

The aim of homeopathic medicine for headache is not only to treat head pain but to address its underlying cause and individual susceptibility. As far as therapeutic medication is concerned, several well-proved medicines are available for headache treatment that can be selected on the basis of cause, location, sensation, modalities and extension of the pain.

For individualized remedy selection and treatment, the patient should consult a qualified homeopathic doctor in person. There are some specific homeopathic medicine for headache which have remarkable action over headache

  • Apis mellifica
  • Belladonna
  • Sangunaria
  • Iris versicolor
  • Cocculus
  • China
  • Cedron
  • Argentums nitricum
  • Spigelia
  • Gelsemium
  • Coffea
  • Glonine
  • Nux vomica
  • Lachesis
  • Melilotus
  • Bryonia alba
  • Natrum muriaticum
  • Silicea
  • Ignatia
  • Ruta graveolens
  • Argentums metallicum

Apis:

  • Apis mel., which is made up from honey bee has special affinity for serous membranes of brain, heart and pleura and it produces inflammation with effusion.
  • It’s a wonderful medicine for headache in cases of meningitis. Brain feels very tired.
  • Sudden stabbing pain, painful hair.
  • Boring of head; backward in pillow in meningitis.
  • Patient is Thirstless with nearly all complaints.
  • Head feels swollen.

Belladonna

  • Belladonna is the first remedy that comes to mind for headache;
  • Its symptoms are clear and sharply defined. Throbbing is the great keynote, and violent shooting pains in the head, driving the patient almost wild.
  • Patient cannot lie down, must sit up, cannot bear light, a draft of air, noise or jarring.
  • The location of the ache is mostly in the frontal region or right side, flushed face, dilated pupils accompany.
  • The Head pain of Belladonna are usually worse in the afternoon, the whites of eyes are red. Moving eyes aggravates.
  • The face is puffed and red.

Cocculus

  • Another remedy for occipital head pain is Cocculus, and it is a most excellent one; the symptoms are these: the ache occurs in the lower part of the occiput and extends to the nape, and
  • Pain is intense and nearly always associated with vertigo there is constant nausea. Among the causes of headache are riding in the cars and a carriage.
  • A peculiar symptom of Cocculus is the sensation as if the occiput were opening and shutting.
  • The headache of Cocculus in general are worse from mental effort, and are better indoors and during rest.
  • There is a constant tendency to stretch the head backwards.

Cedron:

  • Orbital neuralgia, pain from temple to temple, across the forehead.
  • Pain is so severe that makes the patient crazy.
  • Periodicity in head pain is very common in cases which require cedron means pain comes at same hour, every alternate day etc.
  • The whole body feels numb during headache.

China:

  • Pain in head after long exhausting discharges, with weakness and debility.
  • It is also good for some gastric headaches.
  • Intense throbbing in the head as if skull would burst.
  • Sensation as if brain were swashing to and fro, causing pain.
  • Sore sensitive scalp, aggravation from slight touching or combing hair.

Gelsemium

  • Gelsemium is another remedy which has a headache commencing with blindness, and especially is it a remedygelsemium homeopathic medicine for headache for headaches due to eye strain.
  • The ache under Gelsemium commences in the occiput or nape of the neck, comes up over the head settles in the eye as in Sanguinaria.
  • There is a feeling as if a band were about the head, the patient is dull and apathetic, and there is great soreness in the eye when moving them.
  • Occipital headaches, which are dull and dragging.
  • copious urination which relieves the pain
  • Gelsemium Head pain are also relieved by sleep, and dizziness may accompany.
  • A characteristic of Gelsemium is a sensation of a band around the head just above the ears.
  • It also suits “tobacco headaches.”

Glonine –

  • Effects of sunstroke; heat on head.
  • Head heavy, but cannot lay it on pillow.
  • Cannot bear any heat about head.
  • Better from uncovering head.
  • Throbbing headache (Homeopathy Treatment for Throbbing Headache).
  • Very irritable; vertigo on assuming upright position.
  • Cerebral congestion; head feels enormously large, as if skull were too small for brain.
  • Sun headaches; increases and decreases with sun.
  • Head pain in place of menses.
  • Rush of blood to head in pregnant women.

Lachesis:

  • Prepared from snake poison, this drug has specific modalities which are important in guiding to the remedy.
  • Worse after sleep, worse from warmth and left side is mainly affected.
  • Patient always feels better after appearance of discharges; like head pain in women is relived after onset of menses.
  • Headache from suppressed catarrh relived from nasal discharge.
  • Headache from heat or sun.
  • Headache is very marked where flickering in eyes is also there.

