Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease particularly affecting elderly people which leads to massive bone destruction with consequent inflammation, pain, and debility. Allopathic medicine can provide only symptomatic relief. However, Zingiber officinale is a plant belonging to the Zingiberaceae family, which has traditionally been used for treatment of RA in alternative medicines of many countries. Many of the phytochemical constituents of the rhizomes of this plant have therapeutic benefits including amelioration of RA. This review attempts to list those phytochemical constituents with their reported mechanisms of action. It is concluded that these phytochemicals can form the basis of discovery of new drugs, which not only can provide symptomatic relief but also may provide total relief from RA by stopping RA-induced bone destruction. As the development of RA is a complex process, further research should be continued towards elucidating the molecular details leading to RA and drugs that can stop or reverse these processes by phytoconstituents of ginger. 1. Introduction Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation due to synovial hyperplasia which further progresses with massive irreversible bone destruction [1–4]. Other symptoms include stiffness and loss of physical movement and systemic features including cardiovascular, pulmonary, physiological, and skeletal disorders [5–7]. Recent epidemiological study shows that about 1% of people all over the world are now affected with rheumatoid arthritis, which exerts significant impact on the quality of life [8, 9]. In all populations, it is more prevalent among women rather than men. Generally, RA is developed (almost in 80% of cases) from the mid of the fourth decade in life to the last of the fifth [10–12]. Medications and lifestyle changes are considered as treatment for RA. Current treatment provides nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), for example, salicylic acid and steroids (typically cortisone injection) [13–15]. Though these drugs ease the pain, they are incapable of repairing damaged tissues. Although a broad range of drugs are prescribed for managing the pain and slowing the progression of RA, no drug is known to cure the disease completely [16, 17]. Moreover stomach ulcer is an adverse effect observed in RA patients, regularly taking NSAIDS, and adrenal suppression by steroids [18–20]. These undesirable side effects frequently force the patients to look for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) [21]. A recent survey indicates that
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