Ginger may reduce pain after exercise

A recent study indicated that Ginger may reduce the pain associated with muscle injury after exercising, offering amateur and professional athletes a natural pain reliever.

Both raw and heat-treated ginger reduced the pain associated with muscle injury by about 24 per cent, compared with placebo, according to findings published in The Journal of Pain.

“The primary novel finding was that supplementation with both raw and heat-treated ginger attenuated muscle pain intensity 24 hours after eccentric exercise,” wrote the researchers, led by Chris Black, PhD, from Georgia College and State University.

“Consumption of raw ginger resulted in a 25 per cent reduction while heat-treated ginger resulted in a 23 per cent reduction in muscle-pain intensity 24 hours post-exercise,” they added.

The rhizome of the ginger plant (Zingiber officinale) is a rich source of antioxidants, including gingerols, shogaols, zingerones and other ketone derivatives. According to Black and his co-workers from the University of Georgie, ginger’s pain reducing effects are biologically plausible with both in vitro and in vivo animal studies showing an effect of gingerols, shogaols, and zingerones on inflammatory compounds.

“This suggests ginger may have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties akin to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,” stated the researchers.

Beyond sports, ginger has long been used as a remedy for nausea, especially associated with morning sickness. However, the Finnish food safety agency, Evira, last year recommended warning labels for ginger supplements, after its Risk Assessment Unit highlighted dangers for consuming them for pregnant women.

If you are interested in a healthy salad dressing utilizing Ginger, we will be happy to e-mail you Whitney's Famous Carrot-Ginger Salad Dressing Recipe.

Introducing the Well Adjusted Blog

Welcome to Dr. Mark Herman's "Well Adjusted" blog. My assistant Whitney and I will be posting interesting information regarding how chiropractic can be of extreme benefit to your health. For starters did you know that 80% of all Americans will at some time experience back pain. Did you also know that Chiropractic Care is the safest and most effective approach for treating and resolving back problems. 9 out of 10 people using chiropractic care has felt that their treatment has been effective. According to the Western Journal of Medicine chiropractic patients were 3 times more satisfied with their care when compared to that of their family practice physicians. We would love to hear from you regarding your positive experiences with Chiropractic.