Bone spurs, or osteophytes, are bony protrusions that form along the ends of the bones near joints. They form as a result of your body's attempt to repair the cartilage or bone that has been damaged due to a degenerative disease, most typically osteoarthritis. Bone spurs most likely form in the joints of hands, feet, shoulders, knees, spine, and hips and cause much pain with movement restrictions. Though analgesics, anti-inflammatory medications, and surgery are the first-line treatment options, many people prefer to opt for natural, holistic approaches. Amongst several natural remedies, castor oil packs are most loved by people due to their ease of use and multitude of benefits.
Castor oil packs are a product of advanced design and manufacturing by The Goodbye Company, so people can easily use thick and viscous castor oil without mess. These packs are compresses made with cotton flannel and are designed to absorb the maximum amount of castor oil to provide for the complete session. But why only castor oil instead of other non-greasy oils? Castor oil is nature’s magical elixir, extracted from the ripe castor beans of the Ricinus plant—used for several medicinal and cosmetic purposes.
Due to its botanical origin, castor oil is also called Ricinus oil. Its principal constituent is Ricinoleic acid, about 85-92%, a potent anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antimicrobial, emollient, irritant, and stimulant laxative. In addition to ricinoleic acid, castor oil contains amino acids, omega fatty acids, and tocopherols, each with distinctive therapeutic properties that give you magical benefits when used correctly. But before we go deep into how castor oil and castor oil packs work, let's first know what bone spurs actually are and how to identify if you have them or to rule out if your skeletal pain is indicative of some other diseases.
Bone spurs are bony outgrowths that form along the edges of bones at the joints. These are also called osteophytes and typically form in an attempt to repair your connective tissues after wear and tear caused by osteoarthritis. However, other causes may also induce their formation, such as obesity, severe vitamin D deficiency, ankylosis spondylitis, and genetic predisposition. They typically form in the joints of the hands, feet, knees, shoulder, spine, and hips. These are brutally painful!
Sometimes, the skeletal pain or lump you feel in your joint may not be a bone spur but a non-cancerous cyst or a herniated disc. Your pain may also be due to bursitis, tendonitis, or plantar fasciitis. Therefore, proper identification through clinical manifestation and diagnostics is crucial to seeking the right intervention promptly. Check out the following signs and symptoms and get the labs done to know if you have bone spurs.
Visit your healthcare provider if you have more than three symptoms from the above list. Then, upon recommendation of your HCP, get your labs done (X-ray, CT scan, or MRI) and also explain your and your family's medical history to confirm if you have bone spurs. Such a diagnosis will also help you evaluate if a natural remedy can solve your problem or if you need to adjunct your castor oil massage with dietary supplements, medications, physical therapy, and exercise.
The most common cause of bone spurs is osteoarthritis (OA). Other risk factors include family history, aging, obesity, and autoimmune degenerative diseases.
Castor oil is a magical healing elixir. It can help you break up bone spurs with regular use due to the magic of its below-mentioned therapeutic properties.
Castor oil contains ricinoleic acid, a potent anti-inflammatory that inhibits the release of inflammatory mediators such as prostaglandins. This effect reduces inflammation at the damaged site, eliminating oxidative stress from the osteocytes ( bone cells) and allowing them to repair quickly.
Ricinoleic acid is also an excellent analgesic in addition to being a potent anti-inflammatory. This therapeutic property helps reduce pain and discomfort and allows you to do your daily chores comfortably while the spurs heal.
The molecular chemistry of castor oil helps it penetrate human skin effectively. This penetrability aids in increasing collagen production, which improves joint health and manages arthralgia. Though limited studies support this claim, anecdotal evidence and the experience of people practicing naturopathy suggest that castor oil does promote healing by increasing collagen production and tissue repair.
Castor oil reduces inflammation and dilates vessels, which promotes blood and lymphatic circulation. Enhanced blood circulation at the damaged site provides each cell of the connective tissues with ample oxygen and nutrients, including minerals like calcium and magnesium and vitamins like vitamin D and K2, promoting healing and repair. Moreover, increased lymphatic circulation helps provide more proteins to the worn-out joint and fastens the removal of waste materials, such as neutralized free radicals, thereby accelerating the healing process.
So, all these therapeutic properties of castor oil, which I explained earlier, work together to produce a magical outcome when you topically apply the oil and massage it to help it penetrate the skin. However, this therapy requires time to show visible results. It is not an overnight success since castor oil is a natural elixir with no catalyst, surfactants, or anything that makes conventional drug distribution systems work faster. The only key to getting the best results out of natural remedies is ‘consistency,’ which means you should religiously follow your therapy schedule with faith in how nature works.
Gather the following supplies, prepare my secret recipe, and follow these easy and simple steps.
Ingredients:
|
Ingredients |
Measurement |
Therapeutic Property |
|
Organic, cold-pressed castor oil |
2 tablespoons |
Anti-inflammatory, analgesic |
|
Turmeric powder |
1 teaspoon |
Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant |
|
Coconut oil |
1 tablespoon |
Soothing |
|
Peppermint essential oil |
5 drops |
Analgesic, Cooling effect |
|
Ginger powder |
1 teaspoon |
Promotes healing & Circulation |
Steps-to-Follow:
Note: After this castor oil massage, you can still use your over-the-counter topical medications, and there will be no interactions.
