Comparing the effect of ginger and vitamin D3 supplement on inflammatory factors and pain severity in adults with low back pain

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of ginger and vitamin D3 supplement on inflammatory factors and pain severity in adults with low back pain. To achieve the research objectives, 120 patients with chronic low back pain admitted to Akhtar and Imam Hossein Hospitals were selected by random sampling method in 2017. They were randomly divided into three groups: ginger, vitamin D3 and control.The drugs were provided for each group in uniform packages with specific code for six weeks. In order to evaluate the variables, visual analogue scale (VAS, CRP, IL-6) was used before the start of the study and six weeks after the study. Data were analyzed using covariance analysis. The results showed no significant difference between ginger and vitamin D3 in the levels of VAS and IL-6, while significant difference was found between the ginger group and the control group and between vitamin D3 group and control group. Other results revealed that CRP reduction was significantly higher in both ginger and vitamin D3 groups than that in the control group. In addition, ginger led to significant reduction in CRP factor compared to vitamin D3. It is recommended for physicians to use ginger, which has fewer side effects, as a substitute for chemical drugs.