Iris versicolor

  • The Iris headache characteristically commences with a partial blindness, or blurring of vision.
  • It is especially a remedy for gastric or bilious headaches.
  • This blurring of the sight may be preceded by drowsiness and the head begins to ache as soon as the blurring disappears.
  • The pains are mostly located over the eyes in the supra-orbital ridges, usually in one side at a time, mostly the right.
  • The pains are throbbing or sharp, if vomiting occurs, it is apt to be copious, bitter or sour. Especially characteristic is vomiting of matters so sour that the teeth are set on edge.
  • The head pain of Iris is aggravated by violent motion, cold air and coughing;
  • Moderate exercise in the open air relieves.
  • When Head pain are produced by eating sweet things Iris is probably the remedy.

Nux vomica

  • Nux vomica is more often indicated in headache than any other remedy.nux vomica homeopathy medicine for headache
  • Headache from the excessive use of alcohol, the morning “big head,” tobacco, coffee,
  • Head pain from digestive troubles, constipation, and specially auto-“intoxication” and liver insufficiency. These are all common causes of the Nux vomica headache.
  • The ache is situated over one or the other eye, usually the left, or else in the occiput.
  • It is apt to being in the morning with giddiness on first rising, and last all day until night, and is accompanied with sour taste or perhaps nausea and violent retching.
  • The dull, wooden, bursting feeling of the head following a debauch is most characteristic of Nux vomica.
  • Stooping and coughing aggravate the head pain; it is worse in the morning; moving the eyes and motion in general makes the head feel worse.
  • In general, nothing relieves the Nux vomica headache ; but it will often disappear by rising and being about for a few hours. This is a characteristic point in those headache due to alcoholic excesses.
  • A head pain “all over the head” is also characteristic of Nux, and it will often cure after other remedies have failed.

Melilotus alba

  • A remedy often overlooked in the treatment of congestive forms of headache is Melilotus.
  • With this remedy there is a sensation of bursting.
  • it seems as if the brain would burst through the forehead.
  • the pains are intense and throbbing and almost drive the patient frantic.
  • The eyes are bloodshot and the head pain tends to recur every afternoon.
  • Sometimes the headache culminates in nosebleed, which relieves.
  • Congestive headaches, due to sexual irritation, are speedily benefited by the remedy.

Natrum muriaticum

  • The headache of Natrum muriaticum is as if there were little hammers beatings in the skull.
  • Worse from moving the head or eyeballs.
  • Headache comes in the morning, is worse about 10 A.M. and is preceded by partial blindness.
  • Sun heat aggravates headache or headache due to going in sun heat.
  • Headache in school children and especially in those who are maturing and anemic.
  • Pain on top of head.
  • The pain generally centers on the region of the ear and runs up to the occiput, leaving a stiffness of the nape of the neck,
  • Profuse urination relieves headache.

Sanguinaria

  • The pain begins in the morning and in the occiput, it comes up over the head and settles in the right eye.
  • The pain increases in severity until there is vomiting of food and bile.
  • Pain may become so intense at times that the patient will frantically bore her headache into the pillow for relief.
  • It is especially suitable to women who menstruate too freely.
  • Pain is relieved by lying down.
  • More useful in the gastric form of headache.
  • There may be also profuse micturition relieving the headache.

Spigelia:

  • Spigelia or pinkroot is very effective in treating semi-lateral head pain or one sided head pain of especially left side.
  • Pain starts from occiput extends upword, to left temple and settles over left eye.
  • Vertigo, hearing exalted.
  • Pain violent throbbing; worse, making a false step.

Headache symptoms

The exact symptoms will depend upon the cause of head pain. Some of the common symptoms include:

  • Heaviness in head
  • Heaviness in eyes
  • Irritability
  • Anger
  • Disturbed concentration
  • Fatigue
  • Dizziness
  • Sensitivity to light, noise and odor
  • Sleeplessness
  • Aversion to physical or mental work
  • Blurred vision

Types of Headache

types of headache

Headaches are broadly classified as primary or secondary. Primary headaches are recurrent benign head pains not caused by underlying disease or structural problems. For eg, migraine is a type of primary head pain. 90% of all headaches are primary headaches. Secondary headaches are caused by an underlying disease, like an infection, head injury, hypertension, stroke or tumors.

Primary headache

The most common types of primary headaches are

  • Migraines – Migraines typically present with pulsing head pain, nausea, photophobia (sensitivity to light) and phonophobia (sensitivity to sound). They are often one sided or hemicrania.
  • Tension-type headachesn – Tension-type headaches usually present with non-pulsing “bandlike” pressure on both sides of the head, not accompanied by other symptoms.

