Kava isn’t a cure for anything, but the questions was asked “Can Kava Cure Migraine Headaches?” enough times that we felt the need to write a brief informative article about it.
A migraine is neurological syndrome that includes severe headaches, nausea, and altered body perceptions; migraine headaches are only one piece of this puzzle. Migraine headaches, characterized by independent pulsations and throbs, are a condition found more often in women than in men and can last up to 72 hours or more. Symptoms of migraine headaches can include increased sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, and vomiting. Some people who experience migraine headaches say they perceive an aura, unusual sensory experiences, soon before their migraine headaches occur. It is more common, however, for a sufferer to experience migraine headaches without seeing an aura.
There are many theories as to what causes migraine headaches. Some studies show migraine headaches to begin when blood vessels in the brain contract and expand inappropriately, which can cause the blood vessels to dilate and become permeable; this allows fluid to leak out and chemicals to be released in the brain to fight inflammation. As the heart beats, blood is sent to the area and causes throbs of pain. Low serotonin levels in the brain could be a cause of migraine headaches as constriction and dilation of blood vessels are a result of having such low levels. Other theories show food is a cause of migraine headaches. Many sufferers report migraine headaches after eating foods containing gluten, which could indicate an undiagnosed gluten sensitivity or intolerance in the sufferer. Other food-related causes of migraine headaches may include Aspartame, MSG, Tyramine, alcoholic beverages, caffeine withdrawal, chocolate, cheese, and red wine. While some of these causes are disputed in medical studies, it is important to note that a sufferer should avoid specific foods that they notice bring on migraine headaches and consult their physician.
Preventative treatment of migraine headaches can include, as previously mentioned, trigger avoidance; that is, avoiding any factors that bring on migraine headaches. In some studies, patients going on a gluten-free diet drastically reduced frequency of migraine headaches. Some researchers posit that many migraine headache sufferers in fact have celiac disease, gluten intolerance. The most common prescription drugs used in treating migraine headaches include beta-blockers, anticonvulsants, and antidepressants. Herbal and nutritional supplement that have been found to be effective in treating or preventing migraine headaches include butterbur, cannabis, coenzyme Q10, feverfew, kava kava, magnesium citrate, melatonin, riboflavin, and vitamin B12. It is advised, however, to consult a medical professional before self-diagnosing and attempting to treat any medical condition.
Kava and Headaches
So what’s the bottom line?
As quoted above, Kava is in the list of natural aids to migraine sufferers. But, no dietary supplement can make any claims on being a cure for anything. So, can Kava cure migraine headaches? In a word; “No.”
Can it help alleviate any of the symptoms of headaches or migraines specifically?
As of this writing, we haven’t found any articles that have tried to use Kava as an aid for headaches. I’ve read various internet articles that cite Kava Kava as one of the effective means of combating migraines, but I’ve been unable to find a scientific paper that corroborates this often-made claim. I’m very interested to hear anyone who suffers from migraines to share their stories in the comments below. In exchange, we’ll send you a free package of one of our Instant Kava mixes. And I know, this opens us up to people making up stories just to get free Kava, but we trust our readers, and ask for a little honesty.
I use Kava on a regular basis in the treatment of chronic migraines – I have been a sufferer of chronic and regular migraine headaches for over 25 years. Kava, in combintation with avoiding dietary triggers and excessive sleep deprivation along with semi-regular treatment from my osteopath who specialises in the Watson headache technique has been the most effective treatment I have come across. I have gone from 2-3 migraines weekly down to 1 migraine monthly at the worst, I would highly reccomend Kava. Stress is one of my largest triggers for migraines, and given the research into kava for generalised anxiety disorder, I feel this is a most likely explanation for such great success. I am also a Naturopath, so I did have prior clinical understanding of the use of Kava as an anxiolytic and muscle relaxant.
I started taking kava around 6 weeks ago along with melatonin and l-tryptophan and magnesium citrate. I have taken all these supplements before over the years but not all at the same time except for kava. This has been my first time taking kava. My head used to always have dull pain daily in my migraine spots, especially on my right side. I would try so hard from keeping the migraine to becoming full blown. It had been this way for years. Since I started taking this combination, the constant dull pain has gone. Also, my neck isn’t so tight anymore. I really believe the kava is helping me.