Knee Pain - Editor's Choice

Over the years, Earth Clinic readers have sent us many reports about their treatments for Knee Pain. The editors at Earth Clinic consider the below posts to be some of the most helpful and informative and have named them 'Editor's Choice'. We hope that you will find this useful.

Castor Oil

Posted by Presouzz (Sunny CA) on 12/23/2022
★★★★★

Castor Oil pads for knee swelling / arthritis

I was a retail meat cutter for over 30 years. Standing on cold concrete, and lifting for a living, I suffered at an older age, now retired. I did hit my right knee on my banister corner in 2006 and caused a BAD KNEE for ever. I favored my left knee only to have that knee to get bad after a few years too. So, I have one or both bad knees since 2006 by 2009 I was on heavy drugs and I was taking cortisone shots in my knees. I hated it.

SO I stopped living an active life and stayed home most times and babied both knees. Lots of Magnesium did help too. I can deal with the pain most days but if I have a busy day I cant avoid, I do take OTC meds or tramadol at bed time with aspirin. I HATE taking Excedrin, Motrin or Tylenol. They seem to work ok, but I have been taking those so much after I stopped Vicodin. I fear damage to my organs.

Recently I read here on earth clinic about a gentleman who used castor oil for his knee swelling. NOW I have heard of this over the years. I did in fact save my gallbladder in 2005 by doing heated castor oil packs over my gallbladder for an hour nightly for 2 weeks and maintain weekly for months. Happy to say 2022 I still have my gallbladder!! I did start eating more FAT in my diet to keep my gallbladder working pushing out the sludge. CUTTING OUT all sugars and bad carbs including gluten.

I wish I could find the post the man did on earth clinic to tell him THANK YOU!! For pushing me to try castor oil. I did as he did, I used panty liners and poured organic castor oil on the absorbent side, put them on my knees. I made some knee covers by cutting an old pair of Capri leggings to fit over my knees only. works great!!

I was amazed at how much it helped the swelling. I have not seen my knees so low in swelling in YEARS! I recommend trying this. I use organic by NOW since I am MTHFR challenged and cant detox well. I try to use organic on anything I can.

I usually have to use my cane to get up from my morning computer hour, the 2 day I tried the castor oil knee packs I got up with out knees locking due to swelling. That night I did not wear them to bed. When I did get up to use the bathroom or do an early feed up for my 2 kitties, I forgot I even had painful knees. IM AMAZED!! I do use a saturation in my pad. Enough to make it a wet application. It does seem to absorb into the skin… hence why I use organic.

Years ago, I even changed up my diet to Gluten Free, sugar free, even low oxalate and recently low histamine foods. All did help but no where near enough. I do not want surgery, I have Fibro and my Dr and I both worry about healing bone and flesh.

I hope this castor oil on my knees continues!! I just orders more bottles of organic castor oil. BEST external medicine money can buy! BETTER than any voltaren gel, or salon pas!!

TRY IT!! You will not be sorry. HELPED me pretty fast, but only got better as the day went on. I did pour a little more on late afternoon to the already liners on my knees.

Happy!!


Castor Oil
Posted by Mama To Many (Tn) on 04/19/2017
★★★★★

I had a knee injury at 16. Every once in a while my knees give me trouble, maybe or maybe not related to the injury. Anyway, last week my knee was really bothering me. I had pain under the kneecap and it was making me limp somewhat. I had not even done anything that I knew of to bother my knee.

I soaked a cloth (not dripping) with castor oil oil and wrapped my knee with it. I covered that with plastic wrap and covered that with an ace bandage. I slept with it that way with a heating pad. It was somewhat improved the next day and now my other knee was a little "twingy" too.

So for the next couple of nights I just massaged castor oil into each knee and loosely put a thin flannel baby blanket on my knees to protect bedclothes. I used a heating pad one night. But in a couple of days, all knee pain was gone in both knees. I have continued to do this each night anyway, just in case. The skin on my knees is very soft now, too!

~Mama to Many~


Apple Cider Vinegar and Cayenne Wrap

Posted by April (Baltimore, Maryland) on 07/11/2015 1 posts
★★★★★

I have used this site for years but I had to make a statement on the Apple Cider vinegar and pain. Its AMAZING and it's real. Apple Cider is the magical natural elixir. I read many posts about people using Apple CIder to help with swelling and pain.

So I had been having swelling in my right foot during the middle of the day for about the past two weeks. The swelling would go down overnight when I slept except the last week it had been swollen first thing in the morning. And then my knee started to hurt. I turned to this site and read about Apple cider vinegar and cayenne pepper.

I wrapped my ankle and my knee with a mixture of apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper and coconut oil. I did it once I was ready for bed. I used a towel to sleep on and to wrap my knee with. I put the mixture on my knee wrapped the towel around my knee and wrapped it all in plastic wrap. For my ankle I made the same ingredients but this time I just wrapped it in plastic wrap. I eventually fell asleep. But I woke up when I felt the heat of the cayenne pepper on my skin.

