Soothing Ginger for Stomach and Muscle Pain

Some of us only know the spice, ginger, as it is used in ginger snaps (yum), but ginger is widely used as a remedy for upset stomach and nausea and is also used as a muscle pain remedy. Ginger tea is calming and invigorating.

The calming and invigorating effects of ginger tea are best felt in the absence of the influence of caffeine. If you are a coffee or caffeinated tea drinker and you are looking for a healthier alternative, ginger tea can be a good choice. Personally I like coffee, but as I get older I find my stomach can use an occasional break from my usual daily dose. Once or twice a year I give up coffee for a few weeks or a month. After the first week away from daily coffee consumption I can easily feel the calming and invigorating effects of ginger tea or crystallized ginger.

I have found Ginger tea to be an effective remedy for acid stomach, stomach cramps, heartburn and other minor digestive ailments. Crystalized ginger also works, but not as quickly or well; however, as a preventative measure, a little crystalized ginger with meals aids digestion and so helps prevent the maladies listed above. If ginger is going to work for you, you will know it almost immediately. If, despite the use of ginger, you have consistent daily stomach pain or digestive problems, you should see your physician immediately.

Years ago I lived with a roommate who was a regional kung fu champion here in Boston. He was in top condition, but developed shooting pains up and down his back and leg. His Sifu, a kung fu master from China, recommended soaking in a bath of raw ginger and scallions steeped in hot water. It made him smell a little like Chinese food, but it made his pain go away, too.

DISCLAIMER: This article is about a spice used as an herbal remedy, not about the woman who so inflamed the adolescent dreams of many boys: the woman known as “Ginger” on the television series, “Gilligan’s Island.” Nevertheless, since I can never wholly exclude the woman from my thoughts when I talk about the spice, here she is. Like my experience with the female “Ginger”, my experience with the spice ginger is purely anecdotal, not clinical. Hmm. What would define a “clinical” experience with the character, “Ginger,” I wonder... ?