Ginger Therapy for Osteoarthritis: A Typical Case

To describe a treatment for osteoarthritis known as ginger therapy applied by anthroposophic nurses for a specific personality type.

Ginger has been used medicinally in Asia since ancient times to bring inner warmth. Ginger therapy is part of the tradition of anthroposophic nursing, when managing chronic inflammatory conditions such as osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a progressive disease of the synovial joint tissue that primarily affects those older than 65 years, causing pain on movement.

A patient with specific characteristics suffering osteoarthritis received 7 consecutive days of ginger therapy by anthroposophic nurses at an integrative medical center. Two weeks after the therapy, education was given to enable self-treatment in the home for a further 24 weeks. Data were obtained using body physiological recordings, a case diary and pain scale, and self-report arthritis Health Assessment Questionnaire.

Ginger therapy activated a marked relief of osteoarthritis symptoms that progressively improved over the 24 weeks, with no negative effects reported. Ginger therapy needs to be considered by nurses caring for specific personality types with osteoarthritis.