Ginger is commonly used in clinical practice, including ginger and dried ginger, etc. Both drugs can usually remove cold, especially good at resolving the cold of the lungs, spleen and stomach meridians, and it is recommended that patients follow the doctor’s instructions for treatment.
Ginger is warm in nature and pungent in taste. It has the efficacy of dispersing cold from the surface of the body (removing cold from the surface of the muscles), warming the lungs and relieving cough (stopping cough by warming the lungs), which can be used for wind-cold colds and coughs; it also has the efficacy of warming the spleen and stomach and stopping vomiting (treating vomiting caused by cold stomach by warming the spleen and stomach), and it can be used for vomiting caused by cold spleen and stomach and abdominal pain and diarrhea, etc. It is not recommended to use in cases of Yin deficiency and internal heat, or solid heat. It can be used for vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea caused by cold in the spleen and stomach.
Dried ginger is hot and pungent in nature, also has the effect of warming the middle and dispersing cold (using medicine to warm the spleen and stomach to dispel cold), warming and dispersing cold in the lungs, but dried ginger not only removes cold in the interior, but also restores yang and passes through the veins, and is usually combined with Radix Angelicae Sinensis for the treatment of yang-deficiency syndrome. It is usually used in combination with Radix et Rhizoma Ginseng for the treatment of yin deficiency and fire exuberance (deficiency of yin essence in the body, resulting in hyperactivity of deficiency and fire), and for those who are suffering from blood-heat paranoia.
The adverse effects of the drug are not clear, and patients are advised to standardize the use of the drug under the guidance of a Chinese medicine practitioner.