Feverfew, Ginger: Effective for Migraine?

Are feverfew and ginger effective for migraines? Migraines can cause much disability, which is why people often look to alternative medicine for migraine pain relief when conventional Western medicine fails. However, is feverfew or ginger an effective migraine treatment? Let’s see what the best research has to say.

What is the most recent research on feverfew and ginger as migraine treatment?

In a randomized, double blind, placebo control (RDBPC) study by Cady et al, feverfew and ginger were found to be effective for mild headaches.

In the study, there were about 45 participants who complained of headaches. They were divided into two groups: one group received a preparation of feverfew and ginger, while the other groups received placebo, which had no active ingredients.

Was the above study reliable?

An RDBPC study, such as the one above, is the best study design because it eliminates bias. However, all studies, regardless of design, should be evaluated for other flaws.

What were the flaws of the feverfew and ginger study?

Several flaws were found in the study that determined the effectiveness of feverfew and ginger for migraines. Some are listed below:

• Randomization was incomplete. That means that although the researchers tried their best to group the patients without bias (without meaning to favor either the group receiving the treatment or the group receiving the placebo), those with less severe headaches were actually grouped under the feverfew plus ginger group. It would then suggest that because they had less severe headaches, they would also experience less pain after treatment with ginger and feverfew compared to placebo – and that lead to a false conclusion that ginger and feverfew are effective for migraines.
• Almost 17 percent of the participants might have discovered if they were receiving placebo or the actual feverfew + ginger combination. This was due to the difference in taste between the placebo and the feverfew-ginger combination. That would also influence their perception of what was effective and what wasn’t.

Does that mean that ginger and feverfew are not effective for migraine treatment?

No; it simply means that the study was flawed and that a better design is necessary to come up with reliable findings. The above study by Cady et al was a pilot study, so more studies should be done to supplement or improve its findings.

Is alternative medicine effective for migraines?

There is no magic bullet for migraines. Western medicine recommends that treatment be based on evidence gleaned from research; Eastern medicine, on the other hand, relies on cultural beliefs and anecdotal (story-based) evidence. However, Western Integrative Medicine (WIM) is on the rise, promoting the idea that Eastern medicine may be effective, and that they should be thoroughly researched based on Western medicine theories. Already, much about Eastern or alternative medicine is being proven (or disproven) as effective natural pain remedies.

It is not yet certain whether feverfew and ginger are effective in providing natural pain relief from migraines. The study mentioned above provides optimistic results, but the study was flawed. It may be best to stick to proven remedies; however, new research just might prove that feverfew and ginger provide natural relief from migraines in the future, fingers crossed.

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Sources:
Cady R, Goldstein J, Nett R, Mitchell R, Beach ME, Browning R. A DBL-blind controlled pilot study of sublingual feverfew and ginger in the treatment of migraine. Headache. 2011;51:1078–1086.