Home Remedies- A Top Ten Home Remedies Selection

Although I have worked in Western Medicine for over 30 years, for the last 3 years I have abandoned Western Medicine in favor of natural, non-pharmaceutical solutions, including natural home remedies.  I have been amazed at the success of some of the simplistic of strategies. 

For this hub, I again consulted a friend of mine, who has 22 years of experience as a massage therapist.  She has a clinical practice with physician referrals.  Her specialty is clients with chronic pain, acute injuries, and visceral and connective tissue disorders.  She has an extensive background in herbal healing, supplements, and natural healing strategies. 

I asked her for her Top Ten list of Natural Home Remedies.  The results below are her favorite remedies with her comments, a few of my experiences and comments, and additional research here and there when needed.  See also her Top Ten Herbal Remedies. 

Natural Home Remedies in this hub: 

Skin brushing for detox

Castor pack for detox

Sore throat treatment

Ginger bath for detox

Migraine treatment

Carpal tunnel and arthritis

Plantar fasciitis

Yeast infections

Gall bladder cleanse

Fibrocystic breasts

Skin Brushing

Use a dry natural bristle brush, with very light pressure.  You want to increase lymphatic flow, detoxifying the body and assisting with immune function.  The lymph vessels are small and close to the surface of the skin.  Heavy pressure from the brush will push beyond the layer we are targeting, thereby being counterproductive.  Some describe the light touch of lymphatic stimulation ‘like stroking a cat’. 

Brush in small circles, starting with the feet, moving upwards to the major lymph depots in the upper chest.  Brush to the area between the collar bone and breast.  Starting with the hands, brush in small circles, moving toward the upper chest. 

Skin brushing is good for general detoxification, swelling, cleansing protocols and circulatory problems.  Skin brushing is also good for autoimmune diseases of the connective tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis.  Brushing decreases fluid build-up in the tissues. 

Castor Pack

Use Palma Christi castor oil, available at Edgar Cayce, or other 100% pure castor oil. Saturate a cloth, such as thin hand towel with the castor oil. The cloth should be full but not dripping. Place cloth over the area you wish to treat. This would be on the right side of the upper abdomen for the liver, the pelvis for uterus or ovaries, entire abdomen for large intestine. Place a plastic bag over the castor pack, such as a plastic grocery bag to protect your heating pad. If you prefer, pads with protective barrier are available from Edgar Cayce for $2.95 each. Place heating pad over castor pack. Heat on high setting for 60 minutes.

Clean skin with witch hazel. Alternatively, you can mix 2 teaspoons of baking soda in 1 qt of warm water.

Store castor pack in a plastic Ziplock bag in the refrigerator. Repeat castor pack treatment once a week, or more often if indicated. Before re-use, remove from refrigerator and allow pack to come to room temperature. Refresh with castor oil as needed. Reuse castor pack towel up to 10 times, then discard.

Applied externally, the castor oil acts as a cleanser and a nutrient to the organs below. Heat drives the castor oil through the skin to the tissues. It is gentle with no contraindications. Castor packs are helpful for uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, liver detoxification, constipation, diarrhea, and colon problems such as diverticulitis, diverticulosis, and Crohn’s Disease.

Salt water gargle

Isotonic:  1 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 pint water

Saltier:  2 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 pint water

Baking soda helps break down mucous better.  Isotonic solution approximates your body’s saltiness.  If you make the solution saltier, it helps draw fluid out of swollen tissues. 

Clay pack externally to throat

According to Eytons’ Earth website:  Hydrate swelling calcium bentonite clay with 2.2 parts water to 1 part clay.  Hydrate swelling sodium bentonite clay with 3 or 4 parts water to 1 part clay.  Hydrate the clay such that it barely holds together without falling apart. 

Apply to throat to draw out excess fluid and metabolic wastes. 

Ginger bath

Grate 1 large root of ginger and boil everything, skin, pulp and juice in a large pan of water for 20 minutes.  Strain out ginger and keep the water.  Place a blanket and a layer of towels on your bed.  Run a hot bath.  Add all of the ginger water except 1 oz.  Soak in the bath for 10 minutes.  Drink the 1 oz of reserved ginger water.  Towel yourself dry immediately and wrap in the towels and blanket you have prepared on your bed, for 30 minutes.  Sleep immediately after. 

