No easily identifiable medicinal uses. In the Ginger family it is a hardy representative of this family of tropical plants whose rhizomes leaves and shoots are used as foods and spices.

The following notes refer to the related species Zingiber officinale. Ginger root is widely used in Eastern Herbal treatments - in Ayurveda it is known as the universal medicine and it is an ingredient of about half of all prescriptions in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. The root is rich in volatile oils, gingerols and shogaols. The shogaols are only produced when the root is dried, as a breakdown substance of the gingerols. They are twice as pungent as the gingerols and so the dried root is normally used in different ways to the fresh root. The root is a sweet, pungent, aromatic, warming herb that is expectorant; increases perspiration; improves digestion and liver function; controls nausea, vomiting and coughing; stimulates the circulation; relaxes spasms; and relieves pain. The root is used internally in the treatment of all forms of nausea, including morning and motion sickness. It is used to treat indigestion, colic, abdominal chills, colds, coughs, influenza and peripheral circulatory problems. Externally, the root is used to treat spasmodic pain, rheumatism, lumbago, menstrual cramps and sprains[Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ].