With Reflexologist Nuria Weaver
Home Remedies for Poultice
Poultice also known as cataplasm is usually a soft moist mass that is medicated or heated to heal any kind of skin related problem such as itching, allergies, inflamed and painful part of the body. There are many very effective home remedies for poultice that can be extremely handy at crucial times.
During the past, poultices were prepared from cereals, bread and lead. The word poultice came from the Latin word called porridge. In those days to treat inflammation some amount of porridge was spread in a piece of clean cloth and applied on the inflamed area. This was also used to cover the chest at times of cold. Preparation of poultice from some common ingredients that are easily available in your kitchen cupboard can be very useful.
Types of poultice:
- Some of the native Americans used mashed pumpkin as poultice
- Some used bread, cereal and bran for poultice preparation
- Now-a-days we get ready made poultices as well
- There are also ash poultices which can cause you a chemical burn
Poultices can be used as a natural pain reliever and can prove to much better than those counter medicines. However, these can have harmful side-effects if used excessively. If used properly then this can be a natural alternative to relive pain and can be healthier as well.
Heat poultice can help you in the pain relieving. For this you may need some natural therapeutic products that can be used as paste and gradually developed into poultice. All you will need here is muslin cloth and linen gauze. Now put the paste into the cloth or and gently apply on the affected area. You may feel relaxed as this cloth will relax your tight muscles and help in the proper flow of blood in the body.
Heat poultice can draw harmful toxins from the body as well.
Cold poultice
- Another type of poultice is the cold poultice which can relieve sunburn and other form of pains. Cold tea bags are the best example for cold poultice.
- You can prepare a cold poultice using some herbs such as dandelion. This is perfect for any kind of stings of wasps, bees and other such insects. You can prepare a paste of this herb and add some drops of vinegar. Put this on the cloth or gauze and apply on the affected area.
The poultices are basically mass that are soft and moist that are perfect to provide heat and moisture to the skin.
Mustard poultice
A common poultice is the mustard poultice which is highly effective and easy to prepare. First you need some powdered mustard and then simply blend this with some clean water. Now prepare a thick paste of this. If you required, add some flour to make the paste thick so hold the poultice firmly. Take a clean cheesecloth or muslin cloth and put the paste into it. You simply have to place this poultice on the affected area and wrap this with a plastic cover.
The benefits of mustard poultice are:
- This poultice induces a burning sensation that enters deep within the skin layers and helps to kill infection if present and also helps to pull away any intoxication.
- This improves the blood circulation and help to assist in making the skin healthy and beautiful. Although these have many benefits, yet you should not apply the poultice directly on the skin and avoid using them on broken skin.
Herb poultice
A very ancient way to heal and draw out infection is to go for herb poultice. You can prepare herbal poultice using some dried herbs or fresh herbs.
- For dried herb, you can use a mortar and some pestle and grind them to a fine powder. Put these powdered herbs into a bowl and add some slight warm water. Prepare a thick paste out of it and used it for external application. The water required for this may depend on the herb being used. Make the mixture thick but take care that it should be made in such a way that it does not become stiff. Now spread the paste on a clean muslin or linen or cotton cloth. Before you place the poultice on the affected area, clean the area with some solution of hydrogen peroxide. Use a towel to prevent soiling and pin to fasten and put the poultice in proper position. A hot water can be used to keep the poultice warm.
- In case of fresh herb, put some fresh herb in a saucepan with a cup of water and allow this to simmer for 2 minutes or so. Now pour the herbal solution over the cloth preferably a cotton or muslin cloth. Wash the affected with a solution of hydrogen peroxide and then gently place the poultice over the affected area. Use a towel to prevent soiling and pin to fasten to put the poultice in the correct position.
Other common types of poultice are:
- Bran poultice which can be used in the form of a paste and can be applied on the affected area. This poultice should be placed on the area and applied as hot as possible. This will reduce inflammations, strains, bruises and sprains.
- Another very common poultice for boils and other skin problem such as abscesses on the head is a mixture of bread and milk. This should be used together to make a paste and applied on the affected area.
- To clean impurities from the skin, you can opt for clay poultices. For this you have to add some water to a required amount of clay and add few drops of apple cider vinegar to it. The clay poultice should be dried before washing them off.
Whenever you experience some throbbing pain, this signifies that the poultice is drawing the infection and neutralizing the toxins. These home remedies poultice can be perfect solution to all the common pains that you may experience now and then!
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