INDIVIDUAL HERBS

Pharmaceutical Latin: Ramulus Cinnamomi
Common English: Cinnamon Twig
Cassia Twig
Herbs that Release the Exterior: Warm, Acrid Herbs that Release the Exterior (Wind-Cold Diaphoretics)
Taste Temperature Entering Meridians Dosage
Acrid
Sweet
Warm
Heart
Lung
Urinary Bladder
(Liver)
(Kidney)
External conditions: 3-10g
Painful obstruction: 9-15g
Tincture: 1-3ml
Actions Indications/Syndromes

Releases the Exterior, assists Yang, adjusts the Ying and Wei and releases the muscle layer

Wind-Cold

Tai Yang Zhong Feng Stage (a weak person who catches cold easily)

Warms the channels and collaterals to relieve pain

Wind-Cold-Damp Bi

Unblocks Yang and transforms Qi and thin mucus

Edema due to Cold-Phlegm or Yang Qi Deficiency with urinary dysfunction, dizziness and palpitations

Assists Heart Yang and warms and facilitates the flow of Yang Qi in the chest

Palpitations due to Yang Obstruction in the chest due to Stagnation or Deficiency

Listless chest Yang with upward movement of Phlegm and thin mucus and disorderly descent of Lung Qi with shortness of breath, chest and back pain and palpitations

Heart and Spleen Yang Deficiency

Warms and facilitates the flow of Qi through the channels and collaterals and Blood through the vessels

Wind-Cold-Damp Bi

Blood Stasis due to Cold, causing amenorrhea or dysmenorrhea with or without abdominal masses

Warms the Middle and directs Turbid Yin downward

Middle Jiao Yang Deficiency

Heart and Spleen Yang Deficiency (patient usually craves sweets)

CONTRAINDICATIONS
  • Contraindicated for those with warm febrile diseases.
  • Contraindicated for those with Yin Deficiency with Heat signs.
  • Contraindicated for those with heat in the Blood with vomiting.
  • Caution during pregnancy or with heavy menstruation (6g or less - Dry-fried) .
INCOMPATIBILITIES
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS
  • Concurrent use with diuretics such as chlorothiazide, hydrochlorothiazide, furmoside (Lasix), bumetinide (Bumex) and torsemide (Demadex) may lead to increased elimination of water and/or electrolytes.

Hb. Ephedrae
Ma Huang

Rx. Paeoniae Alba
Bai Shao

Rx. Aconiti Lateralis Preparata
Zhi Fu Zi

Wind-Cold Excess conditions with fever and chills but no sweat.

Wind-Cold-Damp Bi.

External Wind-Cold with disharmony between the Ying and Wei (Tai Yang Zhong Feng), with spontaneous sweating, fever and chills.

Warms and tonifies the Middle Jiao.

Chills and painful extremities due to Yang Deficiency with Wind-Cold-Damp Bi.

Backache due to Wind-Cold Damp Bi.

Occipital headache

Rz. Chuanxiong
Chuan Xiong

Rx. Stephaniae Tetrandrae
Han Fang Ji

Concha Ostreae
Mu Li
Fossilia Ossis Mastodi
Long Gu

Expels Wind-Dampness, warms the channels and collaterals, facilitates joint movement and relieves the discomfort of painful obstruction.

Wind-Cold Damp Bi.

Irritability and insomnia due to floating Yang in the Upper Jiao and injured Yin in the Lower Jiao due to Heart Yang Deficiency.

Concha Ostreae
Mu Li
Fossilia Ossis Mastodi
Long Gu
Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae
Bai Zhu
Rz. Zingiberis Recens
Sheng Jiang
Rx. Glycyrrhizae
Gan Cao
Fr. Zizyphi Jujube
Da Zao

Rx. Glycyrrhizae Preparata
Zhi Gan Cao

Poria
Fu Ling

Spermatorrhea due to exhaustion.

Palpitations and shortness of breath due to injured Yang of the chest.

Unblocks Yang and facilitates the removal of congested fluids associated with Yang Deficiency edema.

Palpitations and dyspnea due to Heart Yang Deficiency.

Rx. Salviae Miltiorrhizae
Dan Shen

Poria
Fu Ling
Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae
Bai Zhu

Sm. Persicae
Tao Ren
Cx. Moutan
Mu Dan Pi

Palpitations and chest pain due to Heart Yang Deficiency and subsequent painful obstruction due to Blood Stasis blocking the channels.

Heart and Spleen Yang Deficiency with palpitations, edema and shortness of breath.

