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

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Synopsis

Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 2

Belladonna (Atropa belladonna), also known as deadly nightshade, has a long history of traditional use in European herbal medicine for various ailments, including headaches and neuralgic pain. Its use for tension headaches is primarily rooted in 19th and early 20th-century folk and homeopathic practices. Belladonna contains tropane alkaloids such as atropine, scopolamine, and hyoscyamine, which have anticholinergic properties. These compounds can relieve muscle spasms and may theoretically reduce some pain symptoms, which likely contributed to its historical use for tension-type headaches.

However, there is limited scientific validation for Belladonna’s effectiveness in treating headaches, including tension headaches. Most modern clinical studies do not support its efficacy, and the risk of toxicity from the plant’s alkaloids is well-documented. Homeopathic formulations of Belladonna, which are highly diluted, are still marketed for headache relief, but there is no high-quality scientific evidence to confirm these claims. Therefore, its use for headaches is best characterized as traditional, with anecdotal and historical support rather than evidence from rigorous clinical trials.

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