Hot Castor Oil Pack for Pain, Spasming & Bloating

A hot castor oil pack for pain, spasming, and bloating is a healing therapy that should be in everyone’s toolkit. If you haven’t tried this yet, then I strongly encourage you to give it a go – just take a look at this amazing story from a reader who used a hot castor oil pack to save her sister’s life when her bowel was impacted.

I’ve even brought some Castor Oil Kits into the Shoppe to make it easier for you.

Castor oil (extracted from the castor bean) penetrates deep into the tissues and stimulates the lymphatic system, to get the good stuff in and the bad stuff out. As Dr. Carolyn Dean MD ND says:

“Castor oil packs increase circulation to an area and stimulate the lymphatic system to mobilize toxins aiding in detoxification. They are excellent for organ pain, especially of the liver, pancreas and kidneys and help relieve muscle spasms.”

Due to its ability to increase circulation, castor oil also helps to break up adhesions and scar tissue in muscles – which can often be a cause of pain or repeated injury due to restriction.

Hot Castor Oil Pack for Pain, Spasming & Bloating

A castor oil pack has many applications and has also been used in cases such as non-malignant uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, headaches, liver disorders, constipation, diarrhea, intestinal disorders, gallbladder inflammation or stones, poor elimination, inflamed joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons and general detoxification.

Just remember to use a cold-pressed castor oil and 100% cotton flannel (or wool) – no synthetics. You can use either a hot water bottle or a heating pad as the heat source. Here are the detailed instructions – along with an easy method at the end:

Castor Oil Pack Components:

• Cold-Pressed Castor oil.
• Two sheets of plastic (garbage bags OK).
• 1 yard cotton or wool flannel.
• Heating pad (if indicated).
• Large old bath towel.
• 3 safety pins.

Preparing a Castor Oil Pack

1. Fold flannel into three thicknesses to fit over your whole abdomen.
2. Cut a piece of plastic 1-2 inches larger than flannel.
3. Saturate the flannel with gently heated oil, but not so much that it is drippy. Fold it over and squeeze until it is oozing. Unfold.
4. Place plastic and old towel over flannel to prevent staining of surface you will be lying on.
5. Lie down, placing flannel over abdomen, putting fitted plastic over the flannel.
6. Now wrap the towel under you, around your torso and pin with safety pins.
7. Place a heating pad (low heat) or hot water bottle on top of the towel.
8. Rest for 30-60 minutes. Use visualization, meditation, or just sleep. A good time to use castor oil packs is just before bedtime.
9. When finished, it’s best if you don’t get up and walk around and be busy (except to go to the bathroom). Try to stay still and relaxed.
10. If you are doing your pack at bedtime, have a zip-lock baggie next to your bed, and a towel to remove any excess oil and protect your bed sheets. Fold the oily pack up and put it into the baggie, then drop it to the floor till morning. In the morning, put it in the refrigerator.
11. Store the pack in the covered container or baggie in the refrigerator. Remove it from the refrigerator 1-3 hours before you plan to use it, so that it is at room temperature when you are ready to use it.
12. Each pack may be used repeatedly. When it starts to smell stale, make a new pack.

What’s the easy method?

Okay, so if this procedure is way too complicated for you, here’s the easy button:

Apply a generous amount of castor oil to the skin of your abdomen. Cover that with an old cotton t-shirt or other cloth you won’t mind eventually discarding. Lay your heat source (hot water bottle, heating pad) on top of that.

Keep the cloth you use to protect your heat source from the oil to reuse. Eventually it will smell like stale oil, but can be kept for a few weeks at least in a plastic bag. Rest for 30-60 minutes. Stay covered and warm so you can relax. Have a soft cloth or rag handy to catch any oil dripping off your body.

You may want to put a towel or plastic underneath your body so your bed doesn’t get oily. It’s not necessary to have a castor oil pack that you keep in the refrigerator. Just do what works for you.

How often should I use it?

For acute pain, a castor oil pack must be used at least 3 times a week, although 5 times a week may be better (but see Side Effects section below to make sure you’re not detoxing too fast). In cases of long-term chronic pain, it works best to commit to a 6-week treatment period using a castor oil pack 4-5 times per week, then as needed for episodes of pain. It’s also wise to consult with a naturopathic physician for the best frequency of treatment for your specific health problem.

