You can treat tension headaches with the same herbs and nutrients used for muscle spasms, especially magnesium and kudzu root. However, in many cases this may not be sufficient. The tension is often internal, so successful treatment requires herbs that relax us internally. Use herbs from the nervine group, like kava root, milky oat seed, scullcap, and white peony root. Chinese doctors also like to use chrysanthemum flowers, which combined with peppermint leaves and ginger root makes an excellent tea for tension headaches. You can get dried chrysanthemum flowers at your local oriental grocery store or health food store.
Postural imbalances in the spine and lower parts of the body are often neglected or overlooked causes of tension headaches. Misalignment prompts the upper neck and shoulders to increase tension to improve stability. Such external tensions can be treated with the same herbs and external methods mentioned in the section on muscle spasms.
