Tuesday 3 August 2010

Castor Oil Therapy & Self Massage

started castor oil therapy and self-massage on Saturday. I believe the agonizing pain I had during and after my last OV was more than extreme PMS and more to do with my cysts. Plus during my AF I was getting a stabbing pain on both ovaries which has never happened before.

I came across castor oil therapy a while ago but didn't give it more thought because I wasn't experiencing pain from my cysts. And also because my pms symptoms were showing some improvement. Now that things are upside down I'm looking for alternatives to reducing the size and number of my cysts while encouraging ovulation.

According to DiagnoseMe the physiological effects of the castor oil pack include stimulating the liver, increasing eliminations, relieving pain, increasing lymphatic circulation, improving gastrointestinal function, increasing relaxation and reducing inflammation (PCOS is an inflammatory condition). It can been used for the following:


  • Ovarian and uterine cysts
  • Blocked tubes
  • Uterine fibroids
  • Ovarian cysts
  • Endometreosis
  • PCOS
  • Detoxifying before conception

There is a long list of conditions that can be treated with castor oil, I've only mentioned those that have to do with women's fertility. Castor oil is easily absorbed by the skin and applying it to the reproductive region of the body with heat will stimulate blood flow to that region, gently massaging it into the skin will also help relax the muscles and break up scar tissue. 

If you have the time and don't mind the mess, castor oil therapy is worth considering as an alternative to surgery for non cancerous cysts, fibroids and tubal blockage. It involves applying heat to a flannel cloth soaked with castor oil that's placed on the abdomen for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Here is an excellent website detailing castor oil treatment. You can purchase a castor oil pack online for almost £20 (in the UK) which consists of 500ml of castor oil and a yard of flannel cloth and that's not inclusive of P&P. I made my own for less than £10 including hot water bottle!

Yes it's messy and the whole process seems cumbersome but for me it's an excellent stress relief. I use that time to engage in deep breathing exercises. My own method is to first massage my lower abdominal area with castor oil before applying it generously to my skin, placing and flannel cloth on that and then a hot water bottle. I do that for about an hour, have a hot bath and go to bed.

*Castor oil therapy is not recommended for use during menstruation and pregnancy.


I'll be reporting on any improvement with the COT.

5 comments:

  1. Hi ... am also suffering pcos and i am just into the first week ... I am curious and eager to know how it worked out for you ?

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  2. Hi, I've been doing a whole lot of things besides the castor oil treatment so it's hard to tell if it is solely responsible, but there has been significant improvement in my PCOS symptoms compared to when I wasn't doing any of these things.

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  3. I am going through your blog and I can see that you are doing a LOT - Good for you !!! My wishes for you. I ll tell you if I have any update. But i would like to tell you something that I know. I am from the country where castor oil originated - India and here we apply castor oil if it gets too painful during periods.

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  4. What happens if you use the pack during menstrual cycle?

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  5. I have never tried that because I read that it can cause excessive bleeding.

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