Evidence supporting the use of: Ashwagandha
For the health condition: Headache (tension)

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Synopsis

Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 1

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is primarily used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine as an adaptogen, claimed to help the body adapt to stress and promote overall well-being. Its use for treating or supporting tension headaches is rooted in this traditional framework, where headaches are often attributed to stress, nervous exhaustion, or imbalances in doshas (bodily energies). Ashwagandha is described in classical Ayurvedic texts as a “rasayana” (rejuvenative tonic) and is recommended for conditions associated with stress and anxiety, which can be linked to tension-type headaches. However, there is minimal direct scientific research specifically examining ashwagandha's efficacy for headache relief. A few modern studies suggest ashwagandha may help reduce stress and anxiety, which could potentially reduce the frequency or intensity of stress-related (tension) headaches indirectly, but these studies do not focus on headache as a primary outcome. Overall, while ashwagandha is traditionally used for symptoms that overlap with tension headache triggers (stress, fatigue), robust clinical evidence for its direct use in treating tension headaches is lacking. Therefore, its use for this condition is primarily justified by traditional practices rather than strong scientific validation.

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Other health conditions supported by ashwagandha

Addictions (drugs)
Addictions (general remedies for)
Adrenal Fatigue
Afterbirth Pain
Aging (prevention)
Alcoholism
Allergies (respiratory)
Alzheimer's Disease
Amenorrhea
Anemia
Angina
Anorexia
Anxiety
Anxiety Disorders
Appetite (deficient)
Anger (excessive)
Arthritis
Asthma
Athletic and Exercise Aids
Attention Deficit Disorder
Autoimmune Disorders
Backache
Bedwetting
Body Building
Cancer (natural therapy for)
Cancer (prevention)
Cancer Treatment (reducing side effects)
Cholesterol (high)
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder
Circulation (poor)
Concentration (poor)
Depression
Diabetes
Digestion (poor)
Emotional Sensitivity
Endurance (lack of)
Energy (lack of)
Epilepsy
Erectile Dysfunction
Exercise
Fatigue
Fear (excessive)
Fibromyalgia Syndrome
Goiter
Grief and Sadness
Hair (graying)
Hair (loss or thinning)
Hair Care (general)
Headache (general)
Headache (tension)
Heart (weakness)
Hot Flashes
Hypertension
Hypothyroid
Hysteria
Infertility
Inflammation
Insomnia
Irritability
Leucorrhea
Lyme Disease
Memory and Brain Function
Menopause
Menorrhagia
Menstrual Irregularity
Menstruation (scant)
Mental Illness
Migraine
Miscarriage (prevention)
Mood Swings
Muscle Tone (lack of)
Nervous Exhaustion
Nervousness
Neurosis
Nightmares
Nocturnal Emission
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Osteoporosis
Pain (general remedies for)
Parkinson's Disease
Peripheral Neuropathy
Pets (supplements for)
PMS (general)
PMS Type C
PMS Type D
Post Partum Depression
Post Partum Weakness
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Premature Ejaculation
Prolapsed Uterus
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Sex Drive (low)
Sleep (restless and disturbed)
Stress
Syphilis
Tension
Testosterone (low)
Thinking (cloudy)
TMJ
Tremors
Triglycerides (high)
Tuberculosis
Vitiligo
Weight Gain
Weight Loss
Worry
Wounds and Sores