This historical analysis reviews ancient Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Mesoamerican, and Chinese Medical practices, focusing on their headache treatments with potential reasoning behind their use. Sources were reviewed from ancient texts, and scientific evaluations of the therapies were described.

Mesopotamian treatments, largely ritualistic e.g. knotting a virgin child’s hair and applying it to the neck, suggest that placebo elements may have been at play. On the other hand, Mesoamerican cultures such as the Olmec empire suggest the use of hallucinogens. Cultures like the Tzeltal Maya, Kamayura, and Uru-Chipaya in ancient Central America and South America recognized migraines and treated them with boiled leaves of payte wamal or herbal infusions applied in the eyes. Chinese Medicine offered long-standing treatments such as acupuncture and herbal formulas many of which are still under scientific evaluation today. Ancient Greco-Roman therapies, such as pastes made from vinegar, oil, and willow bark extract, provided analgesic effects when applied topically. Egyptian headache therapies incorporated herbal pastes (e.g., flour, wood, mint) in addition to rituals using crafted animal figures, linking physical treatment to spiritual healing. Galen’s application of electric torpedo fish for pain relief is comparable to modern TENS therapy. While earlier therapies mostly consisted of rituals involving amulets, progressive adoption of somatic herbal medicine was notable throughout civilization.