Ginger root is a medicinal plant that has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries to treat an array of conditions such as sore throat, fever, arthritis, rheumatism, pain, sprains and even infectious diseases. While these conditions may seem completely unrelated at first glance, there is a common thread that ties them all together. That common factor is inflammation.
In recent years there has been a renewed interest in studying the pharmacological effects of ginger. Many scientific studies have focused on the isolation of the active constituents of ginger, verification of their pharmacological actions and the effectiveness of treating certain conditions.
The verdict is good. An extract (EV.EXT.77) derived from Zingiber officinale (one kind of ginger) has been shown to inhibit the induction of several genes involved in the inflammatory response. These include genes encoding cytokines, chemokines, and the inducible enzyme cyclooxygenase-2. These multi-syllabic chemicals are the ones responsible for causing pain, swelling and fever in the human body. What this means is that ginger is capable of controlling inflammation and hence pain, swelling, and fever the same way many NSAIDs are able to. And the best part about choosing ginger over NSAIDs is, fewer adverse reactions such as GI bleeding.
Growing up as a Chinese/Japanese person, I am quite accustomed to being given a cup of hot ginger tea to help fight off a common cold, and I’ve grown to like the distinct taste of ginger. But recently, I’ve taken on a rather casual experiment of my own. After a wisdom tooth extraction, I decided to stay off the pain medication I was given and give my good friend ginger a chance to prove herself worthy as an anti-inflammatory agent.
Freshly grated ginger with honey in hot water, in oil and ponzu sauce as salad dressing, with chopped scallion and salt on top of grilled meats as seasoning, and fresh ginger slices in my stir fry; any way I could think of, I tried including it in my diet for the 3 days following my dental procedure. The results, I’m happy to say, were better than I expected; not only was I able to cope without medication, everything healed properly and quickly as well. I might have smelled of ginger for days following, but everyone around me was kind enough to say nothing, at least to my face.
I feel compelled to say at this point, that I’m in no way saying that ginger is the amazing cure-all that will solve any inflammatory conditions. However, most forms of musculoskeletal pain are at least partly caused by inflammation, or have some inflammatory components, and by including fresh ginger in your diet, it may have a favorable effect on managing your musculoskeletal pain. It is crucial to consult your doctor before you decide to incorporate ginger into your therapeutic regimen. There are many serious conditions that require far more aggressive interventions that botanicals are simply incapable of managing, so speak to a healthcare provider to address any questions or concerns you have.
If you have any questions about ginger or its use in helping your musculoskeletal pain, please contact Chung lee at chung@jointventurespt.com