How to Use Fresh Ginger for Medicinal Remedies

When it comes to relieving joint pain, one of the best solutions for combating those annoying
aches might already be in your kitchen.

Aromatherapy—which has been used for centuries—is a safe, effective, and science-backed place to start before going directly to the harder stuff at your doctor’s office.
While there are a handful of all-star options, one of the best is none other than ginger oil, which has been shown to help reduce knee pain, chronic low back pain, arthritis and beyond due to its anti-inflammatory properties, simply by massaging it into the skin.

How to make ginger oil
While you can buy the powerful oil in stores, you can also make it yourself—and it’s not nearly as complicated as you’d think:

All it takes is one cup fresh ginger root, one-and-a-half cups olive oil, and a few simple steps.
After rinsing the ginger—skin included—let it sit out until it dries, which might take two to three hours.
Once dry, take a cheese grater and shred it, or chop into small pieces adding it into an oven-safe bowl.
Pour in the olive oil and put the mix in the oven at 150°F for two hours.

Once the time is up, remove the bowl and pour the oil through a cheesecloth or very tight strainer into
another bowl in order to get rid of all the tiny pieces of ginger.
When the chunks are gone and you’re left with just the smooth oil, transfer it to a clean bottle using a funnel, where it will stay fresh for up to six months as long as you keep it somewhere cool.

How to use ginger oil
Now that you have your homemade ginger oil all bottled up and ready to go, how do you go about using it?
Gently massaging it into the areas causing issues: When you rub an oil into your skin, you absorb it. It ends up in your bloodstream. You may notice pain relief within 30 minutes, and the effect may last hours.

Warming Ginger Cayenne Massage Oil
1 cup of Ginger oil, 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper powder, 1 tablespoon Turrmeric powder, 2 tablespoons Aloe Vera Gel, 15 drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil, 15 drops Frankincense Essential Oil

1. Add the ingredients to the oil in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well.
2. Place the jar in a warm place like a sunny window for 3 to 4 weeks, shaking daily.
3. Strain the oil through a coffee filter to remove the herbs.
4. Store in another clean jar.

Warming Ginger Cayenne Salve
1 cup Warming Ginger Cayenne Massage Oil (Recipe above)
¼ cup beeswax, shaved, chopped, or shredded or solid Cocunut Oil, which is good for the skin

Combine the beeswax and massage oil in the top of a double boiled. Warm gently until the beeswax is melted.

Stir the salve to completely combine the wax and oil.

Pour into wide-mouth jars or tins to cool. I like to put it into tins or used cream jars which I ask friends to keep for me.

When cold, cover and store in a cool, dark place.
Massage a small amount of salve into sore muscles and joints daily. It can take a few weeks to give maximum results.
Do not use on face or mucous membranes or open cuts or wounds. Do not use with pregnant or nursing patients. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap after use.

You can also try these alternative Essential oils in your oil or salve.