Buy your prescription tincture blend here. Select the size that you need. At 5ml three times a day: 100ml will last a...
Ease and relax your hardworking joints and muscles. Napiers warming cream is used to comfort muscles, joints, backs a...
Quick moisturising relief from dry, irritated, itchy skin. Moisturises and soothes dry, itchy skin Cools and calms h...
A Cooling, Soothing, Calming Eye Cream for Itchy and Puffy Eyes. Cooling, refreshing, and soothing to puffy, irrit...
A complete blend of friendly bacteria, vitamin D, digestive enzymes & prebiotic fibres
Buy your prescription herbal tea blend here. Select the size that you need. Please enter the following into the Comme...
An Introduction to Essential Oils Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts that are obtained through steam distillation, cold pressing, or other methods. These oils are known for their distinct aromas and therapeutic properties, and ...
Keep Reading
We offer a wide range of high-quality aromatherapy and essential oils, carefully curated from aromatic plants and known for their therapeutic properties. Our collection includes pure essential oils, fragrance oils, carrier oils, and bath oils, amo...
Keep Reading
At Napiers, we are committed to supporting women at every stage of their lives. We understand the unique health needs and challenges that women face, from reproductive health and menstrual health to fertility and pregnancy, hormonal health, and me...
Keep Reading
Managing stress, sleep, and mood are crucial aspects of maintaining overall well-being and mental health. At Napiers, we understand the impact that these factors can have on our customers' lives and offer a range of herbal and natural products to ...
Keep Reading
Alan is a fully qualified Five Element Acupuncturist and has been practising this wonderful system of medicine at Napiers Clinic in the West End of Glasgow for the past 18 years.
Angela practices Herbal Medicine at Napiers Bathgate, Edinburgh & Glasgow, as well as with the Napiers CLAID Clinic.
Audrey is a Medical Herbalist, graduating in 2007 with a BSc (Hons) in Herbal Medicine & Phytotherapy from Edinburgh’s Napier University and is a registered member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (MNIMH). Audrey is a practicing member within the Napiers CLAID Clinic.
As a fully qualified, experienced Holistic Therapist, Bettina works with clients on a one-to-one basis to establish an optimal treatment plan or therapy to best support your skin health and well-being.
Cat offers a range of massage including holistic, deep tissue, trigger point therapy, advanced sports stretching and pregnancy massge.
Claire is an experienced Western Medical Herbalist (BSc), a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH) and works at Napiers online clinic.
Clare is an experienced medical herbalist based in the West Highlands of Scotland, home to deer, livestock, ticks, and Lyme disease. She works for the Napier's CLAID clinic on a Thursday morning.
Clare began training at Edinburgh’s Napier University in 2005, gaining a Bachelor of Science Degree in Herbal Medicine in 2009. She joined the Napiers Clinic team shortly after her graduation, initially working in the dispensary before beginning her herbal practice in 2010. Since then she has been a key member of our clinical team, working alongside Dee Atkinson in running the general herbal clinics, as well as heading the Baby & Child Clinic.
Cybele is a passionate Sophrologist and founder of Chamapola, Healing Yourself - Healing Together.
Dean is a Naturopathic Practitioner experienced in Nutrition and Herbal Medicine. With interests in nerve problems, cardiovascular health, digestive disorders as well as male and female reproductive system wellbeing.
Dee is the senior herbal practitioner at Napiers the Herbalists in Edinburgh. She runs a general medicine clinic with a special interest in women’s health, managing hormonal health and ageing. More recently, Dee set up the Napiers Long Covid Clinic to facilitate an integrated approach between doctors, herbalists and nutritionist to this new disease.
Isabelle has over 20 years helping individuals and couples achieve their fertility goals through nutrition.
Jill is a fully qualified and insured Advanced Clinical Massage Therapist offering Outcome Based Treatments
John is a friendly and experienced counsellor offering 1-1 sessions on Fridays at Napiers Clinic in Edinburgh city centre and online via FaceTime/Skype. He has worked in private practice supporting people for over 18 years and brings a wealth of experience.
Kate is a BANT registered Nutritionist who owns and runs the Edinburgh Clinic of Nutrition. She trained for three and a half years at Patrick Holford's renowned Institute of Optimum Nutrition in London and is currently studying with The Institute of Functional Medicine in the US.
