Medical evaluation is strongly recommended before self-treating with kava. There is some evidence that kava can help insomnia . It has also been proposed as a treatment for tension headaches and as an aid to alcohol withdrawal. There have been five meaningful studies of kava, involving a total of about 400 participants. The HAM-A assigns a total score based on such symptoms as restlessness, nervousness, heart palpitations, stomach discomfort, dizziness, and chest pain.
Lower scores indicate reduced anxiety.
Participants who were given kava showed significantly improved scores beginning at 8 weeks and continuing throughout the duration of the treatment. This study is notable for the long delay before kava was effective. Previous studies had showed a good response in 1 week. The reason for this discrepancy is unclear. 18 Improvement in HAM-A scores was about the same in all groups.