If you are one of the 29.5 million Americans who suffer from migraines, then you know how painful and debilitating these extreme headaches can be.

The latest American Academy of Neurology/American Headache Society guidelines recently released an outline of effective treatments that can prevent migraine attacks and lessen their severity.

The guidelines reviewed prescription, over-the-counter treatments and complementary treatments. Though specific medications (including some seizure drugs and beta-blockers) were found to be effective during a migraine attack, for those seeking alternative therapies, the guidelines found that the herbal preparation Petasites (also known as butterbur) was effective as a preventive treatment.

Butterbur, a plant in the daisy family, was used by native Americans as a remedy for headache and inflammation and can be taken as a supplement or tea.

According to Stephen D. Silberstein of the Jefferson Headache Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, “Studies show that migraine is underrecognized and undertreated. About 38 percent of people who suffer from migraine could benefit from preventive treatments, but only less than a third of these people currently use them. Some studies show that migraine attacks can be reduced by more than half with preventive treatments.”