Castor oil pack side effects

The side effects for castor oil usage differ depending on whether you are using it topically (transdermally), or orally (ingesting it).

When taken orally, the digestive side effects include nausea, diarrhea, belly pain, and cramping. And allergic side effects, from topical or oral, can include a rash, hives, or skin irritation.

If you are using castor oil packs frequently, or you already have a high toxin load, or your liver or kidneys are already stressed, then you may also experience nausea, diarrhea or cramping from topical use. This is because castor oil stimulates detoxification – which involves your liver and kidneys. And if your microbiome is unhealthy, then it may increase detox from the GI tract as well (diarrhea is a flushing mechanism).

Castor oil contains 2 compounds with antibacterial and antifungal activity: Ricinoleic acid, the main component of castor oil, disrupts pathogenic bacterial cell membranes, leading to their death. Undecylenic acid inhibits the growth and reproduction of fungi.

Diarrhea is one of the body’s main methods of flushing dead pathogens out of the GI tract. Some pathogens release toxins as they die, which may contribute to nausea or belly pain.

The FDA has approved the use of castor oil as a stimulative laxative (ingested orally). For this reason it was probably included in a colonoscopy test prep I had, for my first and only colonoscopy over 35 years ago. And I highly do NOT recommend drinking 8 ounces of castor oil to clear the bowel – about 9 hours of painful cramping/spasming diarrhea on the toilet followed ingestion!

If you find yourself experiencing unpleasant side effects from castor oil pack usage, then reduce the frequency of use. Give your body more time to deal with the detox load you’re putting it through.

One of my readers combined castor oil with 50% DMSO (as outlined below) and did it daily for 10 days non-stop, she said:

“After a while I experienced cramping but didn’t realize it was from the pack. Then last night I had horrible pain that kept me up all night and diarrhea. Eventually the diarrhea turned bloody.”

While there’s no record of castor oil causing intestinal bleeding, if you’re already suffering ulceration or inflammation in your colon, then an increase in bowel movements alone can trigger bleeding.

Again, a good rule of thumb for people with sensitive systems is: Low & Slow. Give your body lots of time to adjust. And give it time to signal you that you need to ease up, or take a break. A lot of healing takes place during rest periods; you don’t always need to be doing something. Breathe. Rest. Listen to your gut.

Adding DMSO to your castor oil pack

For additional healing benefits (including softening scar tissue), you can also spread a layer of DMSO on your abdomen first, let it dry, and then apply the castor oil pack as per the instructions above.

DMSO must be handled properly though, as it transports everything it comes into contact with into the bloodstream – so be sure and read these safety and handling instructions first.

Make up a 50% dilution of DMSO with either Aloe Vera Juice or filtered water – this means you combine 2 tbsp. 99% DMSO and 2 tbsp. aloe vera or water in a glass bottle, shake well.

Apply to your abdomen using your fingers or a natural hair paintbrush. Let it dry first – but if it starts feeling too itchy, then go ahead and apply the castor oil right away (you can also massage some castor oil in with your fingers to get rid of any itchiness).

*Do not use synthetic anything with DMSO as it will pick up and transport everything it contacts into your skin/bloodstream. Make sure hands and abdomen have been washed with plain soap and water and do not have any creams or fragrance on them.

Remember that DMSO will significantly increase the action of castor oil – it potentiates any substance it’s combined with and drives it almost instantly into tissues, bloodstream, etc. So again, go low & slow, and give your body time to speak and give you feedback.

JINI

Jini Patel Thompson is an internationally recognized expert on natural healing for digestive diseases. She healed herself from widespread Crohn’s Disease and has remained drug and surgery-free for over 25 years. Jini has appeared on numerous podcast, TV, and radio shows throughout the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia, giving people hope and vision for how they can heal their Colitis, Crohn’s, Diverticulitis and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), using entirely natural methods. Her books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold worldwide in over 80 countries. Jini is married with 3 children, 9 sheep, 11 horses, 1 cat, and 3 dogs.