Could ginger root ease sciatica pain? new study investigates

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion criteria: * 18-85 years old men and women with BMI \< 25 or ≥ 30 kg/m2 * low back or gluteal pain radiating into leg(s) past the knee (sciatica) with pain duration of at least 3 months (chronic sciatica) * pain scale \> 3 out of 10 (0=no pain,10=worst pain imaginable) during the past 24 hours * willingness to accept randomization. * woman of childbearing potential agrees to use an effective form of contraception during the study Exclusion criteria: Sciatica aspects: * known or suspected serious spinal pathology (e.g., cauda equina syndrome or spinal fracture) * scheduled, or being considered, for spinal surgery or interventional procedures for sciatica during study period * focal neurological deficits with progressive or disabling symptoms * low back pain without sciatica GI aspects: * unstable GI disorder * history of chronic or systemic autoimmune diseases with GI involvement * recent (\<1 month) appearance of diarrhea or hematochezia before study begins * recent (\<1 month) exposure to antibiotics before study start Other exclusion considerations: * pregnant or breast-feeding women * women of child-bearing potential will have a urine pregnancy test done prior to the baseline MRI and administration of any study drug. The clinical research coordinator will run the pregnancy test and inform the patient of the results. If the test is positive, they will be withdrawn from study participation. * cognitive impairment, history of psychiatric conditions indicating mental health instability or incapacity * likeliness of moving during the trial, lack of transportation, or unavailability at sample collection times. * presence of a bleeding diathesis * taking anticoagulant medications (e.g Heparin, Warfarin) * taking dual antiplatelet medications (e.g. aspirin + Plavix) * participants with clinically significant laboratory abnormalities of liver function (AST and ALT) and kidney function (BUN and serum creatinine) abnormalities. Definition of clinically significant for liver function is AST/ALT ≥ 3.0x ULN and for kidney function is serum creatinine \> 2.0 mg/dl and BUN \> 1.5x ULN.