Simple At-Home Fresh Ginger Compress for Better Health By Deidre Chupalio
As we continue into the cold winter season, it’s important to have simple at-home remedies to keep our immunity strong and bodies healthy even better if it is as easy as finding and using an herb from the produce section at the grocery store! Did you know that ginger root is not only an herb that you can cook with and drink as a tea, but can be used to help achy and sore lower back muscles, warm the lower abdomen if suffering from cramps, and improve lymphatic flow?
In East Asian Medicine, according to the Compendium of Materia Medica, ginger is just one of 1,892 substances listed and used medicinally which include various herbs, minerals, and animal parts. Fresh ginger, or sheng jiang (in Latin: Zingiberis Rhizoma recens), has the properties of being acrid and slightly warm. You may have even had it as a tea, in which you have benefited from its warming nature which alleviates nausea, benefits the stomach, and can stop coughing if taken in the early onset of a cold. I remember when I first learned about this simple ginger compress recipe I wished I had learned it sooner and its ability to help with various physical ailments.
All that is needed is fresh ginger root, water, a cheesecloth, and a hand towel. First, you want to peel the skin off the ginger and then grate it. Grate enough of the peeled ginger to make it the size of a golf ball (or about 3/4 cup). Tie this into a cheesecloth and squeeze the juice into a gallon of water. Add the ginger ball to heated water, but do not boil. Dip the hand towel into the ginger water (holding both ends dry) and allow it to cool briefly before placing it on the skin. Cover with dry towels to retain heat. Replace every 5 minutes, or until the heated towel is not warm anymore. Repeat the process with the heated ginger water 5-10x—or depending on how your body feels.
This compress can be used on the abdomen, if you experience painful menstrual cramps, or the lower back, especially if you have any back pain or are sitting for extended periods. Do not use the warm ginger compress on the face, on children, or on the elderly due to the yang nature of the herb and its application to the body. Use caution if diabetic or if you have hypertension. Even though you might want to reach for a heating pack, as an alternative, this recipe is effective and relaxing to help relieve aches and pains, warms the body, and stimulates lymphatic flow. As always, please consult with your practitioner if you have any questions about this beneficial way to improve your health!