Tian Ma - 天麻 - Rhizoma Gastrodiae
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Rhizoma Gastrodiae |
| Common English: | Celestial Hemp Corm Gastrodia Rhizome Tall Gastrodia Tiber |
Category
Substances that Extinguish Wind and Stop TremorsProperties
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
| Sweet | Neutral (Lukewarm) | Liver (Pericardium) | 3-10g Powder: 0.9-1.5g Tincture: 2-4ml |
Actions And Indications
| 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 And Herb/Drug Interactions
| CONTRAINDICATIONS |
| INCOMPATIBILITIES |
| |
| HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
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Major Combinations
| Ram. cum Uncis Uncariae | Ram. cum Uncis Uncariae | Ram. cum Uncis Uncariae |
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 | Arisaema cum Bile | Rz. Arisaematis |
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 | Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum | Rz. Chuanxiong |
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 | Rx. Gentianae Macrophyllae | Hb. Ephedrae |
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 | Rx. Ginseng Or Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae | Rx. Achyranthis Bidentatae |
Seizures. | Chronic childhood convulsions. | Numbness and weakness of the extremities. |
Scorpio | Rx. Gentianae Macrophyllae | Ram. cum Uncis Uncariae |
Bi pain with Blood Stasis. | Damp predominant Bi pain. | Acute infantile or childhood convulsions. |
Arisaema cum Bile | Scorpio | Arisaema cum Bile |
Tetany with spasms, twitching or opisthotonos. | Stroke with facial paralysis and drooling. | Stroke with hemiplegia, numbness and slurred speech. |
Ram. cum Uncis Uncariae | Rz. Chuanxiong | Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum |
Headaches. Dizziness. Hypertension. | Migraine headaches. Blurred vision. | Heavy feeling and a congested headache. |
Rz. Chuanxiong | Hb. Ephedrae | |
Migraine, temporal or frontal headache. | Bi syndrome. |
Notes
- Depending on what it is combined with, it can treat problems from either Heat or Blood Deficiency.
- It is the chief herb for settling Liver Wind and is commonly combined with heavy sedating substances such as Concha Haliotidis Shi Jue Ming, Concha Ostreae Mu Li, and Fossilia Ossis Mastodi Long Gu, to strengthen its effect.
- Headaches are one of its most frequent uses.
- It governs head Wind, headache, dizziness, vertigo, epilepsy with severe convulsions, spasms of the four limbs, difficulty speaking and all Wind-stroke and Wind-Phlegm conditions.
- Tradition holds that it promotes strength and sharpens memory.
- Its high cost limits its use, although new cultivation methods are helping to lower the price.
- According to some sources, it disperses Wind-Damp Bi, stabilizes fright and moistens Liver Blood.
- It can promote circulation in the coronary and cerebral arteries.
- Nourishing and moving Blood is the principle treatment for Liver Wind.
- Tian Ma and Ram. cum Uncis Uncariae Gou Teng resemble each other. Both calm the Liver and extinguish Wind to treat headache, dizziness and vertigo, and they are frequently combined. Gou Teng is sweet and Cold and treats Wind induced by Heat, whereas Tian Ma is sweet, warm and dry and treats Wind-Cold with Phlegm Dampness.
From Class
- Wind herbs: Gou Teng, Tian Ma, Bai Ji Li, Shi Jue Ming, Fang Feng, Chan Tui, insects: Thorny vines hook out hidden wind; abalone anchors yang; Fang Feng treats internal and external wind; Chan Tui for itching; insects indispensable for some (stroke). (Shea)
- Ding Xian Wan (Arrest Seizures Pill): Ding Xian Wan (Tian Ma, Chuan Bei Mu, Ban Xia, Chen Pi, Deng Xin Cao, Hu Po, Zhu Li, Dan Nan Xing) arrests seizures; can be maintenance every third day. (Gioioso)
- Hemp seed (Ma) & 'Ma' herbs (Ma Huang, Tian Ma): Ma Huang brings earth energy up to the head (contraindicated with high blood pressure/palpitations); Tian Ma brings blood to the brain. (Yuen)