How does it work?
1️⃣ We buy castor oil at the pharmacy. It's a small 100ml bottle.
2️⃣ Find a piece of absorbent fabric to make the poultice. It should be large enough to go around the painful area. Since my pain was in my fingers and wrists, I opted for small cotton mittens that you can find at Dollarama.
Before bedtime
3️⃣ Place the piece of fabric in a dish and soak it with the entire bottle of oil.
4️⃣ Microwave for 30 seconds (no more!) to warm it up a bit. Caution: oil that's too hot will be scalding!
5️⃣ Wrap the tendonitis with the fabric. I just put on the mittens.
6️⃣ Wrap the Saran wrap poultice to avoid oiling everything it touches. I wear large yellow dishwashing gloves and secure the end with an elastic band to prevent it from falling out of my hands.
7️⃣ Apply heat such as a hot water bottle or a magic bag.
8️⃣ Leave marinier (haha) all night.
9️⃣ In the morning, put the piece of fabric in a ziploc bag and store in the refrigerator for the next use.
▪ The poultices should be applied every night, or as often as possible. The fabric will keep easily in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks, after which it can be washed and freshly oiled. In my case, it took one week to see a difference and one month for the tendinitis to be almost completely gone. I say almost, because there's still a little pain, but it's 90% less than before (so I can crochet 90% more!).
▪ Castor oil has anti-inflammatory properties, and it will also leave your hands soft and moisturized. (So practical with the arrival of cold, dry weather!)
▪ This is a personal thing. I'm not a doctor, nurse, or naturopath, and I'm not claiming it works every time. I imagine that if it worked for me, it will work for others.
So, do you intend to try it?
