Headaches
Research
Diet & Lifestyle
Peppermint
and Eucalyptus Oil & Headache
Research
at the Neurological Clinic, University of Kiel, in Germany has
demonstrated that essential oils of peppermint and eucalyptus can have
significant benefits for headache sufferers.
Peppermint oil and
eucalyptus oil preparations were found to have benefical
neurophysiological and psychological effects on 32 healthy subjects in a
double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized cross-over design study.
Four different preparations
were applied to large areas of the forehead and temples using a small
sponge and their effect was then evaluated. The combination of peppermint
oil, eucalyptus oil and ethanol increased cognitive performance and had a
muscle-relaxing and mentally relaxing effect, but had little influence on
pain sensitivity. However, peppermint oil and ethanol combined produced a
significant analgesic effect with a reduction in sensitivity to headache.
The researchers concluded that the essential oil preparations can be shown
by laboratory tests to exert significant effects on the body’s
mechanisms associated with headaches.
Gobel H; Schmidt G; Soyka
D. Effect of peppermint and eucalyptus oil preparations on
neurophysiological and experimental algesimetric headache parameters.
Cephalalgia (NORWAY) Jun 1994, 14 (3) p228-34
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Headache
tablets
Headaches may be
caused by headache tablets! Chronic daily headaches have been linked to
over-use of headache tablets according to Dr Timothy Steiner, consultant
at Charing Cross hospital. Many over-the-counter analgesics commonly used
by patients to alleviate headaches should carry a warning that they could
actually cause headaches! Dr Steiner says that withdrawing painkillers
taken for headaches often cures the headaches themselves.
Health Which Feb 1996
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