In a large pot, boil 8 litres of water with 500g of freshly grated ginger in a muslin bag. Ensure that the bag is well sealed. Insert two handtowels into the water. Use them alternately, leaving one in the water while applying the other to the affected area. When it cools, change the towels over so there is a constant fomentation with the ginger water. Replace the water that is lost through evaporation each day to ensure that the mixture does not become too strong. Use it for 14 days, then change the water and the bag.
A ginger compress is useful to deal with headaches, toothaches and faceache. Apply the compress to the forehead. The pain will usually disappear a short time thereafter. When the headache is really intense, make a paste from dried or fresh ginger and apply it to the forehead. The pain will usually disappear within 15 minutes.
CLOSEThe main causes of back pain are:
Neck or hip out of alignment . malfunctioning kidneys . bad body posture . lifting heavy items.
BODY ORGANS
Kidneys (lower back) . gall bladder and intestines (between the shoulders) . lungs (upper back).
SPINAL ADJUSTMENT: in the related areas.
VAGUE SYMPTOMS
Itching . soreness . strong smelling urine . constipation . desire for salty foods . insufficient urination.
DISCOMFORT
Pain in back/shoulder muscles . stiff muscles.
General back pain
Take hot baths with a handful of Epsom salts added, followed by a cold shower.
Have Alexander technique lessons to correct your body posture.
Take a barley drink to strengthen the kidneys. To 3 litres of water add a cup of barley, 6 peppercorns, 6 cloves, 40 juniper berries, 6 cinnamon sticks and 6 cardamoms (black for men, white for women). Boil down to 1½ litres. Drink this preparation each day for 3 days if the pain persists.
Put a ginger compress on the painful area (see Appendix B).
Drink white willow bark tea.
Upper back pain
Eat onions to strengthen the lungs.
Hang from a cross-bar with everted then inverted hands.
Alternate cold and hot water on the spine for 3 minutes, ending with a cold shower.
REMEDIES
Crush 40 ice cubes. Place directly on the skin in the painful area. Cover with a towel. Repeat twice a day. There are 5 stages: wet, cold, painful, burning, numbness. This treatment takes 20-30 minutes. Remove ice when numbness occurs.
Mix 1 part wintergreen oil, 1 part tea tree oil and 1 part lavender oil. Add 3 parts olive oil. Shake well before applying to the painful area. Rub in gently. This will increase the healing process. Try not to take pain killers; they can cause constipation and harm the digestive system.
Take the following vitamins: DLPA 375, PABA 500, Pantothenic Acid 500, Zinc B13 - 1 tablet of each twice a day after meals.
Have hot baths and cold showers on the spine. Continue for 14 days.