Ginger is not just a peppery vegetable and spice. It can also be used as a form of pain relief. This vegetable has anti-inflammatory properties that make it so effective against many types of pain and body aches. Aside from preparing it in a form of tincture or tea, you can use it as a hot compress the next time you get a sore spot.
A hot ginger compress is a compress made with a piece of cloth soaked in hot ginger water then applied to the skin. You can greatly benefit from it if you are suffering from physical pain. Some of the benefits you can obtain include alleviating muscle tension, speeding up the healing process in soft tissue damage, and reducing pain brought on by arthritis, rheumatism, and other similar conditions.
According to a study from 2010, hot ginger compresses are highly beneficial for adults with osteoarthritis. Those participants who used compresses while resting in a warm and cozy place reported feeling concentrated and prolonged warmth in their lumbar regions while their bodily stresses gradually ebbed. These effects were mainly because of the ginger’s unique qualities of heat, vitality, anti-inflammation, stimulation, and analgesia. They experienced greater mobility and less pain. Some were even reported to have felt more relaxed and energized.
If you’d like to try out a hot ginger compress, here’s how:
You will need:
120 grams or 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger root
1 cheese grater
1 large towel
2 hand-cloths
1 liter of water
Rubber gloves
1 thin cotton cloth and string
A large pan with a lid
Instructions:
- Fill the pan with water. Bring it to just below boiling point.
- If you will be using some fresh ginger root, grate it until you have approximately a tablespoon of the grated ginger root. If this isn’t available, prepare one tablespoon of powdered ginger.
- Place the grated ginger root or powdered ginger in the cotton cloth and close it with the string. If you used grated ginger root, squeeze out any fluids into the pan.
- Drop the bag into the pan and allow it to infuse for about 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Remove the bag and once again squeeze out the fluids into the pan. Don’t forget to wear rubber gloves at this stage.
You have now your hot ginger water to use in your hot ginger compress. Make sure to keep your ginger water warm by covering the pan when it isn’t in use.
How To Utilize Your Hot Ginger Compress?
Soak one of the hand towels in the ginger water then wringing out any excess before placing it on the area in pain. Do the same with the other hand towel, putting it on top of the first one. Cover both with the larger towel to retain heat and moisture.
After five minutes or when the compress has cooled, repeat the previous steps for 20 to 30 minutes. Don’t panic if your skin will take on a reddish tint after treatment. This is simply an effect of the compress and should go away in no time.
To make the treatment more effective, make sure that your skin doesn’t cool off between steps. You can have a hot ginger compress once a week or every few days until the pain goes away.
