In a recent study, steamed ginger extract effectively reduced the mean perineal and uterine pain in first normal postpartum women. Researchers compared the effectiveness of steamed ginger extract, paracetamol (a common Western painkiller), and placebo for pain alleviation in the postpartum period. In this open randomized (1:1:1) trial, postpartum women in their first pregnancy who had a normal vaginal delivery were given either up to 500 mg of paracetamol four times a day (qid) or 200 mg of ginger extract/placebo capsules three times a day (tid).

All medications were administered 2 hours following delivery. The Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) was utilized to examine pain at 2, 24, 48, and 72 hours after delivery. At the postnatal ward, 99 women with comparable demographic traits were selected. Over time, the mean perineal and uterine pain scores declined across all groups. Only perineal pain at 24, 48, and 72 hours in the ginger extract vs. placebo arms showed significantly different mean scores, at 3.97 vs. 6.3, 2.48 vs. 6.09, and 1.42 vs. 2.61, respectively. None of the three groups experienced any adverse drug reactions. Hence, ginger extract capsules exhibit favorable outcomes for postpartum pain management.