the Power of Plai !!!

About 2 years or so back I was looking thou one of my essential oil suppliers that carry some very odd and unusual oils and came across the oil, Thai Ginger, Zingiber cassumunr. This was a ginger I had never seen (and I LOVE me some ginger). The only info they had listed was that it was used in Thai massage to help reduce pain. I ordered it just for the hell of it. When I got it I was VERY put off by it, it did not smell like ginger at all, it was bitter green in scent. I found it somewhat unpleasant and on the rack it went. I ask some of my aromatherapy friends and other suppliers about this oil but no one had knowledge of it. One of my herbalist friends found the plant on an herb site and told me in Thailand it is known as Plai. After looking it up all I found was info on the plant itself and that it is used for reducing pain (just like other gingers) and INFLAMMATION (unlike other gingers).  This “ginger” is cool and wet (in its energy) were the more common ginger is hot and dry (or damp if you use the fresh root).  So Plai has all the healing properties of ginger without the heat and is an anti-inflammatory. I added it to some of my pain reliving blends and my anti-inflammatory blends. Well even at 1% Plai’s scent would take over a blend, BUT it worked very well.

Now onto why I am writing this; a lady has been coming in to see me every week for about a month with pain in her right shoulder, been doing everything I can think of for her. When she leaves she is pain free but within a day or 3 it comes back. Been telling her to have a Doc look at it. When she did they found that she has Bursitis (what I was thinking). Bursitis is inflammation of the fluid-filled sac (bursa) that lies between a tendon and skin, or between a tendon and bone. The condition may be acute or chronic. It is very hard to work on. She had has two cortisone shots which gave her some relief but not 100%.  As I was working on here the overwhelming scent of Plai field the air. This happens to me sometimes, I will “smell” what oil I should be using on someone, even when I am not using an essential oil on them.  So, trying not to gag on the scent that only I can smell I got up, got the Plai and added 3 drops right to her shoulder and lightly massaged it in.  She called me about 3 hours later to tell me ALL the pain was gone!  She was pain free for about a week and very little pain in two weeks. So now I have use Plai neat on her shoulder 3 times now (every other week). And after a month she is pain free. After seeing her Doc last week he told her the inflammation was gone.  

So, even thou I do not “like” this scent of Plai, its power as an anti-inflammatory cannot be questioned. Plai essential oil can now be found from suppliers of high quality Essential oil.

Do not use essential oils NEAT (without diluting) on the skin without proper training and knowledge of the oils being used.  Always seek treatment from a highly trained Aromatherapist.