The cayenne pepper did make this heat up in a few hours and I had to take it off. I massaged the residual in my skin. Next morning took a shower but the difference was a 100% decrease in pain. In addition, 3 days later still feel great. Apparently Apple Cider is so good you can just rub it on your skin. I read an article that it was good for varicose veins and you can massage it on the area where you have issues and you will see a difference.


Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Mommy2 (Atlanta, Ga, USA) on 08/25/2009
★★★★★

My husband has been bothered with a nagging knee pain for years now. He knows he needs to have surgery, but keeps putting it off. He had the worst flare up, I've seen him have and we've been married for 12 yrs. The pain was so tremendous he could hardly walk and you could see the pain all over his face. I've been a believer in ACV for years now, but it takes more convincing for him. After he'd fallen asleep, I took a hand towel and saturated it in ACV, wrapped it around his knee and wrapped saran wrap around it to hold in place. He slept with it on all night and could not believe his knee was 99% better when he woke up. That's been about a month ago now and he hasn't had anymore flare ups!!!

I love this site and always refer to it for cures. I also make sure to tell friends and family too!!!


Castor Oil

Posted by Al (Collinsville, IL) on 06/13/2008
★★★★★

Having recently torn the cartilage in my left knee, simultaneously diagnosed "with a little arthritis" in the same, and swelling behind the knee. My Sport's Ortho said that the swelling was common with the torn cartilage but should go down in time. I began searching on the Web for a magical pain relief remedy (other than my already supplementation of Glucosamine Sulfate, Chondrotin, Taurine, Collagen, HA, Cats Claw, Bromelain, MSM, etc., etc., etc - .all of which I have been taking for years due to 27 yrs of cycling but at almost 68yo, something had to give). One subject that kept surfacing on the Searches was an old time remedy of Castor Oil. I'm not in terrible pain, but it is a 24/7 aggravation, as anyone who has similar discomforts can attest to.

I decided to give it a try; purchased a package of ladies' cosmetic, cleansing pads (~3"x4") and a small bottle of Castor Oil (CO),

I placed a pad on a saucer, saturated the pad with CO (not dripping) and popped it into the microwave for about 35 secs. I, then placed the (105F) warm pad on my knee; wrapped my knee-pad with plastic wrap (to keep the CO from staining the heating pad) and then applied a heating pad, set to Med. heat. I left it on for about 1 hour and when I removed everything, I did a "test walk" -not only was my knee not stiff, and the swelling was 95% GONE!! I could walk with 100% less discomfort and this was 10x more effective than the Cortisone or three Hydraluronic Acid injections I had received in a two months period. The other nice thing, is that you don't have to throw the saturated pad away; place in a Ziploc bag for the next application and just add a little more CO.

I generally apply this treatment daily, each time the knee feels better - I know it's not going to remedy the situation 100%, but has made my life much better.


Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by Virgina (Highland Ranch, Colorado) on 09/29/2007
★★★★★

I had chronic cough for 6 years. I have been in Jewish Medical Center in Denver for many tests but the conclusion is nothing wrong with me. Every time I catch cold and it make me cough for three or four months. In August 17, 2007, I search for chronic cough remedy and stumble in to this site. I start taking ACV and honey the same day. The cough stopped the third days. I had surgery for my both knees, and the pain is constant. The ACV stop knee pain after the fourth day I take ACV. It's unbelievable. The cough does not go away completely. The ACV cure my cough about ninety percent. After suffer so many years, I am happy with the result. I still have to take ACV every day. Thank you for all of you who post your experience at the site.


Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Jan (Willowick, OH) on 07/24/2007
★★★★★

I have been using ACV in a tonic called Jogging in a Jug and literally within 24 hrs my knee, hip and shoulder pain have completely disappeared! I have been struggling with my shoulder pain for 12 yrs due to a car accident and my knee and hip pain for the last 2 yrs. What a miracle. I have told everyone I know about this tonic and they are all giving it a try!

Here is the recipe:

1 c organic ACV
1 c organic white grape juice
2 c organic apple juice

Mix all together. Take 1-2 oz daily before a meal. Keep refrigerated.

I didn't care for the tast at first, but now I love it. I had to plug my nose for the few days but now I can drink it just fine. My energy levels are back and I am sleeping more soundly at night. I love this stuff!!

Good Luck!


Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Ken (Rocheport, Mo)
★★★★★

Yes, I have a story that will amaze you and your readers... I have had 2 knee operations on my right knee within the last 7 years. The last was in December of last year, and without any success, I might add. My knee hurt terribly "every" day. It hurt so bad. It literally felt like I had been walking on a 4x4 strapped to my knee, and it felt like the 2 outside bones in my leg were going to shoot out of my leg with any step....Well, a good friend told me to get unfiltered apple cider vinegar, and to drink a teaspoon in about 4 ounces of water every day. I didn't really believe that it would work. Not as good as he said, but I've been drinking it now for 2 weeks, and oh my god,......"it works"....it really works. The last three days was so hard on my knee, & i was forced to use a crutch, but I woke up this morning, & I had very little pain,.....I was able to walk without pain, & I have no limp.....i haven't walked without a limp in over 2 years....I am definitely a firm believer in apple cider vinegar, and I will drink it every day from now on. I feel so energetic now, & I'm cheerful. The apple cider vinegar really helps with so many things.



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