In October of last year, I went to my acupuncturist about the issues I continue to have with my belly. I have had pain since June of last year, when I had a gallbladder attack, and then subsequently surgical removal of that organ. That surgery seems to have triggered a lot of problems in my abdominal area. One of the issues appears to be scar tissue or adhesions that have grown around other organs.
My acupuncturist suggested a castor oil pack on my stomach. Castor oil packs are very popular with follows of Edgar Cayce, a fellow who is considered by some to be the father of holistic medicine. The castor oil packs his followers advocate are made certain ways and reused.
Cold-pressed castor oil is relatively inexpensive and the castor oil packs as shown on this site seemed rather difficult. I tried it and found it too messy for my prissy little self, because it advocated reusing and dripping castor oil, etc., and generally being icky. Since I couldn't stomach that (ha), I put castor oil on some padding, placed it on my stomach, covered it all with an old plastic bag, put the heating pad on it for an hour or so, and then tossed it all out every time.
While I still have stomach pain so can't vouch for my method as a cure, I have discovered that castor oil has some interesting uses.
1. It softens the skin. In the area where I have used castor oil for any length of time, my skin is very soft.
2. It makes keratosis (old people's barnacles) and/or moles vanish or grow smaller. I discovered this by accident. I had a keratosis on my stomach in the area of my pain, and after using the castor oil for a while, I realized it was gone. So I put castor oil in a few other places where I had what I called moles or other skin irritations, and was amazed to see them clear up.
Those are the two benefits I have specifically derived from castor oil. However, this stuff is apparently good for many things. I do not vouch for any of them and urge you to use castor oil at your own risk if you so desire. Research it well. I would not advise ingesting it although the health food sites that sell it say it can be ingested internally. I am not that brave.
Anywhere, here are other things castor oil may or may not help:
3. Athlete's foot
4. Ringworm
5. Sunburn
6. Acne
7. Skin abrasions
8. Wrinkles
9. Styes
10. Constipation
11. Arthritis
12. Migraines
13. Yeast infections.
Always check with your doctor or health care specialist before using any new product. This is not an endorsement, just something to keep in mind if you're interested in alternative health care.
Thursday Thirteen is
played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a
while and this is my 355th time to do a list of 13 on a
Thursday.
I'm hoping you will find a magic cure for your pain and then I can use it!
ReplyDeleteCastor oil used to be administered (ingested) as a cure-all. The FDA categorizes it as "generally recognized as safe and effective," though I can't say I'd want to swallow it -- especially as it is also use in manufacturing. My T13: Concerts on the Square
ReplyDeleteThis is going to sound weird, but I had adhesions after my cesarean and I didn't know I did but was having awful pain spasms when I moved a certain way. I visited a psychic surgeon from the Philippines and took it out, told me what it was and showed me! I never felt that pain again!
ReplyDeleteI'm adding castor oil to my shopping list right now. I have a bunch of weird little blotches on my skin that the doctor really doesn't care about but that bug me.
ReplyDeletei have heard a great deal of folk loving castor oil ... but doesn't it smell odd?
ReplyDeletehope you are well & are enjoying your summer. thank you for stopping by today. always fun to see a Virginia friend. i was so sad to see Diane left blogging ... if you see her - say hi & a big hug to her from me. thx!! ( :
I drank what my mother called a castor oil cocktail to bring on labor when Kelly was just about two weeks past the due date and the birthing house was not going to let me give birth there after a certain date. It has to be a normal, low risk pregnancy and one of the things that will cause them to make you go to the hospital is delivering too soon or too late. So my mother told me to try this old remedy. I can't remember the exact amounts but it was maybe a quarter cup of castor oil mixed in orange juice. It was nasty! I had to hold my nose to drink it. But almost as quick as I put the glass down, I had my first labor pain. Gave birth a few hours later.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if tea tree oil is related to castor oil? I used that on a sarcoid one of my horses had on his chest. Those can be a pain. They will often spread even after a vet surgically removes them. The look a little like warts or moles and if they're in an area where the saddle or another piece of equipment goes, they can hurt the horse. I was told to keep putting it on every day. Eventually, the sarcoid will look angry but keep going. It did. I got scared and almost stopped. But continued. Then a day or two later it completely fell off. It healed and never came back. It's been about five years now.
I always like to try natural remedies first if I can.