Sentry Page Protection

Ligusticum sinense, Gao Ben 藁本

Chinese Lovage
Gao Ben (TCM)
Hooker, W.J., Hooker, J.D., Icones Plantarum (1891)

Botanical name:
Ligusticum spp.
  1. L. sinense
  2. L. jeholense
  3. L. tenuissimum

Parts used:
Root

Temperature & Taste:
Warm, dry. Pungent

Classification:
A. Clear Exterior Wind-Cold

Uses:
1. Clears Wind-Cold, Clears the Exterior:
-Wind-Cold common Cold or Flu
-acute Headache, Headache on the crown or vertex, or neuralgia of the Teeth or Jaw
-Nasal Congestion, Rhinitis
-"It treats severe intermittent Headache" (Shen Nong Ben Cao)
-"Beautifies the complexion" (Shen Nong Ben Cao)
-"prevents attacks of climatic pathogenic factors such as fog and dew and moisture" (Ming Yi Bie Lu)

2. Clears Wind-Damp, Eases Pain:
-wind-Cold-Damp painful obstructions, Arthritis, Rheumatism
-acute Lower Back pain, Rigidity of the Spine

3. Warms the Stomach, Clears Damp:
-indigestion, poor appetite, nausea
-abdominal pain or discomfort from Damp
-Diarrhea frfom Wind-Cold affecting the Stomach
-Hernia

4. Externally:
-as a wash for spots, acne, rosacea and freckles


Dose:
Decoction: 3–9 grams
Powder: 1–3 grams

Substitute:
"Generally, people use the fibrous root of Xiongqiong [Ligusticum Chuan Xiong] as a substitute, as it is similar in shape as well as in function" (Tao Hong Jing)

Main Combinations:
1. External Wind-Cold:
i. Ligusticum sinense Gao Ben with Headache at the Vertex, stiff Neck or Toothache, with Asarum Xi Xin
2. Headaches:
i. acute Wind-Cold, Ligusticum sinense Gao Ben with Ligusticum Chuan Xiong, Angelica Bai Zhi
ii. Wind-Damp, Ligusticum sinense Gao Ben with Notopterygium Qiang Huo, Asarum Xi Xin
iii. Wind-Cold Ligusticum sinense Gao Ben with Notopterygium Qiang Huo, Atractylodes Cang Zhu, Ligusticum Chuan Xiong
3. Acute Joint Pain from Wind-Cold-Damp, Ligusticum sinense Gao Ben with Saposhnikovia Fang Feng, Angelica Du Huo, Asarum Xi Xin
4. To enhance the Complexion, and for Acne Rosacea, as a cream topically Ligusticum sinense Gao Ben with Angelica Bai Zhi
5. Acute Wind-Damp back and joint pain, Ligusticum sinense Gao Ben with Atractylodes Cang Zhu
6. Stomach Damp:
i. Ligusticum sinense Gao Ben with fresh Ginger and Red Dates (Da Zao)
ii. Ligusticum sinense Gao Ben with Cyperus rotundus (Xiang Fu), Galangal (Gao Liang Jiang)
7. Damp affecting the upper body, Ligusticum sinense Gao Ben with Costus (Mu Xiang)
8. Hernia from Wind-Cold, Ligusticum sinense Gao Ben with Fennel (Xiao Hui Xiang) Evodia Wu Zhu Yu
9. Externally as a wash to beautify the skin, Ligusticum sinense Gao Ben with Angelica Bai Zhi

Cautions:
1. Not for Wind-Heat conditions
2. Not for Headache from Blood deficiency

Main Preparations used: