Ginger for Joint Pain: Extract Reduced Subjective Pain and Inflammatory Markers

Nutrients published a double-blind, randomized study (Texas A&M): 30 people aged 40-75 with mild-moderate joint and muscle pain received 125 mg / day of a specialized ginger extract (supercritical CO₂ extraction + fermentation; 10 % gingerols, ≤3% shogaols) or placebo for 58 days. With ginger, participants reported less pain and stiffness, better assessed functional capacity and demonstrated more favorable shifts in some cytokines (IL-5, IL-8, TNF-α, hsCRP) - especially after 48 hours of recovery after a standardized exercise test. At the same time, an increase in eosinophils and a trend towards a higher resting heart rate were noted; some of the effects on markers were temporary and heterogeneous, and the sample was small.

Background

Joint and muscle pain and stiffness are among the most common reasons for visiting a doctor in middle-aged and older people. Standard painkillers and NSAIDs help, but with long-term use they hit a “ceiling” of effectiveness and risks for the gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular system, which is why interest in safe non-drug adjuvants is growing. Ginger has long been on this list: its phenolic components (primarily gingerols and shogaols) in preclinical models suppress key links in inflammation and pain transmission - the synthesis of prostaglandins and leukotrienes, NF-κB activity, cytokine release, and also affect nociception receptors. Clinical evidence in osteoarthritis and non-specific pain is still mixed: in a number of small RCTs, ginger extracts reduced pain and improved function, but interventions varied in dose, duration, and form of raw material (raw/dried root, powder, extract), making it difficult to compare results and draw confident conclusions.

Against this background, two key gaps are emerging: first, there is a need for standardization of the bioavailable dose of active molecules (not just “grams of root”), and second, it is important to understand how ginger behaves in real “pain” dynamics - not only at rest, but also in the delayed soreness window after exercise, where symptoms are often maximal. The current randomized trial addresses precisely these questions: it uses a standardized extract with a given proportion of gingerols in a small daily dose, tracks not only subjective pain/function scales but also a panel of inflammatory markers, and includes a separate assessment point of the 48-hour recovery window after a standardized physical test. This design allows us to simultaneously test the clinical significance, possible mechanisms of action, and safety of the supplement in conditions close to everyday life.

What exactly did they do?

• Design: Double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel groups, repeated measures; registration ISRCTN74292348; IRB approval. Test visits at days 0, 30 and 56 + reassessments 48 hours after each load.
• Participants: 30 men and women (mean age 56±9 years; BMI 31±7.5 kg/m²) with a history of mild-severe joint/muscle pain and/or diagnosed osteoarthritis; concomitant stable diseases were allowed.
• Intervention: Ginger capsules 125 mg/day (≈ 12.5 mg/day gingerols) versus identical placebo for 58 days. This dose, according to the authors' calculations, should be sufficient due to the concentration of oleoresin during CO₂ extraction and fermentation.
• How was it measured:
  • Pain/function: WOMAC, LeCause index, SF-36, VAS assessment of pain due to pressure in the anterior thigh (m. vastus medialis); squat test with dumbbells at 30% of body weight (3×10 repetitions).
  • Inflammation/safety: cytokine panel (IL-1β, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IFN-γ, TNF-α, hsCRP), complete CBC, lipids, glycemia, creatine kinase, hemodynamics.

What did they find?

• Pain and function (primary outcomes):
  • Ginger reduced subjective vastus medialis pain and improved the pain/stiffness/functional capacity questionnaires (WOMAC; LeCause index showed less discomfort when walking up stairs and at night). The effects were more pronounced 48 hours after exercise.
  • Rescue analgesics: during the study, they were used by 46.7% in the ginger group versus 73.3% in the placebo group; differences by time point did not reach statistical significance (chi-square p=0.195-0.713).
  • Range of motion: knee ROM showed a trend towards improvement (p≈0.06-0.10), hip ROM showed no differences.
• Inflammatory markers (time course):
  • Ginger attenuated increases in IL-5, IL-8, TNF-α, and hsCRP, especially in the 48-hour post-exercise window.
  • IL-6 and IFN-γ were higher than baseline in the immediate period after the first load, which the authors interpret as part of immunomodulation (against the background of a general tendency towards a decrease in TNF-α).
• Metabolic and other indicators:
  • Fasting glucose at day 58 was lower in absolute values by ~13.8 mg/dL (p=0.028) in the ginger group, but there was no difference in change from baseline; the authors do not claim clinical significance without concomitant changes in HbA1c.
  • Resting pulse tended to increase in the ginger group (p=0.067); systolic BP decreased over time in both groups.

Safety and tolerability

• Blood: In the ginger group, eosinophils increased significantly over time; individual red cell indices were lower, but no group×time interactions were observed. Overall panels were within normal limits.
• Adverse events: headache, palpitations and nervousness (mostly mild) were most commonly reported; no serious events were noted.
• Authors' conclusion on safety: the extract at a dose of 125 mg/day for 8 weeks was generally tolerated, but the results require confirmation in larger samples.

How to understand this "in life"

• Ginger is not an NSAID, but it is a potential “soft” helper. Against the background of placebo, participants with ginger were less likely to reach for painkillers (although statistically this is not strong), they rated pain/stiffness/function better, and some inflammatory markers shifted to the “healthy” side.
• The key nuance is the form and dose. A specialized extract (CO₂ extraction + fermentation) with a high density of gingerols was studied; tea, powder "by eye" or pickled ginger is not equal to this capsule.
• When to expect the effects: the differences were most clearly evident in the 48-hour window after the exercise session - where “it hurts the most.”

Restrictions

• The sample is small (n=30), 8 weeks of observation, one center - statistical power is limited, some results appear episodic (by time points).
• Complex cytokine picture: IL-6/IFN-γ increased in places, which indicates immunomodulation rather than a “linear” anti-inflammatory effect.
• Generalizability: Cannot be extrapolated to all patients with osteoarthritis or to other forms of ginger; large RCTs with clinically relevant endpoints (objective tests of function, need for analgesics with potency, long-term outcomes) are needed.
• Sponsor: The publication was approved by the sponsor, but according to the authors, the sponsor did not participate in data collection/analysis and the decision to publish. No conflicts of interest were declared.

What's Next - Ideas for Practice and Science

• For clinicians/patients: ginger may be an adjuvant option for mild-moderate joint pain - provided it does not replace background therapy; caution in those prone to arrhythmias (given the pulse trend) and when taking anticoagulants (general caution for ginger). These are not recommendations from the article, but context-based reminders.
• For researchers: repeat the protocol in a larger cohort with planned subgroup analyses (gender, BMI, inflammatory phenotype), standardize the exercise window, add objective tests (pedometers/ICT platforms), and compare different forms of ginger (extract vs powder/tea).

Source: Broeckel J. et al. Effects of Ginger Supplementation on Markers of Inflammation and Functional Capacity in Individuals with Mild to Moderate Joint Pain, Nutrients 17(14):2365, July 18, 2025; registration ISRCTN74292348. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17142365