Abstract
Parents frequently ask health care professionals to provide “natural” migraine care for their children and often use herbs, minerals, vitamins, and supplements to treat their children’s migraines, thinking that these over-the-counter alternatives are less toxic than prescription medications. The only randomized controlled trial on any alternative treatment for pediatric migraine is for magnesium, and the results were equivocal. Results of two other uncontrolled trials of magnesium, one for migraine and one for episodic tension-type headache, were positive. There is one positive uncontrolled trial each for coenzyme Q10 and Petasites for prevention of pediatric migraine. There are no trials to indicate the safety or efficacy of riboflavin or feverfew for pediatric headache.
Similar content being viewed by others
References and Recommended Reading
Welch KMA, Ramadan, NM: Mitochondria, magnesium and migraine. J Neurol Sci 1995, 134:9–14.
Wang F, Van Den Eeden SK, Ackerson LM, et al.: Oral magnesium oxide prophylaxis of frequent migrainous headache in children: a randomized, double-blind, placebocontrolled trial. Headache 2003, 43:601–610.
Castelli S, Meossi C, Domenici R, et al.: Magnesium in the prophylaxis of primary headache and other periodic disorders in children [in Italian]. Pediatr Med Chir 1993, 15:481–488.
Grazzi L, Andrasik F, Usai S, Bussone G: Magnesium as a preventive treatment for paediatric episodic tension-type headache: results at 1-year follow-up. Neurol Sci 2007, 28:148–150.
Peikert A, Wilimzig C, Kohne-Volland: Prophylaxis of migraine with oral magnesium: results from a prospective, multi-center, placebo-controlled and double-blind randomized study. Cephalalgia 1996, 16:257–263.
Facchinetti F, Sances G, Borella P, et al.: Magnesium prophylaxis of menstrual migraine: effects on intracellular magnesium. Headache 1991, 31:298–301.
Pffafenrath V, Wessely P, Meyer C, et al.: Magnesium in the prophylaxis of migraine—a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Cephalalgia 1996, 16:436–440.
Cady RK, Farmer K, Altura BT, et al.: The effect of magnesium on the responsiveness of migraineurs to a 5-HT1 agonist [abstract]. Neurology 1998, 50(Suppl 4):A340.
Mauskop A, Altura BT, Cracco RQ, Altura BM: Intravenous magnesium sulfate relieves migraine attacks in patients with low serum ionized magnesium levels: a pilot study. Clin Sci (Lond) 1995, 89:633–636.
Mauskop A, Altura B: Role of magnesium in the pathogenesis and treatment of migraine. Clin Neurosci 1998, 5:24–27.
Bigal ME, Bordini CA, Tepper SJ, Speciali JG: Intravenous magnesium sulphate in the acute treatment of migraine without aura and migraine with aura. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Cephalalgia 2002, 22:345–353.
Hershey AD, Powers SW, Vockell AL, et al.: Coenzyme Q10 deficiency and response to supplementation in pediatric and adolescent migraine. Headache 2007, 47:73–80.
Sandor PS, Di Clemente L, Coppola G, et al.: Efficacy of coenzyme Q10 in migraine prophylaxis: a randomized controlled trial. Neurology 2005, 64:713–715.
Rozen TD, Oshinsky ML, Gebeline CA, et al.: Open label trial of coenzyme Q10 as a migraine preventive. Cephalalgia 2002, 22:137–141.
Sheftell F, Rapoport A, Weeks R, et al.: Montelukast in the prophylaxis of migraine: a potential role for leukotriene modifiers. Headache 2000, 40:158–163.
Thomet OA, Wiesmann UN, Schapowal A, et al.: Role of petasin in the potential anti-inflammatory activity of a plant extract of Petasites hybridus. Biochem Pharmacol 2001, 61:1041–1047.
Pothmann R, Danesch U: Migraine prevention in children and adolescents: results of an open study with a special butterbur root extract. Headache 2005, 45:196–203.
Grossman M, Schmidramsl H: An extract of Petasites hybridus is effective in the prophylaxis of migraine. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther 2000, 38:430–435.
Lipton RB, Gobel H, Einhäupl KM, et al.: Petasites hybridus root (butterbur) is an effective treatment for migraine. Neurology 2004, 63:2240–2244.
Schoenen J, Jacquy J, Lenaerts M: Effectiveness of highdose riboflavin in migraine prophylaxis. Neurology 1998, 50:466–470.
Maizels M, Blumenfeld A, Burchette R: A combination of riboflavin, magnesium, and feverfew for migraine prophylaxis: a randomized trial. Headache 2004, 44:885–890.
Hepinstall S, White A, Williamson L, Mitchell JRA: Extracts of feverfew inhibit granule secretion in blood platelets and polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Lancet 1985, i:1071–1074.
Johnson ES, Kadam NP, Hylands DM, Hylands PJ: Efficacy of feverfew as prophylactic treatment of migraine. Br Med J 1985, 291:569–573.
Vogler BK, Pittler MH, Ernst E: Feverfew as a preventive treatment for migraine: a systematic review. Cephalalgia 1998, 18:704–708.
Pfaffenrath V, Diener HC, Fischer M, et al.: The efficacy and safety of Tanacetum parthenium (feverfew) in migraine prophylaxis—a double-blind, multicentre, randomized placebo-controlled dose-response study. Cephalalgia 2002, 22:523–532.
Diener HC, Pfaffenrath V, Schnitker J, et al.: Efficacy and safety of 6.25 mg t.i.d. feverfew CO2-extract (MIG-99) in migraine prevention—a randomized, double-blind, multicentre, placebo-controlled study. Cephalalgia 2005, 25:1031–1041.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tepper, S.J. Complementary and alternative treatments for childhood headaches. Current Science Inc 12, 379–383 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-008-0064-8
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-008-0064-8