Reams of material has been published on the values of castor oil packs for an amazing variety of afflictions, including: uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, headaches, liver disorders, gallbladder inflammation or stones, night-time urinary frequency, inflamed joints, constipation and other intestinal disorders.

Do not use during pregnancy or menstruation.

Lay down some plastic (such as a garbage bag) to protect what you’ll be lying on, and cover with an old towel or sheet for comfort.

Take a piece of any natural fiber material (wool flannel is best*) that will cover you from pubic bone to rib cage (especially make sure you cover the right side of your abdomen) when folded into 3 to 4 layers.  Saturate with castor oil.

Fill a hot water bottle with as hot of water as you can tolerate through the layers of cloth. (I don’t recommend a heating pad, as it disturbs the body’s electromagnetic field.)

Lay face up; lay oil-saturated cloth over trunk, then some plastic to protect the hot water bottle, then the hot water bottle.  Cover yourself with blankets to keep the hot water bottle hot longer.

Leave on at least 45 minutes to an hour, the longer the better.  This is a good time to meditate, do deep breathing, or nap.   Some people have had “miraculous” improvements by sleeping overnight with castor oil packs on, using ace bandages to keep the pack in place.

Castor oil is thick – you may need to use baking soda to cut it when you shower off.  Keep the bottle of castor oil, and the flannel pack in a zip-lock bag, in the refrigerator.   For best results, repeat this 2 – 3 days in a row, then 1 day off, another 2-3 days, 1 day off, etc., for at least 4 – 6 weeks.  Replace the pack after it begins to change color.

*Unrefined castor oil and wool (or cotton) flannel can be purchased here, or ordered from the Heritage Store (1-800-862-2923) or Home Health (1-800-284-9123).