Condition

Tension Headache

Tension headache is the most common kind of headache, a dull, aching pain often felt like a tight band around the head, linked to stress, poor posture and tense neck muscles. Among supplements, peppermint oil applied to the skin has the most support, and trials found headaches improved, about as well as with acetaminophen. Those trials were small, though, so the evidence is moderate at best.

Sources: PMID 8805113; PMID 7954745

Supplements studied: 2
Graded outcomes: 2
Trials: 2
People studied: 73

Evidence by supplement

Strong
Moderate
Limited
Very limited

2 supplements

Peppermint

Peppermint: outcomes studied for Tension Headache
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Headaches Moderate Improvement	Improves (the measure goes down)	Moderate effect	2 studies	73 people
Studies that measured headaches Effectiveness of Oleum menthae piperitae and paracetamol in therapy of headache of the tension typeNervenarzt · PMID 8805113 Effect of peppermint and eucalyptus oil preparations on neurophysiological and experimental algesimetric headache parametersCephalalgia · PMID 7954745
	Irritability	Improves (the measure goes down)			32 people
	Subjective Well-Being	Improves (the measure goes up)			32 people

Menthol

Menthol: outcomes studied for Tension Headache
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People	Studies list
	Headache Pain Topical peppermint oil (10% menthol) as effective as acetaminophen for tension headache	Improves (the measure goes down)	Moderate effect		150 people

Key findings

HeadachesPeppermintImproves (the measure goes down)
Headache PainMentholImproves (the measure goes down)

The Tension-Type Headache Prevention & Relief protocol

2 primary supplements · 6 supporting supplements

Peppermint Oil (Topical)10% peppermint oil in ethanol applied to temples every 15–30 minutes at headache onset
Magnesium400–600 mg daily (citrate, glycinate, or oxide)

See the full protocol

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Grade B

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Studies cited

2 studies from PubMed

Effect of peppermint and eucalyptus oil preparations on neurophysiological and experimental algesimetric headache parametersCephalalgia · PMID 7954745
Effectiveness of Oleum menthae piperitae and paracetamol in therapy of headache of the tension typeNervenarzt · PMID 8805113