Ginger Root: Home Remedies for aches and pains, menstrual cramps, constipation, motion sickness, crohn's disease, poor circulation, kidney stones, and more...

A few years ago while researching crohn's disease, I was introduced to a Chinese macrobiotic remedy for pain called the "ginger compress." As someone who did not use pain medications for the knife stabbing pain that accompanied this disease, I found the compress to be soothing and used it every day until I got into remission. Not only did it provide wonderful pain relief, it also cleared toxins and stagnation from my intestine, increased nutrient absorption, and increased blood flow to the blood-deprived scar tissue that plagued my intestinal wall.

I then decided to test its effects on back pain, arthritis, and kidney stones and noticed that it helped pass the stones and relieved back and joint pain, sometimes better then the best pain medications (while healing at the same time).

Most may be surprised to know that ginger has been cultivated and used as medicine since the beginning of time. Ginger was first written about in China in 400 B.C., mentioned by Marco Polo in 1280 A.D. and was the most popular import in Europe in the 11th and 13th centuries. Ginger has been used to treat all sorts of ailments such as: indigestion, flatulence, diarrhea, stomach aches, malaria, morning sickness, motion sickness, pain, high cholesterol, digestive ailments, and blood sugar issues.

To get the benefits of ginger, try doing one of the following remedies:

The Ginger Compress

For crohn's disease, colitis, lung congestion, constipation, kidney stones, menstrual cramps, sore muscles, joints, arthritis, poor circulation, and more.

What you'll need: Small piece of cheese cloth, large pot, water, 3 inch piece of organic ginger root, 3 medium/large dish towels

Directions:

1. Grate up a small piece of ginger until you have a piece about the size of a golf ball.

2. Wrap it in cheesecloth and tie it up.

3. Squeeze and put into a big pot of water.

4. Boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes.

5. Dip the middle of a towel into the hot pot and wring out excess. (Where gloves if needed.) Replace lid.

6. Slowly, so as not to burn the area lay the hot towel on the abdomen (back, muscle, etc.) The compress towel may be very hot so if needed, place a towel over the area and place the compress over that towel.

7. Cover with another towel to keep it hot.

8. Let the towel rest on their back for about 10 minutes.

9. Repeat steps five thru eight 3 or 4 times (or about 45 minutes total).

For intestinal issues: After the 45 minutes is up, remove the towels and compress. Look at your abdomen, which will be a pink color from the warmth of the compress. Do you notice any white skin patches? If so, those are areas of stagnation, decreased blood flow, and poor circulation. It could also indicate areas contributing to constipation, and diseased sections of the bowel.

For lung ailments: Place the compress on the lung area or for better results, on the upper back.

For muscles and joints: White patches of skin within the pink area, indicate an area of poor circulation and or toxin build-up.

For kidney stones: Apply to the area of pain where stone is located (most likely over the kidney) and slowly move down the back as the stone does. Many people claim they can tell where the stone is located (and the size) because of the white splotch left behind by the compress.

Note: You can also substitute 2-3 tablespoons of ginger powder for the root or if you are working with a small area like a joint you can just apply the warm ginger-filled cheese cloth, dipping it into the pot and applying it directly to the area.

For Motion Sickness:

A study in the Lancet Journal showed that ginger was more effective at treating motion sickness than the over the counter motion sickness drug dramamine. To use, take 2 capsules of ginger 20-25 minutes before boarding an airplane and thereafter every 4 hours.

The Ginger Bath
For Sore Muscles, aches, and pains

Use the ginger compress above and apply to the painful muscle or joint,
OR,
grate 2-3 tablespoons of ginger and place in a cheese cloth. Squeeze the cloth so the juice can drip into your bathwater and place in the tub. You can also use powdered ginger by placing the 2-3 tablespoons of powdered ginger into the bath water (or place in a tea bag if floaties bother you:)

For High or Low Blood Sugar
Consuming the fresh juice of ginger has been shown to regulate blood sugar...whether high or low! Add to smoothies, salads, and stir fry.

Ginger is a "food" that everyone should have on hand! It's cheap, medicinal, edible, effective, and may just save you a trip to the doctor!