INDIVIDUAL HERBS

Pharmaceutical Latin: Rhizoma Gastrodiae
Common English: Gastrodia Rhizome
Celestial Hemp Corm
Tall Gastrodia Tiber
Substances that Extinguish Wind and Stop Tremors
Taste Temperature Entering Meridians Dosage
Sweet
Neutral
(Lukewarm)
Liver
(Pericardium)
3-10g
Powder: 0.9-1.5g
Tincture: 2-4ml
Actions Indications/Syndromes

Extinguishes Wind, calms the Liver and stops spasms and tremors

Liver Wind due to either Heat or Cold with headache, dizziness, childhood convulsions, epilepsy, tonic-clonic spasms, opisthotonos, tetany and Wind-stroke

Extinguishes Wind, subdues Rising Liver Yang and alleviates pain

Wind-Phlegm patterns with headaches, dizziness and migraines

Wind-stroke with hemiplegia, dizziness and numbness in the extremities

Can be used for both Excess and Deficiency conditions

Disperses Wind-Damp Bi

Pain and numbness of the lower back and extremities due to Wind-Damp Bi

CONTRAINDICATIONS
INCOMPATIBILITIES
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS
  • Concurrent administration of this herb with sedatives such as barbiturates, antihistamines, narcotic analgesics, benzodiazepines and many others, will lead to prolonged sedation.

Ram. cum Uncis Uncariae
Gou Teng

Ram. cum Uncis Uncariae
Gou Teng

Fr. Tribuli
Bai Ji Li
Flos Chrysanthemi
Ju Hua
Fol. Mori
Sang Ye

Ram. cum Uncis Uncariae
Gou Teng

Ram. Mori
Sang Ye
Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum
Zhi Ban Xia
Pheretima/Lumbricus
Di Long

Calms the Liver and extinguishes Wind.

Headaches, dizziness, blurred vision and tingling numbness of the extremities from Wind-Phlegm Attacking the Upper body and Internal Stirring of Wind.

Wind-stroke with hemiplegia and difficult speech.

Ram. cum Uncis Uncariae
Gou Teng

Scorpio
Quan Xie
Scolopendrae
Wu Gong
Rz. Acori Tatarinowii
Shi Chang Pu

Arisaema cum Bile
Dan Nan Xing
Bombyx Batryticatus
Jiang Can
Pinelliae Massa Fermentata
Ban Xia Qu

Rz. Arisaematis
Zhi Tian
Nan Xing
Rz. Typhonii Preparatum
Zhi
Bai Fu Zi

Childhood convulsions or epilepsy in adults with spasms and convulsions with irritability and restlessness.

Childhood convulsions from Wind-Phlegm.

Tetany and opisthotonos.

Ram. cum Uncis Uncariae
Gou Teng
Concha Haliotidis
Shi Jue Ming
Rx. Achyranthis Bidentatae
Niu Xi
(Rx. Scutellariae)
(Huang Qin)

Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum
Zhi Ban Xia
Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae
Bai Zhu
Per. Citri Reticulatae
Chen Pi

Rz. Chuanxiong
Chuan Xiong

Dizziness and headache due to Liver Yang Rising.

Headaches and dizziness from Wind-Phlegm.

Overwhelming attacks of Wind leading to migraines and dizziness so severe that the person feels as if they are about to fall over.

Rx. Scrophulariae
Xuan Shen
Myrrh
Mo Yao
Rx. Aconiti Preparata
Zhi Fu Zi

Rx. Gentianae Macrophyllae
Qin Jiao
Rz. seu Rx. Notopterygii
Qiang Huo
Ram. Mori
Sang Zhi

Hb. Ephedrae
Ma Huang
Rx. Aconiti Kusnezoffii
Zhi Cao Wu
Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum
Zhi Ban Xia

Difficulty in movement and deep-seated pain in the sinews and bones after Wind-stroke.

Wind-Damp Bi with difficulty bending the joints.

Wind-Damp leg Qi with pain in the sinews and bones and numbness of the skin.

