Adventures In Ginger Root

Ginger root is a natural anti-inflammatory and has been used in Chinese medicine for centuries.  I was advised in the past, by my acupuncturist, to make a ginger tea to help with aches and pains.  She recently has shown me another way to use this root.

My daughter, the softball player that she is, has hurt her shoulder again.  Anybody who has kids knows how difficult it is to get them to eat/drink things that they are not thrilled about...hence, no ginger tea magic for her.  I was advised to, instead, use the root topically. Here's how you do it...

Get yourself some ginger root. It's usually in the grocery store by the garlic or potatoes, and only costs a few dollars.

Cut up your ginger...no need to wash it or peel it.  Just cut it up all willy nilly, any which way you like.  Then place your pieces in a cheesecloth.  I use a kitchen towel because I don't have cheesecloth :) You could also use an old t-shirt if you like.

Microwave it for about 1 minute. Your results may vary depending on how powerful your microwave is. You want it to be hot, but not too hot that it will burn your skin.

Pinch your towel closed (I didn't do this before I zapped it because I didn't know how my chip clip would do in the microwave) so the ginger is contained.

Apply to where you have aches/pains as you would a heat pack.  You can reuse and reheat the same ginger pieces a few times before you need to discard them.  Enjoy!

Have you ever used ginger root either topically or ingested?  Did you find that it helped in any way?

**As always, consult your doctor for medical advise. I'm not a medical expert of any kind, just a person who is always on the lookout for easy peasy pain relief.