Kim is qualified in Aromatherapy Massage and Indian Head Massage. Working with the needs of her massage clients led to a deeper interest in their health and Kim studied the BSc (Hons) Herbal Medicine degree at Napier University, Edinburgh. Kim is one of the lead herbalists within the Napiers CLAID Clinic and sees many patients.
Kirstin is a fully qualified member of the Society of Homeopaths and holds an RSHom distinction in Classical Homeopathy. Kirstin qualified from the Northwest College of Homeopathy's four-year training course in Manchester.
Lynn is a registered osteopath and has been practicing osteopathy for nineteen years. She studied osteopathy and cranial sacral therapy at the European School of Osteopathy and graduated in 1991. Lynn has a background in physiotherapy and is trained in structural, craniosacral, functional, fascial and visceral osteopathy.
Malgorzata graduated from the College of Naturopathic Medicine where she studied Western Herbal Medicine and Naturopathic Nutrition /Diplomas in Herbal Medicine (2017), Naturopathy (2017), and Naturopathic Nutrition (2020). She is also qualified in KORE Therapy, Anmo-fu - 5 Element Abdominal Massage, Craniosacral Balance and Stress Release Therapy and Cupping. Her first degree is a PhD in History.
Margaret practices Naturopathic Nutritional Therapy at Napiers Edinburgh.
Mark runs the podiatry clinic, offering diagnosis and treatment of various disorders relating to the feet, ankles, legs and lower back. He offers podiatry, chiropody, orthotics and nail surgery.
Mary is a qualified therapist in Swedish, Indian and Thai Foot Massage.
Mary trained in Edinburgh, and has been working as a complementary therapist since 1999, holding diplomas in Clinical Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Therapeutic Massage and Hopi Ear Candling gained from the International Therapy Examinations Council (ITEC). She is a member of, and is fully insured to practice with, the Complementary Therapists Association (CThA).
Melissa qualified from Middlesex University in 2000. She runs a general herbal practice from her boat, The Herbal Barge, which is based on the river Lea in North London. Melissa joined the CLAID Clinic Co-operative to work collaboratively in an integrated and specialised context to support patients with long covid.
Mike is a body worker and NLP Practitioner who is passionate about working with the person as a whole; offering treatments that integrate body and mind.
Monica has a Masters degree in herbal medicine from the University of Central Lancashire. She is the research herbalist heading up the Napiers CLAID Clinic. The CLAID Clinic specialism is Lyme disease Borrelia burgdorferi and co-infections - crypto-infections Bartonella, Babesia, Rickettsia, Erlichia, Anaplasma, Mycoplasma, etc. A research herbalist is not the same as a medical herbalist and Monica does not run a general clinical practice. This allows her to focus on Lyme disease and bacterial and viral infections.
Natasha is an experienced and qualified medical herbalist in Western herbal medicine, a forager and mycotherapist. As well as practicing as part of Napiers' general herbal medicine practice, she also sees patients as part of the CLAID Clinic.
Nikki was awarded a first class honours degree in Herbal Medicine from the University of East London and trained at clinics in Glasgow and London. She was also awarded the Arthur Barker prize for her final examination grades. Nikki also has ITEC Diplomas in Holistic Massage and Aromatherapy. She is a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists which is the UK’s leading professional body representing herbal practitioners. NIMH members follow a strict code of conduct and are committed to ongoing and continual practitioner development and training.
Ona Madorell is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist, graduating with distinction from the College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM). She has further enhanced her expertise through a course in blood test interpretation and a postgraduate program focused on the microbiome.
Pearlyn is a licensed acupuncturist and a registered member of the Acupuncture Society, and is fully insured to practice acupuncture, tuina, cupping and moxibustion.
Rebecca is an Associate Nutritionist, specialising in gut health and women's health, from hormone imbalance to fertility, pregnancy and beyond.
Sara is qualified Medical Herbalist, Ayurvedic Therapist and Yoga teacher, holding an MSc. in Western Herbal Medicine from Middlesex University.
Satya trained at the School of Natural Medicine where she graduated with a Diploma in Healing Diets and additional immersion studies in Herbal Medicine, Healing Diets, Iridology & Naturopathy, Quantum Botanicals and Flower Essences. Satya has a Nonviolent Communication Leadership Certificate with Bay NVC and an MA in European Dance Theatre Practice from Trinity Laban.
Sheila is a Holistic Therapist who qualified in KCR in 2019 with the KCR Academy. After a long career in retail, an ankle injury led her to seek an alternative approach to healing.
