Natural Remedies for Pilonidal Cysts

A Pilonidal Cyst is a blanket term for any type of skin infection near the coccyx. These are normally quite painful, occur somewhat more often in men than in women, and normally happen in early adulthood. Although usually found near the coccyx, this painful condition can be found in several places, including the navel or the armpit.

Development of the condition in a place other than the coccyx is exceedingly rare, however. It usually happens in young people, up to their thirties in age. Conditions in which it commonly occurs include obesity, body hair around the area in question, and a sedentary lifestyle. While a traumatic event is not believed to cause a pilonidal cyst, such an event has been known to inflame existing cysts.

Treatment Recommended by Edgar Cayce

The following was taken from the Edgar Cayce Health Database.

Castor oil packs seem to make a positive difference in a variety of conditions of human illness. Sometimes it doesn’t make sense that these packs, applied in different places on the body, bring a healing influence to sore throats, pilonidal cysts, contusions and abrasions. But the following stories tell how patients and doctors have made effective use of this product of the Racinus communis plant:

“I had just begun coming out of a period of chronic sore throats which followed a bronchopneumonia-type syndrome that had been called, among other things, the Hong Kong flu. This was after two years of winter spells that left me bedfast every other weekend. I did not believe I would survive another year. After reading The Sleeping Prophet and just prior to the hay fever season, I began the back adjustments and used the inhalant recommended in the readings. The results were remarkable. I was still having regular bouts with sore throats, so one night I decided to try the heated castor oil pack on the abdomen. In 15 minutes the sore throat suddenly evaporated in what felt like a rush of running water. The next evening my wife came down with the same symptoms and applied the treatment with identical results.” (Gene Jacobson)

“The patient is a 26-year-old male with a five-year history of episodic flare ups of a painful pilonidal cyst. It was never larger than an olive until the last week of October, 1975, when it reached the size of an egg. Sitting and walking became more difficult. He finally went for medical help and was scheduled for surgery on the 29th of November.

“I was visited by his mother who is my patient. She asked if there were anything I could suggest to relieve the pain since the doctor had only given him antibiotics. I recommended applying a four-inch gauze pad saturated in castor oil with a heating pad on high heat for one hour before bedtime. His wife was to give him a five-minute digital massage two inches from the border of the cyst, working in a circular motion towards the cyst but not directly on it. This was done and repeated the following morning. At 4 p.m. Sunday the pain returned, and his wife applied another compress. Within minutes he felt relief. The cyst opened and began to drain.

“He reported to his doctor on Monday for the scheduled surgery, but indicated that since the cyst was draining he wanted to cancel the surgery and let nature take its course. The doctor insisted that the sac had to be removed, but the patient refused.

“Within one week the cyst was down to the size of a pea, the smallest it had been in five years. He reported that with the first application he was able to sleep for the first time in ten days; now the cyst is barely palpable. He was instructed to continue the hot castor oil compresses for one additional week after cessation of the drainage.” (Dr. Al Giaquinto)

“I have used the castor oil packs for a variety of conditions, from open abrasions to strained muscles, and all with great success. I have even converted my skeptical husband to the castor oil packs following an incident with our son. He had somehow managed to get his hand smashed between two rocks, not breaking any bones, but badly abrased and contused. Against my medical training and my husband’s, we applied a warm castor oil pack to the hand. The next morning the results were dramatic. The swelling had completely subsided and the healing had occurred at an incredible rate. By the third day healing was complete… The remarkable thing other than the healing was the absence of pain after an hour following the application of the pack.” (Georgia Van Wormer)

Treating Pilonidal Cysts with Diet and Detoxification

“As we find, many changes have taken place in the body since last we had same here. In the present we find tendencies towards an acute disturbance wherein there is an excess acidity through the body; causing lack of proper flow of those digestive forces through the liver and gall duct. These are causing the effects as indicated in the irritations on portions of the body, as well as sores or hurtings – and abrasions – in the mouth.” [Edgar Cayce reading – 670-12]

In order to reduce or possibly eliminate Pilonidal Cysts without surgery it is necessary to re balance the body’s PH using proper diet and detoxification procedures. These infections thrive when the body is plagued with acidity and poor eliminations so an alkaline diet rich in fresh vegetables and low in grains, sugars and processed foods will help eliminations and blood alkalinity.

Water fasting and colonic irrigations are an extremely effective combination for aiding the body’s elimination processes. Water fasting enables the body to clean itself out and improve its ability to remove toxins as they accumulate and the colonic irrigation helps to remove built up toxins and allow the elimination of toxins that were previously unable to escape.

Yoga Postures to Help the Body Detoxify

Perhaps the most effective method, which worked for me personally to treat a cyst, is the practice of Yoga. The Boat Pose, in particular, (shown below) gives the most immediate relief. Although it can be extremely painful with a Pilonidal Cyst, Boat Pose is quite effective at creating a detoxifying response into the region.

I recall quite vividly, when I first attempted to do the pose, during the period when the cyst was at its largest size, I did everything I could to avoid putting pressure on the cyst. Eventually, I just gave in and allowed myself to endure some excruciating pain, which eventually turned into an exhilarating burn; it really felt as if some powerful healing energy was being called into action during this experience.

Boat Pose was held for about 30 seconds during each repetition. Already, after the very first time, a feeling of newly-enhanced circulation was felt in the region of the cyst. After attending Yoga classes regularly and doing this pose, the cyst eventually went away altogether and was even forgotten for several months.

A couple doing the boat pose on the beach

See Also: The Health Benefits of Water Fasting