ask your pharmacist

Are there any alternative therapies for migraine headaches?

Some people claim that supplements such as ginger, melatonin, and ginkgo can relieve migraine symptoms, but there’s no good proof of this. Other people have reported that acupuncture and chiropractic treatments can prevent migraine attacks. Most medical experts believe that more research is needed to prove the effectiveness of these treatments.

Some medical research shows that feverfew, riboflavin, and essential fatty acid supplements can prevent migraines. In several small studies, feverfew lowered the number of migraine headaches by 20 to 30 percent. These people took 60 to 800 mg of dried feverfew leaves daily for four months. Standard dosing is usually 50 to 150 mg. In one study, 400mg of riboflavin each day reduced migraine attacks in about 70 percent of people. Another study showed that essential fatty acids—like those found in evening primrose oil and fish oil—reduced migraine attacks in 66 percent of people. These people took 1,800 mg of the supplement and did stress reduction and muscle relaxation exercises daily for six months. Although this information looks promising, more research needs to confirm the long-term safety and effectiveness of these therapies.

Sources:
Vernon, H.T. “The Effectiveness Of Chiropractic Manipulation In The Treatment Of Headache,” Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 18 (1995).
Wagner, W. “Prophylactic Treatment Of Migraine With Gamma-linolenic And Alpha-linolenic Acids,” Cephalgia 17 (1997).
Vogler, B.K. “Feverfew As A Preventative Treatment For Migraine: A Systematic Review,” Cephalgia 18 (1998).
Schoenen, J. "Effectiveness Of High-dose Riboflavin In Migraine Prophylaxis. A Randomized Controlled Trial," Neurology 50 (1998).
Sinclair, S. “Migraine Headaches: Nutritional, Botanical, And Other Alternative Approaches,” Alternative Medicine Review 4 (1999).
Robbers, J.E., and V.E.Tyler. Tyler’s Herbs of Choice: The Therapeutic Use of Phytomedicinals. The Haworth Press, 1999.
The Review of Natural Products. Facts & Comparisons, 2007.
Textbook of Natural Medicine. Churchill Livingstone, 1999.
The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. Pharmacists Letter Inc., 2001.
Medline Plus. Medline, 2007.
Micromedex® Healthcare Series. Thomson Micromedex, 2007.

This answer prepared 8/9/2001.
This information updated 1/4/2007.