The effect of ginger on pain relief in primary dysmenorrhea: A clinical study
by Forest Raga December 15, 2020
The present study was carried out to investigate the efficacy and safety of ginger on pain management in primary dysmenorrhea.
Objective: The aim of the study was to compare the effect of mefenamic acid and ginger on pain management in primary dysmenorrhea.
Treatment Offered
One hundred and twenty-two female students with moderate to severe primary dysmenorrhea were randomly allocated to the ginger and mefenamic groups in a randomized clinical trial. The mefenamic group received 250 mg capsules every 8 h, and the ginger group received 250 mg capsules (zintoma) every 6 h from the onset of menstruation until pain relief lasted 2 cycles. The intensity of pain was assessed by the visual analog scale. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, Chi-square, Fisher exact test, and repeated measurement.
Results
The pain intensity in the mefenamic and ginger group was 39.01 ± 17.77 and 43.49 ± 19.99, respectively, in the first month, and 33.75 ± 17.71 and 38.19 ± 20.47, respectively, in the second month (p > 0.05). The severity of dysmenorrhea, pain duration, cycle duration, and bleeding volume was not significantly different between groups during the study. The menstrual days were more in the ginger group in the first (p = 0.01) and second cycle (p = 0.04). The repeated measurement showed a significant difference in pain intensity within the groups over time, but not between groups.
The pain intensity in the mefenamic and ginger group was 55.03 ± 14.95 and 58.01 ± 14.52, respectively, at the onset of the study. It was 39.01 ± 17.77 and 43.49 ± 19.99, respectively, in the first month and 33.75 ± 17.71 and 38.19 ± 20.47, respectively, in the second month. The intensity of pain was not significantly different between groups during the study. Furthermore, the severity of dysmenorrhea was not significantly different between the groups in the onset, and after the first and second months (Table). The repeated measurement showed a significant difference in pain intensity within the groups over time, but not between groups. Furthermore, there was not a significant interaction between type of treatment and pain over time (Fig.).
| Menstruation characteristics | Mefenamic group | Ginger group | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onset | First month | Second month | Onset | First month | Second month | |
| Days of the cycle (M ± SD) | 28.39 ± 2.83 | 27.98 ± 4.01 | 28.04 ± 2.70 | 27.44 ± 3.15 | 28.85 ± 2.92 | 28.95 ± 2.67 |
| Menstruation days (M ± SD) | 6.60 ± 1.17 | 5.93 ± 1.31a | 6.21 ± 1.19b | 6.70 ± 1.22 | 6.50 ± 1.19a | 6.67 ± 1.24b |
| Days of pain (M ± SD) | 1.67 ± 0.92 | 1.39 ± 0.63 | 1.62 ± 0.71 | 1.62 ± 0.85 | 1.60 ± 0.80 | 1.49 ± 0.78 |
| The severity of dysmenorrhea N (%) | ||||||
| Mild | “ | 22 (53.7) | 33 (55.0) | “ | 19 (46.3) | 27 (45.0) |
| Moderate | 41 (50.6) | 35 (51.5) | 26 (49.1) | 40 (49.4) | 33 (48.5) | 27 (50.9) |
| Severe | 20 (48.8) | 4 (30.8) | 2 (22.2) | 21 (51.2) | 9 (69.2) | 7 (77.8) |
| Change in bleeding N (%) | ||||||
| Increase | 3 (27.3) | 5 (35.7) | 8 (72.8) | 9 (64.3) | ||
| Decrease | 20 (66.7) | 21 (65.6) | 10 (33.3) | 11 (34.4) | ||
| No change | 38 (46.9) | 35 (46.1) | 43 (53.1) | 41 (53.9) | ||
Change in the pain intensity in the mefenamic and ginger group during the time
-Although the use of extra analgesia was higher in the ginger compared to the mefenamic group in the first month (31.1 and 18 %, respectively; p = 0.07), it was not significantly different. The same result was observed in the second month (16.4 and 14.8 % in the ginger and mefenamic group, respectively).
Conclusion
Ginger is as effective as mefenamic acid on pain relief in primary dysmenorrhea. Ginger does not have adverse effects and is an alternative treatment for primary dysmenorrhea.
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