Home Therapies: Mustard Plaster

There are many home therapies that are quite widely known and utilized, and I’ve written about many of them in past newsletters: castor oil, saunas, hydrotherapy, whole-body vibration platforms, and others. After being reminded about mustard plasters recently and looking into them more, it is curious to me that they have not become as well-known and utilized as some of the others.

A mustard plaster is, in essence, a castor oil pack but made with mustard seed powder. It can be applied to any part of the body to reduce pain and inflammation. It is probably most commonly applied to the chest to relieve congestion and help resolve respiratory infections.

Surprisingly, there are actual clinical trials to assess the efficacy of mustard plasters at relieving joint pain. For instance, this study found application of the plaster to a painful/arthritic knee dramatically improved pain, stiffness, and function in the knee after just 15 minutes of daily application for 7 days. I cannot find studies of it applied to other joints or areas of the body to get the same effect, but I’m betting that if it works on knees it is probably going to work elsewhere as well.

Unlike castor oil, there are some important precautions about applying mustard plasters.

Getting the ratio right

Mustard seed powder contains compounds that stimulate/irritate/activate the immune cells under the skin. In doing so they cause the skin to heat up and in fact can create a chemical burn if applied in a concentration that is too high or applied for too long. The key in making the plaster is in the ratio of mustard powder to flour you mix together and create the paste from. If applied to toddlers or children I would advise starting with a 1:4 or 1:3 ratio, mustard:flour. Adults can go as high as 1:1, checking the skin regularly and applied at that strength for no longer than 15 to 20 minutes. Weaker concentrations (1:4 or possibly 1:3) can be applied to adults in a compress overnight.

Also note that flaxseed powder can be used in place of flour for those who are exceedingly gluten sensitive.

Here is a video showing how to make the compress: youtube.com/watch?v=KYnFgMEb8kE. She is suggesting a 1:1 ratio. I’m telling you not to start with that, and don’t use that ratio on a toddler or child. Respect the potential for it to irritate and even burn the skin if applied for too long or at too high concentration. Mustard plasters are not dangerous but should be applied with respect for their potential as a powerful therapy. As with anything, “the dose is the poison.”

There are ways of modifying the mustard plaster to enhance its effects. If you’d like to learn more about how you can use this therapy at home to its greatest potential, get on my schedule and let’s talk it through. Email Lisa at drnigh_info@gregnigh.com, call 503-719-4806, or schedule through the website: gregnigh.com/schedule-now. Patients in Rhode Island can schedule with me through rhodeislandnaturopathic.com.