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What is the definition of migraine and what are the causes?
Which one is most effective, a natural treatment or drugs ?
Can lavender tea be a solution?
Definition of migraine
The migraine attack is defined by a set of symptoms, including headache (headache).
Migraine can be associated with transient neurological symptoms (visual disturbances, sensitivity, speech …), forming what is called the aura. We then speak of migraine with aura.
Migraines, to be distinguished from simple headaches, are described by people who suffer as violent pains preventing any activity in times of crisis. If we do not know how to treat them, some treatments have shown their effectiveness.
Comparison between phytotherapy and medicine
Medicinal plants still provide more than half of today’s medicines. For example, cocaine (erythroxylum coca), which has been used in South America for millennia, has served as a basis for synthesizing current local anesthetics. The difference is that conventional medicine isolates molecules of therapeutic interest to formulate drugs. It is not uncommon to find exclusively herbal medicines on the market, which makes the border between the plant and the drug even tighter and confirms the trend of favoring natural treatments. Herbal medicines are usually prescribed for palpitations, anxiety disorders, heavy legs, digestive disorders or fatigue, among others.
Certain plants and condiments that are largely integrated into our diet have such powerful effects on the body that they can be considered as drugs alone: garlic (allium sativum), in addition to being a condiment, has effects antihypertensives, vasodilators, cholesterol-lowering agents, hypoglycaemic drugs, just like rosemary (rosmarinus officinalis) can claim an action of prevention of the cardiovascular risks and aging by its richness in antioxidants.
Use against migraines
Migraines affect about 10% of the population. While their intensity may vary, some episodes are very disabling, in personal or professional life. Indeed, in some cases, taking medication is not resolving and the person may be forced to isolate themselves in the dark, without any noise for the migraine to regress. It is with a view to treating migraine that the following study has been performed . Here, lavender officinale is used in inhalation. Forty-seven patients diagnosed with migraines are divided into two groups (test and control). The test group inhales lavender officinal essential oil for fifteen minutes while the control group carries out its inhalation with liquid paraffin. The effectiveness of the experiment is then measured with EVA, which shows a significant reduction in pain associated with migraine.
The essential oil of lavender officinale is thus effective to help the treatment of migraines.
History of the use of lavender in herbal medicine
Lavender comes from the West Mediterranean basin. The ancient Romans used it to perfume the baths and the linen. St. Hildegard of Bingen, in the twelfth century, gave it a place of choice in its natural pharmacopoeia and, at the same time, it was cultivated in the monasteries for its therapeutic properties. Since the Middle Ages, lavender was used in Provence in the manufacture of medicines and perfumes. From the nineteenth century, this aromatic plant has seen its culture grow in several European countries as well as in America. The region of Grasse, France, is today the “capital” of lavender, because of its large production of essential oil of this plant, which is used in herbal medicine but also in perfumery. It also grows in the following countries: Portugal, Spain, Balearic Islands, Somalia, India, Sahara and Australia.
Already used by the Romans in antiquity for its fragrance and therapeutic qualities, lavender is today one of the most popular medicinal plants in herbal medicine, particularly for nervousness, digestive or joint problems.
Geographical distribution
Initially, lavender grew in Provence and in the Mediterranean basin, then the culture spread in Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Russia, Ukraine …) and even in Tasmania or in Canada where mutated plants can now resist frost.
“True” lavender grows at an altitude of 500 to 1,700 m on the sunny slopes of the mountains. The quality of lavender is known to increase with altitude.
In contrast, lavender aspic is harvested in the Mediterranean basin between 0 and 600 m altitude.
The lavender group Stœchas develop around the whole area especially in Andalusia and the southern part of Portugal.
Lavandins are the most cultivated lavender (800 to 1,000 tons of petrol per year) and the most common because they are the most resistant. They develop spontaneously in the south of France. However, there is a decline in the sheltering lavandins and sumian lavandins that are endangered.
Properties
Antitoxic, Antiviral and immune stimulant, Fungicide, Analgesic.
Indications : cutaneous and gynecological mycoses, burns, wounds, ulcers, wasp stings, jellyfish, scorpion, articular rheumatisms, cramps, headaches, migraines
ACTIVE SUBTANCES
Phenolic acids; terpene alcohols: linalool, geraniol; perilic alcohol; coumarin; umbelliferone; tannins; esters; oxides; ketones; aldehydes.
Use and dosage of lavender
DOSAGE
– Micronized dry powder (capsules): 1 to 2 g per day in three doses.
– Dry extract (capsules): 200 to 400 mg per day in three doses.
– In infusion: 2 tbsp. in 150 ml hot water. Up to 3 cups daily between meals to counter or prevent digestive problems and to relieve migraine, dizziness or start of angina.
– Alcoholic: for local frictions in the case of joint pain (morning and evening).
– To cleanse the scalp: in light friction with the fingertips, three times a week.
– In massage oil: 2 to 4 drops per 60 ml of neutral base (for example, sweet almond oil) to relieve pain related to sprains, strains and muscle cramps.
– Inhalation: to counter insomnia and nervousness, 2 to 4 drops poured into a diffuser or 1 or 2 drops on a pad of cotton wool placed in a pillow.
You have 4 choices of recipes:
- One to two drops of peppermint topically. Rub the forehead and temples. Attention to the eyes please. Menthol has a vasoconstrictor effect: this anesthetizes the pain in a few minutes. Renew at ten (10) to thirty (30) minutes if necessary.
- One (1) to two (2) drops of juniper berries and hélychrise. Rub the neck. Renew at ten (10) to thirty (30) minutes if necessary.
- Synergy of essential oils with the doTERRA® Past Tense® (10 ml roll). This synergy contains: basil, coriander, incense, lavender, marjoram, peppermint, Roman chamomile, rosemary and wintergreen. It is used in topical only:Pass the roll on the forehead, the temples and the nape of the neck;Renew at ten (10) to thirty (30) minutes if necessary.
Recipe for broadcast only:
aromatherapy is my drogue for many pathology such as migraine ,nervosity and relaxisis