If you rarely have a headache, consider yourself
lucky. Most Americans contend with headaches ranging from
occasional and bothersome to chronic and debilitating. Each year,
millions of Americans visit their doctors in search of treatments
to get rid of or to prevent headache pain. Fortunately, more than
85% of headaches respond to proper treatment.
PRIMARY PAIN
In most cases headache pain is primary. That is,
it is not related to a separate, underlying condition. Only 5% to
10% of headaches are secondary or the result of other factors such
as head injury, sinuses, allergies or other more serious
conditions.
HOW HEADMED™ CAN HELP
HeadMed™ contains Petasides Hybridus (butterbur)
which is a perennial shrub found throughout Europe as well as
parts of Asia and North America and that has been used medicinally
for centuries. Currently, the primary therapeutic uses for
Petasites Hybridus are for prophylactic treatment of migraines,
and as an antispasmodic agent for chronic cough or asthma. It has
also been used successfully in preventing gastric ulcers, and in
treating patients with irritable bladder and urinary tract spasms.
(1)
ACTIVE CONSTITUENTS AND MECHANISM OF ACTION
Extracts of Petasites Hybridus are prepared from
the rhizomes, roots, and leaves. The main active constituents are
petasin and isopetasin. Petasin is responsible for the
anti-spasmodic properties of the plant by reducing spasms in
smooth muscle and vascular walls, in addition to providing an
anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting leukotriene synthesis.
Prostaglandins are important mediators in the inflammatory process
and isopetasin's positive impact on prostaglandin metabolism
contributes to the effectiveness of Petasites extracts.
The active constituents of Petasites Hybridus
have an antispasmodic effect on vascular walls and appear to have
an affinity for cerebral blood vessels. As a result, the ability
of HeadMed™ to reduce smooth muscle spasm suggests it may be a
useful therapeutic tool in terms of its anti-inflammatory
properties.