Ginger is a blood and liver cleanser. Grating it breaks it down.  Boiling concentrates its potency.  Soaking in the bath, the ginger penetrates through the skin to the tissues.  Drinking 1 oz jump starts the liver.  Wrapping in the towels and blanket induces a sweat, allowing toxins that have been brought to the surface to leave the body. 

Scrub scalp vigorously to warm the fascia.  Grab the hair close to the scalp and make a fist.  Repeat all over your head, holding for 1 to 1 ½ minutes per spot.  The whole process should take 3 to 5 minutes. 

You are using the hair as a handle into the cranial fascia, loosening and decompressing any vascular and nerve compression. 

Contrast baths for hands and forearms

My massage therapist friend recommends this for carpal tunnel.  I recommend it to my clients for carpal tunnel and arthritis.  I have written a hub describing in detail how to perform contrast baths, as well as alternatives and “cheaters”. 

In brief, fill 2 plastic basins or 2 sinks, one with warm water, the other with cold water.  Soak hands and forearms in the warm water 3 minutes, then in the cold water for 1 minute.  Repeat for 2 more cycles, then end with 3 minutes in the warm water.  Perform contrast baths 2 to 5 times per day. 

Perform Contrast Baths.  See above, Home Remedy 6.  See also my hub on Contrast Baths. 

After Contrast Baths, place a golf ball on the floor, and roll foot over golf ball, massaging deep into the tissues. 

Spread a sheet of newspaper on the floor.  Using toes, crumple newspaper.  Then use toes to straighten paper back out again. 

This increases circulation and decreases fascial binding between layers of muscles, massages to release tissues, then restores intrinsic muscle balance. 

Crush 5 to 8 cloves of garlic.  Place garlic in 2 to 3 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes.  Let cool to room temperature.  Strain garlic out.  Use water to douche. 

Garlic acts as an antibacterial and antifungal, and enhances the immune system. 

Take acidophilus capsules 3 to 4 times per day.  Acidophilus kept in the refrigerator section of your health food store is best.  The clerks are usually very knowledgeable and can advise you on potency. 

Fast for 3 days on organic cloudy (unstrained) apple juice.  The pectin in the apple juice breaks down the gallstones.  If needed, add protein powder for energy.  Do not eat solid food.  The body needs to “not digest”. 

On the 3^rd evening, mix ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil and ½ cup organic fresh squeezed lemon juice.  The oil stimulates the gall bladder into action and the citrus helps in expelling any of the stones not broken down. 

Lay on your right side with a pillow under your hips.  Take a ginger capsule if needed for nausea.  You will have multiple bowel movements.  Gallstones will exit through your feces, appearing as green pellets, mossy colored if the stones are old, and emerald green if new. 

Eat light vegetarian meals the next day. 

My chiropractor recommended another version, which I have done:  6 oz olive oil, 6 oz of Coke Classic, and the juice of 1 lemon.  If you do not ordinarily have multiple bowel movements per day, you can take psyllium husk or other natural laxative.  There is no prep before the cleanse.  My chiropractor said there is no pain or discomfort associated with this, and I certainly didn’t have any.  I passed substantial quantities of green gallstones of various sizes.  Gallstones are large and soft compared to kidney stones.  yoshi has included this version in his Gall Bladder hub. 

Breast lymph massage

Sit down.  Place your right hand firmly on your right breast, and your left hand on your left breast.  Move your breasts in circles toward the armpits.  You are not just moving your breasts around superficially, but should be compressing slightly into the chest wall, moving lymphatic fluid. 

Start with 36 rotations on the first day.  Build up by 36 rotations each day until day 10, when you would be doing 360 rotations. 

This breaks down the fibrous nodules, increases blood circulation, and especially lymph circulation. 

My friend did this for 4 months, 19 years ago, and hasn’t had problems since.  One of the videos has similar testimonials. 

Hopefully this information on Natural Home Remedies shows you that there are often alternatives to expensive tests and prescription drugs.  Natural Home Remedies are known to be gentle, with few if any side effects.  If you are looking for alternatives to typical Western Medicine strategies, continue to research.  “Health Food Store” clerks, like at Sun Harvest and Whole Foods, are very helpful and knowledgeable.  Consult a specialist licensed in an alternative medicine discipline for individualized evaluation and treatment strategies. 

This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.  You take full legal responsibility for whatever decisions you make regarding you own health care.