Supplies to Collect:
Steps-to-Follow:
You can use castor oil for bone spurs for as long as you do not experience any side effects, such as a skin rash. I recommend using them regularly for about four weeks to notice visible results, as natural therapies like castor oil take time to work and dissolve your bone spurs. Nevertheless, you can reduce the frequency of application in accordance with your body's response and, of course, if you adjunct this therapy with dietary changes, exercise, and physical therapy.
The following dietary changes help strengthen your joints and fortify your bone health, thereby preventing the formation of bone spurs and aiding in the healing process.
Include leafy greens, berries, nuts, salmon, and herbs that are rich in antioxidants and omega fatty acids. Antioxidants help scavenge free radicals and reduce oxidative stress in cells, promoting healing and repair.
Supplement your daily meals with calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin D, vitamin K2, and omega-3 fatty acids. These supplements strengthen bones and remove excess calcium deposits from soft tissue, transporting them to compact bones and maintaining their sturdiness and toughness.
Adequate hydration is crucial to helping your kidneys remove unwanted wastes effectively and efficiently. It is also essential for new cell growth, tissue repair, and mineral conduction to the bone.
Maintain your body weight, and if you are obese, incorporate a diet that will help you lose weight. This is because obesity is a leading risk factor that can make your bones weak and contribute to the recurrence of bone spurs. Remember, ‘Fluids, Fiber, and Fruits’ can help.
Avoid foods that can contribute to increasing inflammation in your body, such as sugar, processed or canned foods, too much caffeine, alcohol, and trans fats.
Swimming, cycling, brisk walking, body stretching, yoga, and physical therapy from an expert physiotherapist can help make your bones strong, maintaining the flexibility of your joints.
When working long hours, you can wear back and neck support bags, supportive footwear, or cushioned chairs with a desk of proper height.
Castor oil's anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties help reduce swelling and pain caused by bony projections at the joints. The oil also promotes blood and lymphatic circulation, which supplies more oxygen and nutrients to the affected site and removes waste materials more efficiently. Thus, it promotes bone healing and breaks up unwanted calcium deposits that form bone spurs.
Castor oil is a natural plant elixir composed of several beneficial components, each with distinctive therapeutic properties. The principal constituent of castor oil is ricinoleic acid, a potent anti-inflammatory, analgesic, stimulant irritant, laxative, antimicrobial, and emollient. These therapeutic properties make ricinoleic acid the best natural medicine to cure bone spurs. It works by alleviating pain and inflammation at the affected site and helps dissolve calcium deposits in the joints, gradually reducing the size of bone spurs.
Yes, low-impact (walking, cycling, and swimming) exercises can help prevent bone spurs by gradually promoting mobility and improving joint flexibility. In addition, strengthening exercises (push-ups, squats, and planks) can help strengthen and stabilize the joints, ultimately relieving excessive strain and reducing the risk of bone spurs.
Dietary supplements do not cure bone spurs; they can only aid the healing process or prevent them from recurring. So, you must incorporate them into your diet to keep your connective tissues healthy. The best supplements for bone spurs include calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K2 (which prevents calcium deposits and breaks the spurs), magnesium, chondroitin, glucosamine, omega-3 fatty acids, bromelain, and curcumin.
Topical application of castor oil is generally safe, and no proven studies indicate direct harm to the fetus or the mother. Nevertheless, it’s always better to err on the side of caution, which means a pregnant woman should not use castor oil for the spinal and hip bone spurs because of the oil's ability to induce false uterine contractions. Anyhow, she may use it for her hands, feet, shoulders, and knees and must consult an HCP before starting the therapy.
For those looking to avoid surgery, castor oil is the best natural way to relieve bone spur pain. All you need is to massage some castor oil and wrap the area with a crepe bandage. Apply regularly so that the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of the castor oil can benefit you in less time. Nevertheless, since it is a natural remedy, it may take longer to take full effect than conventional medicines and surgical intervention. If the pain persists, worsens, or severely affects your mobility, consult your HCP for further treatment options.
Yes, it is generally safe to use castor oil on bone spurs for extended periods as long as you do not experience any irritation or rash on the affected site. It is because castor oil is a natural remedy with potent anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and stimulant irritant properties that may cause a rash on hypersensitive skin. To avoid irritation or rash, you can use a calamine, antihistamine, or topical corticosteroid lotion. However, if the rash does not go away, discontinue using castor oil, wash the area with cold water, and apply the lotion again. If it's a severe allergic reaction to ricinoleic acid, immediately seek medical attention.
Bone spurs or unwanted bony projections can be pretty painful. They may restrict your movement or hinder your daily life activities. Therefore, it is best to treat them immediately. For this, it is advisable to quickly get an X-ray of your body area with bone spur (either hands, feet, knees, shoulders, spine, or hips).
If your bone spur is small and the pain and inflammation are mild, you can treat it in various ways at home. These include natural remedies like castor oil massage, dietary changes (taking calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K2, omega 3 fatty acids, magnesium, and lots of hydrating fluids), and low-impact and strengthening exercises. To help ease bone spur pain with a natural cure, regularly apply castor oil packs or just massage warm castor oil with a pinch of curcumin on your affected body area for 30 minutes.
You can also use a warm compress or a heating pad to stimulate the activity of castor oil. Repeat the massage daily as long as you do not experience any side effects, such as a skin rash. However, do a patch test to avoid an allergic reaction to ricinoleic acid (a potent stimulant irritant). In either case, if your bone spur is large and compressing your nerves or the pain is worsening, quickly get an expert opinion and consider conventional medicines and surgical interventions.
