Headache and herbal medicine: An ethnobotanical study of Shahrekord, Southwest of Iran

Chronic pain is a common problem that affects the quality of life of patients. Among chronic pains, headache is one of the most common pains. This study is an ethnobotanical study of headache treatment using medicinal plants in Shahrekord region, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province. This study was performed by collecting data using an ethnobotanical questionnaire. Data collection was conducted from 21 April 2017 to 19 February 2018 among 29 traditional therapists. Out of 29 people, 8 were female and 21 male. The results of this study showed that according to the ethnobotanical knowledge of Shahrekord, nine medicinal plant species consisting of Salvia haydragea DC., Astragalus hamosus L., Hyoscyamus kotschyanus Pojark, Hypericum scabrum L., Valeriana officinalis, Origanum vulgare L., Anthemis hyalina DC., Adianthum capillus-veneris L and Dracocephalum multicaule Montbr & Auch belonging to a total of 7 families are used in treating headache. The highest frequency of use was obtained for Salvia haydragea DC. (6%) and Anthemis hyalina DC. (6%). Most plants with anti-headache effect (n: 3) belong to the Lamiaceae family, and the aerial parts (38%) are the most frequently used plant organ for this purpose.This study can provide comprehensive data on clinical remedies based on centuries of experience in the field of headache and thus might lead to perform further clinical trials of these remedies for the treatment of cephalic pain.