Castor oil comes from the castor seed, Ricinus communis, and is native to India. Due to its unusual composition, castor oil has a number of heath benefits and healing properties. Castor oil contains ricinoleic acid – a unique fatty acid that has been used medicinally for a long time. Over the years it has also been used as an ingredient in skin care products, as food additives, and in the manufacturing industry. The FDA has labeled castor oil as safe and effective and along with the World Health Organization has established the recommended daily intake of castor oil of up to 0.7mg/kg body weight. This works out to approximately one tablespoon of castor oil for adults and one teaspoon for children.

Arthritis can be an extremely debilitating affliction for those it affects. It is a fairly common condition, which is suffered by millions of people around the world. It affects the joints of the body and can cause problems in everyday life for sufferers due to a lack of mobility and pain it causes. This can make walking difficult if the hip, knee or ankle joint is affected and can result in a lack of dexterity when the finger and wrist joints are arthritic.