Did you ever get fed up of going to the doctor again and again, only to come back with an untreated knee pain? Knee pains are troublesome. Sometimes the medications aren’t effective, and the pain only gets worse. So isn’t there a better alternative to this issue? Yes, there is. And it is castor oil! Castor oil can relieve many conditions. It is antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. Castor oil is widely used topically, to treat a variety of painful conditions like arthritis, sciatica and back pain. Many people with recurring knee injuries and people, who suffer from the aforesaid conditions, swear by the efficacy of castor oil. Do you also want to see how effective castor oil can be in treating your knee pain? Then just use it! But before that, read this amazing post below!
How Effective Is Castor Oil For Knee Pain?
Usually, castor oil is applied topically to joint pains, sciatica and knee pain to help ease the pain and provide relief. You can apply a bit of hot castor oil directly to the knee joint and leave it on for maximum benefits, or you can make a castor oil pack. Let’s look at what we need for a castor oil pack and how to go about making one!
What Do You Need To Make A Castor Oil Pack?
- High-quality castor oil (preferably pale yellow cold-pressed oil)
- A heating pad or a hot water bottle
- Plastic wrap, cellophane tape, plastic sheet, cling film or an empty bin-liner.
- Three ‘1 square foot’ pieces of cotton or wool, or a piece large enough to cover the knee.
- An old towel.
How To Prepare:
- Take the cloth and soak it in hot water.
- Pour some castor oil on it, but make sure the oil is not dripping from the cloth.
- Position the cloth on the sore knee, wrap it up with the cling film to hold it in place.
- Consider wrapping cellophane to prevent oil from spilling on to the sheets. Alternatively, consider using the old towel to prevent oil spills.
- Leave on for 6 to 7 hours.
This castor oil wrap for knee pain will provide long lasting relief. Soon, knee pain won’t be slowing you down any longer (1).
So, How Does The Castor Oil Pack Work?
- Castor oil packs usually increase the number of lymphocytes. The T-cell is a type of lymphocyte that helps increase cell-mediated immunity. The castor oil pack increases the total T-cell count within a 24-hour period. Lymphocytes usually defend the body, creating antibodies for pathogens and toxins.
- T-cells are a type of WBC, designed to repel disease. The T-cell identifies and kills viruses, bacteria, fungi and in some cases even cancer cells. Castor oil packs boost the healing of injuries sustained. The only thing to note is that castor oil should always be applied to the wound, where the skin is not broken (2).
- Recently, pharmaceutical organizations came up with a less sticky, non-oily version of castor oil. Castiva arthritis pain relief is a lotion that provides all the benefits of a castor oil pack. It has been recorded as equally effective in combating knee pain. It is available for sale online on many websites (3). Many pharmacies also stock Castiva, and you can get it from either source. It is made from a castor oil base.
Castiva can be either a cooling or a warming formula. Capsaicin is what lends chillies their signature hot flavor. The warming formula in capsaicin has long been used to treat joint pain. Combining capsaicin with castor oil is a popular way of treating knee pain.
The cooling lotion of Castiva is equally effective, yet it has a different chemical composition than the warming lotion. It contains methyl salicylate/menthol. Menthol is known as a cooling agent, and on being combined with castor oil, it forms Castiva cooling lotion. You can buy it online; it’s usually a tad expensive than the warming lotion (4). A recent study on castor oil has helped determine the efficacy of castor oil for knee joint pain treatment (5).
Castor oil is used to treat a plethora of diseases. We looked at how castor oil can help provide relief from knee pain and arthritic complaints. So, if your knees aren’t what they used to be, and you have more than frequent ‘just the odd niggle’, you may want to consider using castor oil to ease the pain.