Trauma induced pain.

Gynecological discomfort due to Blood Stasis.

Lower abdominal masses.

Bul. Allii
Xie Bai
Fr. Trichosanthis
Gua Lou

Fr. Evodiae
Wu Zhu Yu

Sm. Persicae
Tao Ren
Cx. Moutan
Mu Dan Pi
Poria
Fu Ling

Angina pectoris due to Yang Deficiency in the chest.

Chest Bi due to Yang Deficiency.

Abdominal pain, dysmenorrhea, and menstrual irregularity due to Cold from Deficiency in the Chong and Ren channels.

Amenorrhea and abdominal pain due to Cold Invasion and Blood Stasis.

Rx. Astragali
Huang Qi
Rx. Salviae Miltiorrhizae
Dan Shen
Rx. Glycyrrhizae Preparata
Zhi Gan Cao

Rx. Bupleuri
Chai Hu

Rx. et Rz. Rhei
Da Huang

Sick sinus syndrome with brady-cardia and palpitations.

Tai Yang Stage moving to Shao Yang Stage.

Blood Stasis. (removes Stasis and unblocks the flow of Qi)

Combined Interior/Exterior conditions with chills, headache, fever, sweating and abdominal fullness and pain.

Abdominal fullness and pain as a result of purging an Exterior condition too soon.

Rz. Curcumae Longae
Jiang Huang

Fr. Aurantii
Zhi Ke

Rx. Aconiti Preparata
Zhi Chuan Wu
Rx. Aconiti Kusnezoffii
Zhi Cao Wu

Congealed painful obstruction in either the upper or lower limbs.

Shoulder disorders.

Stabbing pain in the chest and flanks.

Bi syndrome.

Rz. Curcumae Longae
Jiang Huang

Rx. Saposhnikoviae
Fang Feng

Rz. et Rx. Notopterygii
Qiang Huo
Rx. Angelicae Pubescentis
Du Huo
Rx. Saposhnikoviae
Fang Feng
Rx. Clematidis
Wei Ling Xian

Poria
Fu Ling
Scl. Polypori
Zhu Ling
Rz. Alismatis
Ze Xie
Rx. Atractylodis Alba
Bai Zhu

Bi syndrome in the upper body, especially the shoulders.

Rheumatoid arthritis.

Edema and dysuria due to Yang Deficiency.

Poria
Fu Ling
Rx. Atractylodis Alba
Bai Zhu

Rx. Glycyrrhizae
Gan Cao

Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui
Rz. Chuanxiong
Chuan Xiong

Rx. Glycyrrhizae Preparata
Zhi Gan Cao
Rx. Ginseng
Ren Shen
Colla Corii Asini
E Jiao

Phlegm accumulation with dizziness, fullness in the chest and hypochondrium, vertigo and palpitations.

Irregular menstruation due to Yang Deficiency with Cold Stagnation.

Palpitations and intermittent pulse due to Heart Yin and Yang Deficiency.

  1. It is used in most Wind-Cold conditions.
  2. It is often used to provide a warming balance in cooling formulas.
  3. It is often used in formulas to treat chronic pain.
  4. In general, it has six therapeutic routes: harmonizing the Ying. unblocking the Yang, promoting urination, directing Qi downward, promoting movement and tonifying the Middle.
  5. This herb is said to increase leukocytes.
  6. It protects from the damaging effects of radiation.
  7. Both Gui Zhi and Ram. Mori Sang Zhi unblock the collaterals. Gui Zhi is acrid and warm and therefore more appropriate for Cold Bi, and has a wider scope of action than Sang Zhi which expels Wind and eliminates Dampness. It is slightly cooling and therefore is superior in treating Wind-Heat and Dampness or when itching is a prominent symptom.
  8. Cinnamon Twig Tips Gui Zhi Shao/Jian have a greater capacity to unblock blood vessels and disperse Wind-Cold.
  9. Cinnamon Twig Wood Gui Zhi Mu are at mobilizing the exterior, releasing the muscle layer and inducing sweat, but they are stronger at warming the channels and unblocking the collaterals.
  10. Dry-fried Cinnamon Twigs Chao Gui Zhi have a milder acrid, dispersing action but increased warm, unblocking properties and are useful in treating older or weaker patients.
  11. Prepared/Honey prepared Cinnamon Twigs Zhi Gui Zi / Mi Zhi Gui Zhi have an increased Yang tonifying action with a reduced acrid dispersing action and are used to tonify the Middle Jiao.