Ram. cum Uncis Uncariae
Gou Teng
Rx. Scutellariae
Huang Qin
Rx. Achyranthis Bidentatae
Niu Xi
Scorpio
Quan Xie

Rx. Ginseng
Ren Shen
Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae
Bai Zhu
Bombyx Batryticatus
Jiang Can

or

Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae
Bai Zhu
Scorpio
Quan Xie

Rx. Achyranthis Bidentatae
Niu Xi
Hb. Taxilli
Sang Ji Sheng

Seizures.

Chronic childhood convulsions.

Numbness and weakness of the extremities.

Scorpio
Quan Xie
Olibanum
Ru Xiang

Rx. Gentianae Macrophyllae
Qin Jiao
Rx. seu Rz. Notopterygii
Qiang Huo

Ram. cum Uncis Uncariae
Gou Teng

Scorpio
Quan Xie

Bi pain with Blood Stasis.

Damp predominant Bi pain.

Acute infantile or childhood convulsions.

Arisaema cum Bile
Dan Nan Xing
Rx. Saposhnikoviae
Fang Feng
Rz. Typhonii Preparatum
Zhi Bai Fu Zi

Scorpio
Quan Xie
Rz. Typhonii Preparatum
Zhi
Bai Fu Zi
Bombyx Batryticatus
Jiang Can

Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum
Zhi Ban Xia
Rx. Angelicae Dahuricae
Bai Zhi
Hb. Schizonepetae
Jing Jie
Arisaema cum Bile
Dan Nan Xing

Arisaema cum Bile
Dan Nan Xing
Ram. cum Uncis Uncariae
Gou Teng

Fr. Tribuli
Bai Ji Li
Caul. Spatholobi
Ji Xue Teng
Rz. Chuanxiong
Chuan Xiong
Rx. Paeoniae Rubra
Chi Shao
Pheretima
Di Long

Tetany with spasms, twitching or opisthotonos.

Stroke with facial paralysis and drooling.

Stroke with hemiplegia, numbness and slurred speech.

Ram. cum Uncis Uncariae
Gou Teng
Rx. Scutellariae
Huang Qin
Rx. Achyranthis Bidentatae
Niu Xi

Rz. Chuanxiong
Chuan Xiong

Fr. Tribuli
Bai Ji Li
Hb. Schizonepetae
Jing Jie

Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum
Zhi Ban Xia
Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae
Bai Zhu
Poria
Fu Ling

Headaches.

Dizziness.

Hypertension.

Migraine headaches.

Blurred vision.

Heavy feeling and a congested headache.

Rz. Chuanxiong
Chuan Xiong

Fr. Tribuli
Bai Ji Li
Rx. Angelicae Dahuricae
Bai Zhi
Hb. Schizonepetae
Jing Jie

Hb. Ephedrae
Ma Huang
Rx. Aconiti Kusnezoffii
Zhi Cao Wu

 

Migraine, temporal or frontal headache.

Bi syndrome.

 

  1. Depending on the other herbs, this herb can be used for problems due to Heat or Blood Deficiency.
  2. This is the primary herb for settling Liver Wind and is often mixed with heavy sedating agents such as Concha Haliotidis Shi Jue Ming, Concha Ostreae Mu Li, and Fossilia Ossis Mastodi Long Gu, to enhance its action.
  3. It is frequently used for headaches.
  4. This herb governs head Wind, headache, dizziness, vertigo, epilepsy with strong convulsions, spasms in the four limbs, difficult speech and all Wind-stroke and Wind-Phlegm conditions.
  5. This herb is traditionally believed to sharpen memory and promote strength.
  6. It would be more used if it were less expensive. New cultivation techniques are helping to bring the cost down.
  7. Some sources say that this herb disperses Wind-Damp Bi, stabilizes fright and moistens Liver Blood.
  8. This herb is capable of promoting circulation in the cerebral and coronary arteries.
  9. The principle treatment for Liver Wind is to nourish and move Blood.
  10. Tian Ma and Ram. cum Uncis Uncariae Gou Teng are similar. Both calm the Liver and extinguish Wind to treat dizziness, vertigo and headache and are often used together. Gou Teng is sweet and Cold and treats Heat-induced Wind while Tian Ma is sweet warm and dry and treats Wind-Cold with Phlegm Dampness.