Castor Oil Pack
The Pack Is Back
Castor oil has been used in a variety of ways since ancient times. Poultices and packs are common to folk medicine and all sorts of herbs, foods, oils, and mineral substances have been used externally on the human body to relieve pain and aid bodily functions.
Castor oil is most often recommended in the Cayce readings for external application in the form of packs and as a massage oil.
According to a research report in a recent issue of the Journal of Naturopathic Medicine, castor bean seeds, believed to be 4,000 years old, have been found in Egyptian tombs, and historical records reveal the medicinal use of castor oil in Egypt (for eye irritations), India, China (for induction of childbirth and expulsion of the placenta), Persia (for epilepsy), Africa, Greece, Rome, Southern Europe, and the Americas.
Castor oil is extracted from the castor plant (Ricinus communis). Taken internally it acts as a powerful laxative.
Applied externally or topically. It has unique medicinal actions on the body. It penetrates skin and muscle to reach right into underlying tissue and assists in decongestion and breakdown of inflammatory material through enhancing blood flow and lymphatic flow in the area. This also helps very much in the removal of toxins and the elimination of wastes. Castor oil is also warming to the tissues and this eases stiffness and pain, thus, it is widely used as a massage oil.
The castor oil pack is chiefly recommended to stimulate:
- Eliminations
- Assimilations
- Lymphatic Circulation
- Immune function
- Coordination of organs, glands, and systems
Researchers believe that castor oil packs “enable an expansion of the various circulatory vessels of the lymphatic system” and assist the intestinal lymphatics (lacteals) to “take values from the food and to prepare these values in such a manner that they can be used to revitalize … all the tissues – the entire system.” The lymphatic tissues of the intestinal tract have important functions in the absorption of proteins and fats and in the production of lymphocytes (white blood cells) which are necessary for body defenses and healing mechanisms.
How to Apply a Castor Oil Pack
Materials Needed:
- Castor oil.
- Flannel cloth – wool flannel is preferred, although cotton may be substituted in the case of wool allergy
- Castor Oil Pack Holder – or plastic wrap or plastic sheet, plus bath towel or large elastic bandage, and a few safety pins
- Electric heating pad – or another heating element (these are optional)
Instructions for Use
If you like, you may boil or launder the flannel to remove any impurities, which may remain in the fabric. Fold the cloth into three or four thickness, creating a pad of a size adequate to cover the area to be treated.
If you do not have a Castor Oil Pack Holder, you can improvise with using plastic wrap and a towel (or other binding). If using plastic wrap, cut a somewhat larger piece than the folded flannel. A plastic garbage bag normally works fairly well, but it is best to avoid using plastic grocery bags, as they are usually printed with the store name and that ink usually dissolves and spreads when exposed to castor oil.
Place the cloth on top of the Pack Holder or plastic wrap and saturate it with castor oil.
The cloth should be wet but not dripping.
The saturated cloth should then be placed directly on the skin with the plastic wrap on top of it.
A heating pad is then placed over the top of the plastic wrap on either a low or medium setting. The heat will promote absorption, increase circulation, and help the body to relax. This is generally left in place for approximately one to two hours.
Heat should not be used in conditions where it is normally contraindicated, as in the treatment of appendicitis, diabetic neuropathy, or over the abdomen during pregnancy. Make sure that your plastic covers the entire exterior of the flannel pack, as castor oil is likely to stain any fabric it touches!
The castor oil pack is used during severe flare-ups involving pain, bile system spasms, or severe pain at other sites. This procedure can also be used by arthritis patients over swollen, painful joints.
Always seek medical advice prior to use.
DO NOT use during pregnancy or during menstrual flow.
