I really love ginger fomentations, ginger is warming, stimulating, promotes circulation, and relieves pain! It is perfect for cramps where the application of heat improves the pain.
- Grate, finely chop, or thinly slice a two inch piece of fresh ginger root (you can leave the skin on)
- Place the ginger into a pot or glass jar, cover with hot (just off the boil) water, cover the container and let infuse until the water turns yellow.
- Strain the tea – squeeze out as much liquid as possible by straining through cheesecloth (tip: use enough ginger so you can use a French press coffee maker instead of cheesecloth!)
- Soak a cloth or towel in the tea, and wring the cloth out (be careful not to burn yourself)
- Apply to the abdomen (I prefer applying the compress to cover not just the lower abdomen, but also over the hips as well)
- Cover the cloth/towel with another cloth or towel, and then apply a heating pad or a hot water bottle
- You can re-soak the towel/cloth as often as needed, and you can remake the tea with fresh ginger root to apply 3-4 times during the day.
- Use during menstrual cramps to alleviate pain. This is also great for lower backache associated with menstrual cramps.
Tips and tricks: strain the tea into a wide bowl, place the bowl next to your bed or couch where you are going to be relaxing while you are sitting with the compress on you. Whenever you stop feeling the warmth from the ginger (there will be a warm tingling sensation), you can re-soak and wring out the towel with minimal movement.
If you do not have fresh ginger, or need to have the fomentation right away, you can use dried powdered ginger. Use 1TB, stir it in the water, and soak/compress away!