Other very rare types of primary headaches include:

  • Cluster headaches are short episodes (15–180 minutes) of severe pain, usually around one eye, with autonomic symptoms (tearing, red eye, nasal congestion) which occur at the same time every day.
  • Primary cough headache: Starts suddenly and lasts for several minutes after coughing, sneezing or straining (anything that may increase pressure in the head)
  • Primary sex headache: dull, bilateral headache that starts during sexual activity and becomes much worse during orgasm. These headaches are thought to be due to lower pressure in the head during sex.
  • Hypnic headache: moderate: Severe headache that starts a few hours after falling asleep and lasts 15–30 minutes. The headache may recur several times during night.
  • Trigeminal neuralgia or occipital neuralgia: Shooting face pain

Secondary headache

Headaches may be caused by problems elsewhere in the head or neck

Secondary headaches include:

  • Meningitis: inflammation of the meninges that cover the brain symptoms  presented as fever and stiff neck.
  • Bleeding inside the brain (intracranial hemorrhage)
  • Brain tumor: dull headache, worse with exertion and change in position, accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Often, the person will have nausea and vomiting for weeks before the headache starts.
  • Acute closed angle glaucoma (increased pressure in the eyeball): headache that starts with eye pain, blurry vision, associated with nausea and vomiting. On physical exam, the person will have a red eye and a fixed, mid dilated pupil.
  • Post-ictal headaches: headaches that happen after a convulsion or other type of seizure, as part of the period after the seizure.

Causes of Headache

In our day to day life, a headache may get precipitated due to missed meals, overeating, stress, exposure to sun, alcohol etc. Other pathological causes of headache include:

  • Occipital neuralgia – Often caused due to damage to the nerve.
  • Brain tumor – With increased intracranial pressure, headache often associated with vomiting.
  • Injury or trauma – To the particular side of head can cause headache.
  • Sinus infection – May cause one sided head pain.
  • Eye strain – headache can be caused due to weakness of vision or may associate with other medical conditions related to eyes.
  • Meningitis – infection along with inflammation of the meninges in the tissue covering the brain and spinal cord causes severe head pain.
  • Hypertension – common cause of head pain.
  • Menopause – commonly found in women of menopausal age.
  • Stress – stress, anxiety and depression may also precipitate head pain.
  • Complications during pregnancy – head pain may occur in some specific conditions during pregnancy like preeclampsia, eclampsia.
  • Cervical spondylosis – causes pain that extends to head.

The exact mechanisms which cause primary headaches like, migraines, tension headaches and cluster headaches, are not known. There have been different theories over time which attempt to explain what happens in the brain to cause these headaches. Dysfunction of nerves as well as dilation and irritation of cranial blood vessels are implicated.

Diagnosis of Headache

Diagnosis can be made on the basis of sign symptoms and cause of head pain. Some common tests to filter the possible cause of headache are:

  • Blood tests – to rule diabetes, thyroid, diabetes, infections which may be the reason for headache.
  • CT Scan & MRI – to detect any pathology related to brain itself like tumors, hemorrhages etc.
  • Sinus X-Ray – Sinusitis due to recurrent cold coryza may be the reason for headache.
  • EEG – If headache is associated with seizures EEG is recommended.
  • Eye Exam– An eye pressure test performed to rule out glaucoma or pressure on the optic nerve as a cause of headaches.
  • Lumber puncture  – It  is the removal of spinal fluid from the spinal canal to look for conditions such as infections of the brain or spinal cord.

Conventional treatment for Headache

The most common ways of treating headaches are rest and pain relief medication.

Generic pain relief medication are prescribed along with:

  • Tricyclic antidepressants.
  • Serotonin receptor agonists.
  • Anti-epileptic drugs.
  • Beta-blockers.

The above information about homeopathy treatment of headache is only for information purpose. Please consult a professional homeopath before taking any homeopathic medicine for headache.

Some Cured Cases of Headache with Homeopathic Medicine

A Case of Headache – by Amit Singh Pal

A Chronic Case – Headache – by Roger A Schmidt

Pyrexia of Unknown Origin with Headache – by Rajiv Peres

Acute Migraine in a Woman of 30 – by Parth Aphale

Severe Headaches in a Girl of 12 – by Tatiana Pokatova

A Case of Chronic Migraine – by Pankil Dhruv

A Case of Migraine – by Pranali Kamat

 

About the author

Dr. Manisha Bhatia

M.D. (Hom), CICH (Greece)
Dr. (Mrs) Manisha Bhatia is a leading homeopathy doctor working in Jaipur, India. She has studied with Prof. George Vithoulkas at the International Academy of Classical Homeopathy. She is the Director of Asha Homeopathy Medical Center, Jaipur's leading clinic for homeopathy treatment and has been practicing since 2004.

She writes for Hpathy.com about homeopathic medicines and their therapeutic indications and homeopathy treatment in various diseases. She is also Associate Professor, HoD and PG Guide at S.K. Homeopathy Medical College. To consult her online, - visit Dr. Bhatia's website.

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