Normal wear and tear on our joints gets the better of most of us over time.  Joint pain happens.

There’s a lot that can be done to prevent it, but once it happens, most people reach for one of the anti-inflammatory drugs filling the shelves at pharmacies.

Unfortunately, using these drugs comes with a price. Acetaminophen is toxic to your liver. Ibuprofen and drugs like it have a range of serious side effects (one estimate places the number of hospitalizations resulting from ibuprofen at over 100,000 per year and the number of deaths at 16,500!¹ Clearly, it’s worth finding alternative treatments.

Fortunately, there are numerous natural approaches with a much better safety record than the drugs mentioned above.

One is a common, tasty herb with definite anti-inflammatory effects.  It’s extremely safe, and trials have proved its effectiveness in the treatment of arthritis.^2-3 You would undoubtedly see a ton of ads for it if it were a drug.

This herb is ginger.

Many people who turn to ginger for cooking or to help with nausea are unaware that it also has several anti-inflammatory properties that work to block pain.  First, ginger inhibits the natural enzymes that speed up inflammatory processes.  By stopping these enzymes, ginger is effectively blocking the pathway for pain.

Second, ginger contains enzymes that neutralize the biochemical substances that prevent healing.  With these damaging substances kept at low levels, diseased and damaged joints can recover.  Finally, ginger lessens pain by inhibiting the genetic messengers that lead to inflammation.

More good news about ginger is that it is a versatile herb available as a cooking spice, natural tea, or dietary supplement.  In health studies in which it was shown to relieve joint pain, a dose of 250 mg to 1 gram in capsulated form was taken 2 to 4 times per day.

Ginger is exceptionally safe for most people, but you should not exceed a dose of 5 grams per day.

Reference

1. Wolfe GA et al. N Engl J Med June 17, 1999, Vol. 340, No. 24, pp. 1888-1889.
2. Altman RD, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2001;44(11):2531-2538
3. Bliddal H, et al. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2000;8:9-12

[Ed. Note: Dr. Joseph McCaffrey is a board-certified surgeon with extensive experience in alternative medicine, including certification as a HeartMath Trainer.  His areas of expertise include mind-body interaction and cognitive restructuring.  Dr. McCaffrey strives to help people attain their optimum level of vitality through attention to all aspects of wellness. For more information click here.]

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