How and when to use a castor oil pack for period cramps
Castor oil can be a helpful tool for reducing inflammation, stimulating blood flow and the flow of lymph. This can also help to reduce the intensity of menstrual cramps and generally be a nice self care tool during your cycle (not your bleed).
Castor oil has the ability to break up toxins/stagnation in the uterus and reduce undesirable period symptoms, like cramps.
It is important that the castor oil pack is NOT used DURING your bleed. This can cause heavier bleeding than you would normally experience.
When you are putting together your pack, you will need the following items:
An undyed piece of fleece or wool flannel
Pure castor oil with no additives or preservatives
Heating pad or bottle
Plastic film or bag
Old cloths that you don’t mind getting stained
Somedays is a company that sells really amazing Mess-Free Castor Oil Packs. I have tried their products and really love them, plus the weight of the flaxseed heating pad is honestly a dream. (use HEATHER15 at checkout for a discount)
When applying the castor oil pack, you will place the oil on the flannel, place the plastic on top, then place the heating pad. The plastic prevents your heating pad from getting stained. You can leave this on for 20-30 minutes, and can repeat this 3 nights on and 3 nights off (or whatever feels good for you if you have good results).
You can learn more about Castor oil packs from Wild Rose Medicine here.
CAN I USE CASTOR OIL DURING MY PERIOD?
Short answer, no. The properties in castor oil promotes laxation and uterine contraction by activating prostoglandin receptors. If you use this during your period, it is possible that you will experience heavier bleeding that usual.
For similar reasons, this is why it is not advisable to ingest castor oil while pregnant. Ingesting castor oil can actually cause extreme diarrhea, false contractions, dehydration, and other undesirable stomach stuff.
That being said, always consult your personal primary health practitioner as every person’s experience is unique to them.
If you’re someone who experiences chronic painful periods, castor oil may help you. There are many different options out in the world, and every single person will need something different depending on their situation. Beginning to understand the root cause of your period cramps or other unruly symptoms will help you truly understand how to help your body.
Peirod pain is a signal from your body that something is wrong inside of you. After all, if you were having chronic pain in your stomach, you wouldn’t “let that go”, right?
Want to learn more about how to support your body when experiencing painful periods?
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