A research study is currently in progress in New Zealand and Australia involving five anthroposophical doctors, nine Gingeranthroposophical nurses and ten participants with osteoarthritis who are receiving a series of ginger compress treatments. The ginger compress is reputed to have universal application due to its warming qualities which lead to a corresponding relaxation and strengthening in both the physical and emotional bodies.

This is a PhD study, which began earlier this year with a trip to traditional clinics in China as well as European anthroposophical hospitals. Following is a brief picture of the external use of root ginger in both the East and West.

The ginger compress is an ancient Chinese folk medicine, which is still used today in the homes of the people of Guangzhou (Cantonese) to warm the body and relieve the pain of aching joints and muscles. A Chinese publication, (Xinangcai 1998), describes the uses of ginger root, as a ginger compress, as well as with moxibustion (a slow burning herbal stick) or in combination with other herbs, for a number of diseases such as asthma, indigestion, diarrhoea, arthritis and poor circulation. Today, the external application of ginger is a routine treatment in traditional Chinese medicine clinics in Guangdong and Foshan Hospitals in Guangzhou in China. It is used for cold illnesses such as certain types of arthritis and for chronic bronchial asthma. Ginger likely made its way from the East into Southern Europe via Arab traders before the rise of the Roman Empire.

Four hospitals in Germany, specialising in anthroposophical medicine and nursing, were visited. Each hospital utilises the external application of a ginger compress as a regular treatment . The ginger compress is used in Herdecke Community Hospital primarily for pneumonia and psychiatric conditions. This hospital of approximately 500 patients was founded by Dr Gerhard Kienle, with a research focus on all aspects of complementary healthcare especially the anthroposophical approach. It was here, in the early 1970's, that three nursing educators, Dorthe Krause, Waltraud Marschke and Christa Spranger, studied and experimented on themselves using the natural healing methods of German folk medicine, which included the ginger compress. Initially ginger was used externally to bring warmth to the organs especially the liver; further research showed it was beneficial for emotional and psychiatric conditions.

The Filderklinik is also a community hospital, like Herdecke, with about 220 patients. Here, in the early 1990's, a comprehensive research of the ginger compress on hundreds of staff and patients was completed (Schurholz et al. 1992/2002). This study was referred to at all the clinics I visited, as the basis for the use of ginger compresses today. The ginger compress is used at the Filderklinik to activate the warmth organism; for example it is especially significant for the "cold" auto-immune illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis, cancer as well as chronic lung infections.

The Paracelsus Krankenhaus is a private clinic of about 70 patients; half of whom receive the ginger compress each day for such conditions as exhaustion, anorexia, depression or nervous breakdown, arthritic conditions and bronchial lung conditions. Doctor Mathias Sauer, the head doctor, said that patients come to this clinic for the external applications; this is a modern day treatment that challenges people's consciousness. Today there is often a disconnection between the higher spiritual being and the physical body as seen in the rheumatic conditions and autoimmune illnesses when the person often is unaware of their extremely cold body.

The Friedrick Husemann Klinik is a private psychiatric clinic funded by the state to care for about 103 people. Patients receive a ginger compress to the kidney region for conditions where there are signs of emotional kidney involvement; such as schizophrenia, psychotic and manic disturbances, depression and agitation or tension. Most appreciate the compress; they feel less restless and angry, warmer and calmer and more enthusiastic about being involved in the day's activities. Dr Koehler, the head psychiatrist, said the ginger compress had been found effective at the clinic for decades.

The effect of the ginger compress on the human body is somewhat like arnica, it has the ability to reconnect the higher organisations to the physical body. Ginger has the tendency to strengthen the connection with the spirit and soul by regulating and strengthening the metabolic system, while arnica does the same for the nerve sense system. We become ill when the soul and spirit are weakly incarnated and the life body is subsequently very vulnerable. The dynamic of warmth is activated in the physical body by a ginger compress. It typically stimulates activity in the physical body, and interest and enthusiasm in the emotional body, of the person receiving it; leading to the possibility of movement and subsequent change. There is a ‘conversation' between the warmth of the ginger and the warmth of the person; the warmth quality of the ginger is subtle, and the person needs to meet this and find their own warmth organisation.

Ginger is grown in the warm, moist Eastern countries and is used there to stimulate warmth activity where there is pain, cold and tension in the body, while in the West it is additionally used to strengthen the soul and spiritual being of people. The profound difference in understanding between the Eastern approach of traditional Chinese medicine and anthroposophical medical consciousness in the West was highlighted on this trip. It seemed as though health is a process of considering the balance between the understandings of both. (Steiner 1924/1948; 1927/1983)

Tessa Therkleson

References

Schurholz, J., Vogele, M., Heine, R., Muck, H., Sauer, M., Simon, L., et al. (1992/2002). Study of the external application of ginger. Lower Hutt, New Zealand: Rato Health.

Steiner, R. (1924/1948). Spiritual science and medicine. London: Rudolf Steiner Press.

Steiner, R. (1927/1983). The tension between the east and west. New York: Anthroposophic Press.

Xinangcai, X. (1998). Complete external therapies of chinese drugs. Beijing, Peoples Republic of China: Foreign Languages Press.