Shona has worked at Napiers Clinic for 30 years where she has picked up a wealth of knowledge about various complementary therapies. She trained as a Food Sensitivity tester with The Health Partnership Company, where she was taught how to use the 3 point marker system.
Thanos is an experienced Medical Herbalist and practises as a Herbalist and Orthopaedic Acupuncturist at Napiers in Edinburgh and at Napiers Bathgate.
Wendy qualified in 2002 with a BSc(Hons) in Phytotherapy. Since then she has practiced in Fife, Angus and the Lothians. She is a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists.
Migraine headaches can be caused by a variety of reasons. Food allergies, nutritional deficiencies, low blood sugar, overwork, stress, poor sleep, diet and exercise. Some of the usual suspects include alcohol (particularly beer and red wine), choc...
Some of the usual suspects include alcohol (particularly beer and red wine), chocolate, cheese, caffeine, marinated foods, processed and tinned foods. Sometimes there doesn't seem to be any apparent reason or pattern. There are several herbs that can help that I have talked about below, however I really recommend that you see a qualified medical herbalist to help to get to the bottom of your symptoms.
Feverfew is excellent as a preventative for recurrent headaches. Feverfew's migraine-relieving activity is believed to be due to parthenolide, an active compound that helps relieve smooth muscle spasms. Research has shown that this is probably due to it having a beneficial effect on the platelet clumping implicated in migraines. It is often indicated where the migraine sufferer also experiences allergies or asthma.
The name ‘feverfew’ is less likely to have evolved for an action in lowering feverish temperatures, but more because it eases the aches that often accompany a cold, chill or flu.
In the 1980s, a survey of 270 migraine sufferers in Great Britain found that over 70% felt substantially better after eating an average of 2 - 3 fresh feverfew leaves daily. Another study of a feverfew extract showed the frequency of migraine attacks dropped from 4.76 per month to 1.9 per month. A 3 month study of 49 people found that feverfew combined with magnesium and vitamin B2 provided a 50% decrease in migraine attacks.
The best way of taking feverfew is fresh. The plant is easy to grow in a pot, window box or in the garden, self seeds each year and is hardy and prolific.
Take feverfew regularly as a preventative. Don't suddenly stop taking feverfew if you have taken it for more than 1 week as some people have had withdrawal symptoms such as rebound headache, anxiety, fatigue, muscle stiffness, and joint pain. It is not addictive but the dose should be lowered gradually.
Side effects from feverfew can include abdominal pain, indigestion, flatulence, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and anxiety. Mouth ulcers, loss of taste, and swelling of the lips, tongue, and mouth may occur in some individuals who chew raw feverfew leaves so they are best taken in bread or with food.
Infrequent allergic reactions to feverfew have been reported, mainly by people with allergies to chamomile, ragweed, or yarrow.
Talk to your doctor or medical herbalist first if you are taking:
Ginger root has been valued for centuries for conditions such as nausea, morning and motion sickness, stomach upsets, cold and flu symptoms and also migraine headaches. Strong nausea or vertigo accompanying a migraine attack may be a guiding symptom for the use of ginger.
Personally I think fresh is best and you can add ginger into your daily juice or make as tea.
Side effects of Ginger are minimal. Very high doses (e.g., 6000 mg of dried ginger) on an empty stomach can cause stomach problems but most research studies used 1000 mg of dry powdered Ginger root. This is equivalent to about 10gm (1/3 oz. or about a 1/4 inch slice) of fresh Ginger root. High doses can be more effective initially for pain (e.g. 500-1000 mg 3-4 times a day of dry powder) with the dose lowered to the lowest effective dose in 4-6 weeks.
A Journal of Ethnopharmacology article records a detailed case study in which ginger (600 mg doses with plain water, four times a day, for four days, beginning with first signs of migraine) was effectively substituted for conventional anti-migraine drugs (aspirin, dihydroergotamine). The capsules prevented the onset of the migraine attack if taken at the first onset of symptoms. The patient also introduced fresh ginger into her daily diet and had a marked decline in the number of attacks over a year.
Talk to your doctor or medical herbalist first if you are taking:
Capsicum from the red pepper is a great painkiller. Capsicum cream rubbed into the neck, behind the ears, over the temples can help with a lot of severe headache conditions such as cluster headaches (severe one-sided headache that tends to occur in clusters, repeatedly every day at the same time for possibly several weeks). I personally use a cream containing capsicum and ginger for the weather headaches I often get just before thunderstorms. It is fast acting and my headaches tend to go in 10-15 minutes - around the same time for me as taking paracetamol. Cayenne is also available in tablets and capsules.
