Expert Column
Amy Bader, ND 
Amy Bader, ND, practices naturopathic medicine in Portland, Oregon, and will soon begin practicing...read more
Articles In This Column
- How 'Bout Some Good Press for Cholesterol?
- The Trouble with Heart Disease
- Stomaching Stomach Acid: A Simple Solution
- Sit Down, Oil Up, and Heal Your Body: The Wonder of Castor Oil Packs
- Peripheral Neuropathy: Treating it the Natural Way
- The Skinny on Type 2 Diabetes: Part 1 of 2
- The Skinny on Type 2 Diabetes: Part 2 of 2
- What’s Bugging You? (The One Supplement You Can’t Do Without)
- Inflammation: Good, Bad or all Hype?
- How the 6 Principles of Naturopathy Transformed a Science Geek into a Doctor
Naturopathic Medicine
Comments For "Sit Down, Oil Up, and Heal Your Body: The Wonder of Castor Oil Packs"
So is this kind of like a cleanse??? And I know this sounds like a ridiculous questions, but do you buy this at the drug store?
JFran,
No question is ridiculous! Thanks for asking it. You can get castor oil and flannel packs in most health food stores or online. It does “cleanse†the body in that it stimulates the liver and gastrointestinal system to work a little more efficiently. It is said to stimulate the immune system as well. In general, it is part of a wellness regime, whether you are working toward optimal health or wanting to maintain it.
Question: I'd like to shrink some fibroids but I thought that some conventional therapies try to starve the fibroid from blood to nourish it. I'm concerned that caster oil will bring the fibroids more blood. I've also been bleeding steadily (herbs are helping with that) but wouldn't want to make myself bleed more again. Thanks for your help.
I find the Caster Oil remedy very fasinating. I only learnt about it recently and I plan to use it every day if possible.
Heather
Laura,
Thank you so much for your comment. Castor oil packs reduce inflammation and enhance liver health, and this is very helpful in the treatment of fibroids. However, when you are bleeding, it is best do the pack without heat and to limit the time of the pack to 10 minutes or less per day. Please use your best judgment.
Thanks, I'll try it!
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I am 78 and have been putting castor oil under my chin to help hard lumps [? salivery glands or lymph?] I also put it on my face every night to help brown growths... Since starting , I have been not feeling good. I also use chlorella and lately , dissicated liver, adrenal caps, pancreatic caps and pituatery caps. Do you think all this is releasing too many toxins into my blood or what?
Joan,
You may be experiencing a detoxification reaction from the castor oil as well as the other supplements you are taking. I hope you have had the hard lumps under your chin evaluated by a licensed health practitioner. If you have not, I strongly encourage you to do so as soon as possible. In the mean time, you may want to take a break from the castor oil and see how you feel. You can always start it up again, but may want to consider leaving it on for shorter intervals of time.
Take care,
Amy Bader, ND
I just wanted to say THANK YOU for this information on castor oil, I bought some recently, not really knowing WHY I did, and now I will use it as instructed above, Thank you!
Though w/o diabetes, I've been diagnosed w/peripheral neuropathy. Looking for a way to relieve myself of the numbness, pain & swelling in my ankles/feet, I've purchased the suggested; fish oil, ginkgo biloba, nettle, CoQ10 and NAC but what is the suggested dose for each? Having taken 2 tablets of the NAC the first day, I experienced great discomfort near my trachea. I took 1 more with food the following day & the experience was the same. I read that discomfort is possible for asthmatics. While I have not been formally diagnosed with asthma, I do use an inhaler when exposed to smoke or chemical odors. Must I discontinue the NAC or is there a subtler way to introduce the use?
Thank you
Sandy,
It sounds like the NAC is not a great fit for you. You may want to try something else, such as Alpha-lipoic Acid. Since I am not familiar with your case, it is best you follow dosage guidelines on the packaging of the supplements you purchase. I hope this helps.
Take care—
Amy Bader, ND
Ihave heard some talk about the oil, I started rubbing it on my elbows ethey hurt at night I added peper to it and the elbows feel better, and also on a knee that is hurting me a little, it velt like new. The person said put th e oil on the huting part and work the oil into the joints, yesl it felt better, so I rub the oil on when I get out o the tub all over my body.I will be keeping my eye ope n for other healing remedies with this oil.,h ow wonderful.
I just want to confirm to everyone out there that Castor Oil is indeed a wonderful healer. I used it this summer when I had taken ill when I was on holiday. My husband has been suffering with terrible discomfort at the back of his left buttocks and down the same thigh. I thought this to be a stretched Sciatica nerve, so I was rubbing him with a linament as he does not like ro take pain medication. Anyway, last night I rubbed him with Castor oil and he woke up this morning without pain and feeling so much better. I will do it again tonight. Castor Oil is indeed a wonderful healer, and I hope that I can help someone out there by just writing this comment.
Will Castor Oil help Carpal Tunnel and would you just rub it on the wrist or use a pack on the wrist area? Also is it ok for breast feeding moms to use Castor Oil externally. Will the oil packs act as a colon cleanse
I am pretty sure there will be less discomfort. Though the answer to CTS is really resting of your overworked hands. Try it let us know what it did for you.
Heather Marshall Negahdar 24-01-09
how does the castor oil packs work for endometriosos?
Hi, Can you let me know how I can reduce body heat with castor oil? Is it possible? As a result of body heat, i have hair fall and very irritable.
Thank you all for your comments. I am pleased to hear people are trying castor oil packs as part of their healing regimes. Here are the answer to your questions:
For the treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (or the treatment of any other area of pain and inflammation in the body) you can either rub the oil on the area or apply a small pack. Many people report improvements in their symptoms, so it can not hurt to try it.
Castor oil helps to move blood and lymph, and can help to detoxify the body. If applied daily over the abdomen it can be very helpful in aiding the liver and gastrointestinal system to cleanse themselves.
It is a judgment call as to whether or not a breast feeding mom should use the pack simply because it may release toxins into the blood stream, and ultimately into the breast milk.
Castor oil packs have long been used for all kinds of hormonal problems, including endometriosis. Remember it can increase your flow during menses.
Hello, thanks for your help here. I am just starting on the castor oil packs.I am using them for the liver and to cleanse the colon. Can you tell me how long before I see any results?
Again, thank you....Peggy
I have had a doctor check my lumps on the neck under the chin.... I have been pretty faithful about putting on the castor oil. How long do you feel it will be before I see a lessoning in the lumps?. What happens to the lymph when the lumps lesson? thanks
Hima,
I am not sure what you mean by “body heat.” Are you referring to inflammation in your body, or are you actually feeling hot? Either way, castor oil packs are a valuable tool for enhancing your overall health (and mood.)
Peggy,
The castor oil packs take time to do their job. Apply them daily for a month or two, then you can reduce the frequency.
Joan,
You should start to notice changes in a month or two. If not, you may need more aggressive holistic care. In addition, I would strongly recommend an anti-inflammatory diet. You can start by avoiding wheat, dairy, sugar, artificial sweeteners, caffeine, and alcohol.
Take care—
Amy
Will castor oil work for thinning hair at top of scalp?
I had a lump on the surface of my left breast (I have Stage IV breast cancer).
I have been using a castor oil pack on my breasts for the past couple of months (6 days a week) and the lump is gone.
I was scheduled for an ultrasound and biopsy and the doctor could not detect the lump. She said my breast looked healthy and thought it was just fatty tissue, so I didn't need a biopsy.
Castor oil packs really work.
Karen