Easy, effective, inexpensive, pain-relieving, and anti-inflammatory
Excerpt from Breast Cancer? Breast Health! the Wise Woman Way.
- Grate 5 ounces/140 grams of fresh ginger root onto a clean piece of cloth. (I use an old cloth napkin, a handkerchief, a kitchen towel, or a clean diaper.)
- Gather the ends of the cloth together and secure them with a piece of string or a rubber band.
- Put the bundle into a pan with 2 quarts/2 liters water and heat to 158°F/70 °C.
Boiling will destroy much of the value of the ginger, so if you don't have a thermometer, heat only until you see bubbles forming on the bottom of the pan.
- Keep a low flame under the pot until the water turns a pale yellow, 5-15 minutes.
- Pull the bundle out of the water, and squeeze or press it to extract all its liquid. (Add to pan.)
- Soak a small towel in the hot ginger liquid. Wring it out. (This is hard to do; your hands will get red and hot.)
When you apply the hot wet towel, the skin will redden and there will be an intense sensation of heat, but you shouldn't be in pain.
Cover the compress with layers of towels to retain the heat.
When it cools, remove it, soak it again in the hot ginger water, and reapply. Continue until the skin gets very red and warm. Repeat morning and night.
If there is no active infection, the towel and ginger water can be used over and over again.
If fresh ginger is not available, dried ginger may be used, but will not be as effective.
Fresh turmeric may be substituted for fresh ginger, but it stains everything.
Excerpt from Breast Cancer? Breast Health! the Wise Woman Way.