Capsaicin is the ingredient extracted from cayenne peppers and used in pharmaceutical creams and gels. It has very powerful pain-relieving properties as it temporarily reduces substance P, a chemical that carries pain messages to the brain. When substance P is depleted, the pain messages no longer reach the brain, and the person feels pain relief.
Capsaicin creams come in different strengths. Some may cause a burning or itching feeling on the skin. Mostly this passes quickly but alway test a new capsaicin cream on a small area of your skin before using it on a large area. And always wash your hands after applying it and keep it out of your eyes! Natural capsicum creams are less likely to cause irritation.
Capsaicin capsules may cause stomach irritation and people with ulcers or heartburn should be wary of this. People who are allergic to latex, bananas, kiwi, chestnuts, and avocado sometimes also have an allergy to cayenne.
Talk to your doctor or medical herbalist first if you are taking:
Many migraines are triggered by foods. The most common culprits in order of frequency are: Cows milk, Wheat, Chocolate, Eggs, Oranges, Benzoic acid, Cheese, Tomato, Tartrazine, Rye, Rice, Fish/Shellfish, Grapes, Onion, Soy, Pork, Peanut, Alcohol, MSG (monosodium glutamate), Walnuts, Beef, Tea, Coffee.
There is little logic in this list and it is worth doing a total detox to identify your own culprits. After 3 - 5 days of abstinence from solid food, sustained by vegetable juices, introduce foods slowly one at a time, day by day. Your body will quickly tell you what it is reacting to.
Other herbs used in the treatment of headaches include Skullcap ( Scutellaria laterifolia) and anti-spasmodic that helps especially where headaches are accompanied by irritability; Valerian ( Valeriana officinalis) especially where headaches are accompanied by anxiety and worry; Butterbur ( Petasites hybridus); Jamaica dogwood ( Piscidia piscipula) and others.
One of the advantages of having a consultation with a qualified medical herbalist is that there are many other herbs which can be dispensed to suit your particular condition. No two people experience their symtoms in exactly the same way.
Magnesium: 250-400 mg three times per day
Vitamin B6: 25 mg three times per day
5-HTP: 100-200 mg three times per day
TENS
Acupuncture
Biofeedback
Cranosacral therapy
Osteopathy
Ideally, your first step should be to discuss your migraines with your doctor or a medical herbalist.
By Monica Wilde. May 2011.
References
Feverfew and Ginger - Compound for acute treatment of migraine Cady RK, Schreiber CP, Beach ME, Hart CC. Gelstat Migraine (sublingually administered feverfew and ginger compound) for acute treatment of migraine when administered during the mild pain phase. Med Sci Monit. 2005 Sep;11(9):PI65-9.
Epub 2005 Aug 26.
PubMed PMID: 16127373.
Feverfew and Ginger - Double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study Cady RK, Goldstein J, Nett R, Mitchell R, Beach ME, Browning R. A double-blind placebo-controlled pilot study of sublingual feverfew and ginger (LipiGesic™ M) in the treatment of migraine. Headache. 2011 Jul-Aug;51(7):1078-86.
Epub 2011 Jun 1.
PubMed PMID: 21631494.
Feverfew - Prophylactic treatment of migraine Prusiński A, Durko A, Niczyporuk-Turek A. [Feverfew as a prophylactic treatment of migraine]. Neurol Neurochir Pol. 1999;33 Suppl 5:89-95. Polish.
PubMed PMID: 10719691.
Feverfew - Efficacy and safety Ernst E, Pittler MH. The efficacy and safety of feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium L.): an update of a systematic review. Public Health Nutr. 2000 Dec;3(4A):509-14. Review.
PubMed PMID: 11276299.
Feverfew- Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial Murphy JJ, Heptinstall S, Mitchell JR. Randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial of feverfew in migraine prevention. Lancet. 1988 Jul 23;2(8604):189-92.
PubMed PMID: 2899663
Capsaicin - Topical application for migraine pain Cianchetti C. Capsaicin jelly against migraine pain. Int J Clin Pract. 2010 Mar;64(4):457-9.
PubMed PMID: 20456192.