How Ancient Healers Treated Headaches
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Long before aspirin, ibuprofen, or MRI machines, people around the world still suffered from one of the most common human ailments: headaches. And while ancient cultures didn’t have modern medicine, they weren’t short on creativity when it came to relief.
From spiritual rituals to natural remedies and even some truly bizarre methods, ancient healers tackled headaches in ways that combined science, tradition, and mysticism. Let’s journey back in time to explore how different civilizations approached head pain — and what their remedies reveal about early medicine.
How Ancient Healers Treated Headaches
Here are some of the ways ancient cultures attempted to treat or explain headaches:
- Trepanation – Ancient Worldwide: This was the practice of drilling or scraping a hole in the skull to relieve pressure or release “evil spirits.” While it sounds horrifying, many trepanned skulls show signs of healing, meaning patients sometimes survived — and possibly even improved.
- Herbal mixtures – Ancient Egypt: Egyptian healers used combinations of herbs such as willow bark (a natural source of salicin, similar to aspirin), mint, and henbane. Remedies were often ground into pastes or brewed into teas and applied to the temples or ingested.
- Incantations and amulets – Mesopotamia: Babylonian texts mention headaches caused by angry gods or spirits. Healing involved chanting spells, burning incense, and using protective charms — a fusion of spiritual belief and early medicine.
- Acupuncture – Ancient China: Traditional Chinese medicine used acupuncture to balance the flow of qi (life energy). Specific points on the head and neck were targeted to relieve tension and restore internal harmony.
- Aromatherapy and massage – Ancient India: Ayurvedic healers relied on head massage with medicated oils like eucalyptus or sandalwood to soothe pain. In some cases, heat therapy or herbal compresses were used.
- Cold compresses – Ancient Greece and Rome: Physicians like Hippocrates recommended cold cloths and applying crushed herbs (like chamomile) to the forehead. Greek medicine often linked headaches to imbalances in bodily fluids or “humors.”
- Dietary prescriptions – Multiple Cultures: Many ancient traditions advised avoiding specific foods or drinks thought to “aggravate the brain,” such as fermented alcohol, pungent spices, or aged cheeses.
Behind the Scenes
Headaches have always been a puzzle because they don’t leave visible marks. Without X-rays or scans, ancient doctors had to rely on patterns, intuition, and trial-and-error. Often, physical symptoms were interpreted through spiritual or religious frameworks — pain was thought to be punishment, imbalance, or even demonic influence.
Despite the mystical interpretations, some ancient practices weren’t far off from modern science. Willow bark, used in many traditions, is chemically similar to aspirin. Acupuncture and massage are still common treatments today, with increasing scientific support.
Why It’s So Intriguing
It’s fascinating to see how different civilizations — separated by oceans and centuries — came up with overlapping solutions to the same problem. Whether it was cold compresses in Greece or oil massage in India, the universal human experience of pain drove innovation.
Moreover, headache treatment reveals how medicine evolved from superstition to science. Ancient healers may not have had microscopes, but they observed, adapted, and sometimes discovered lasting remedies through sheer necessity.
From Experts & Explorers
Dr. Piero Marconi, a historian of ancient medicine, explains: “Headaches were one of the most commonly recorded ailments in ancient texts. What’s remarkable is how many early treatments had real pharmacological value — even if the logic behind them was myth-based.”
He notes that while trepanation seems barbaric, some archaeologists believe it may have relieved cranial pressure caused by injury or infection. “They didn’t understand the brain, but they saw results — and that was enough.”
What Most People Don’t Know
- Ancient shamans in South America used psychedelic plants to “communicate” with spirits and diagnose headache causes.
- Romans used electric fish (yes, really!) placed on the head as a form of early electrotherapy for migraines.
- Ayurvedic tradition includes “Nasya” therapy — oil drops placed in the nose to treat chronic sinus headaches.
- Chinese herbalists recorded over 100 formulas targeting different types of headaches based on origin — tension, digestion, weather, or emotions.
Bonus Fact
In Viking tradition, headaches were thought to be caused by spirits invading the skull. One recorded remedy included placing an onion in boiling vinegar and inhaling the vapors while chanting to drive the spirit out.
Takeaway
Headaches may feel modern — the result of screen time, stress, and sleep deprivation — but they’ve plagued humans forever. Ancient treatments were shaped by culture, belief, and survival, revealing how people understood the body in an age before science.
While we now have painkillers and neurologists, many old-school remedies still resonate. A cup of mint tea, a soothing massage, or a moment of meditation aren’t so different from what our ancestors sought — simple relief from one of life’s most ancient pains.
