Chuanxiong Rhizome – 1 lb (454 g)

Chuanxiong Rhizome, known in Chinese as 川芎 (Chuānxiōng) and scientifically as Rhizoma Chuanxiong, is a valued herb in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This TCM herb has been traditionally used to support natural wellness, maintain vitality, and encourage holistic balance. At TCMforyou.com, we provide premium-quality Chuanxiong Rhizome carefully sourced to preserve its therapeutic properties.

As a herbal supplement, Chuanxiong Rhizome helps promote overall well-being and supports natural energy, immunity, and balance. Integrating this herb into your wellness routine offers a gentle, time-tested approach to enhancing daily health. Whether brewed as tea, added to herbal remedies, or taken as part of a TCM formula, Chuanxiong Rhizome provides a safe, natural way to experience the benefits of traditional Chinese medicine.

Trusted for centuries, Chuanxiong Rhizome has been used in TCM to harmonize the body and encourage optimal functioning of key systems. At TCMforyou, we prioritize authenticity and quality. Each batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure purity and potency, delivering an herbal product aligned with traditional practices.

Experience the natural support of Chuanxiong Rhizome, promoting immune health, vitality, and holistic well-being. Embrace the wisdom of TCM and incorporate this gentle, effective herbal remedy into your daily wellness journey.

[Overview] This herb is also known as Qiong, Tai Qiong, and Xi Qiong. It is the rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort., a plant of the Apiaceae family. It is mainly produced in Sichuan, with additional production in Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Hunan, and Shaanxi provinces. Harvesting occurs in summer when the nodes on the stem are prominently raised and slightly purple. After digging up, the rhizomes are cleaned of soil, sun-dried, then dried over heat, and finally the fibrous roots are removed.

[Properties] Pungent in taste, warm in nature. Enters the Liver, Gallbladder, and Pericardium meridians.

[Actions] Invigorates blood and promotes the movement of qi, dispels wind and relieves pain.

[Applications]
1. Used for various syndromes of blood stasis and qi stagnation. For menstrual irregularities, dysmenorrhea, and amenorrhea caused by blood stasis and qi stagnation, it is often combined with peach kernel, safflower, rehmannia, and peony, as in the formula Tao Hong Si Wu Tang (桃红四物汤). For postpartum lochia retention and abdominal pain due to stasis, it can be combined with angelica and processed ginger. For treating abdominal masses and lumps, it is combined with five spirits fat (Wu Ling Zhi), Corydalis, and safflower. For liver qi stagnation and pain in the hypochondriac region due to impaired blood circulation, it is often combined with bupleurum, cyperus, and bitter orange, as in Chai Hu Shu Gan San (柴胡疏肝散).
2. Used for headaches of various etiologies including wind-cold, wind-heat, wind-dampness, phlegm turbidity, blood stasis, and blood deficiency. Hence the traditional saying “For headache, Chuanxiong must be used.” For wind-cold headaches, it is combined with angelica root, schizonepeta, and asarum, as in Chuanxiong Cha Tiao San (川芎茶调散). For wind-heat headaches, it is combined with chrysanthemum, gypsum, and silkworm, as in Chuanxiong San (川芎散). For wind-damp headaches, it is combined with notopterygium, angelica pubescens, saposhnikovia, and vitex, as in Qiang Huo Sheng Shi Tang (羌活胜湿汤). For phlegm turbidity headaches, it is combined with arisaema, pinellia, and typhonium. For blood stasis headaches, it is combined with safflower and red peony. For blood deficiency headaches, it is combined with angelica, white peony, and salvia.
3. Used for wind-damp painful obstruction and traumatic injuries. For wind-damp painful obstruction with joint soreness, numbness of skin and muscles, it is often combined with notopterygium, cinnamon twig, angelica pubescens, asarum, and mulberry mistletoe. For traumatic bruises and swelling pain, it can be combined with panax notoginseng, frankincense, and myrrh. Recently, Chuanxiong combined with salvia, safflower, turmeric, and red peony has been used to treat coronary heart disease angina pectoris and acute and chronic ischemic cerebrovascular diseases with some efficacy.

[Dosage and Administration] Internal use: decoction, 3–9 g; or incorporated into pills and powders. External use: appropriate amount, ground into powder and sprinkled.

[Cautions] This herb is pungent, warm, and ascending. It should be used with caution in cases of yin deficiency with fire hyperactivity, qi deficiency, excessive menstruation, and bleeding.

[Modern Research]
1. Chemical constituents include volatile oils, ligustilide, alkaloids, phenolic compounds, and neutral oils. Alkaloids include tetramethylpyrazine and chuanxiong lactone. Phenolic compounds include ferulic acid, rhein, and senkyunolide. Neutral oils contain esters of pentadecanoic to octadecanoic acids, methyl and ethyl esters of isoheptadecanoic acid, and ethyl esters of octadecanoic acid, as well as β-sitosterol and linoleic acid.
2. Pharmacological effects: Tetramethylpyrazine dilates coronary arteries, increases coronary blood flow, improves myocardial oxygen supply, and reduces myocardial oxygen consumption. Both Chuanxiong and tetramethylpyrazine significantly inhibit platelet aggregation in vitro and can rapidly disaggregate already aggregated platelets, thus preventing thrombosis. Tetramethylpyrazine also has antitumor and radioprotective effects. The aqueous decoction has sedative effects on the central nervous system in animals and shows significant antihypertensive effects.
3. Clinical reports:
1) Ischemic stroke: 10% Chuanxiong injection 30 ml added to 5% glucose saline 500 ml for intravenous drip once daily for 2 weeks as one course. Among 134 cases treated, 48 cured, 36 markedly improved, 32 improved, total effective rate 86.6%. [Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1990,(7):28]
2) Functional uterine bleeding due to blood stasis: 24–28 g Chuanxiong soaked in 30 ml white wine and 250 ml water for 1 hour, then simmered covered over low heat and taken in two doses. Among 29 cases treated, except 4 with endometritis treated with antibiotics, the rest were cured by this method, bleeding generally stopped within 2–3 days. [Shaanxi Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1990,(4):150]
3) Chronic mastitis: 20% Chuanxiong injection administered at Qimen, Qihai, Sanyinjiao, and Ganshu acupoints, 0.5 ml per point, injected on days 7, 15, and 23 of the menstrual cycle (±1 day), 9 injections per course. Among 50 cases, 24 clinically cured, 18 markedly effective, 6 effective, 2 ineffective. [Jiangsu Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1990,(3):11]
4) Acute bronchial asthma attack: Tetramethylpyrazine 3 ampoules (each containing 50 mg crude drug) added to 500 ml glucose injection for intravenous drip. Among 30 cases, 11 markedly effective, 14 effective, 5 ineffective, total effective rate 83.3%. [Shanghai Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1990,(8):18]
5) Exacerbation of chronic cor pulmonale: 30 cases randomly divided into treatment group (tetramethylpyrazine group) 18 cases and control group 12 cases, both received conventional treatment. The treatment group additionally received 100 ml tetramethylpyrazine injection (0.1 g hydrochloride tetramethylpyrazine with 5 g glucose) intravenously once daily for 14 days. After treatment, whole blood low shear relative viscosity, low shear reduced viscosity, plasma viscosity, and erythrocyte aggregation index significantly decreased compared to before treatment and control group, with clinical symptom improvement consistent with hemorheological improvement. [Chinese Microcirculation, 2003,7(6):375]
6) Brain injury after cardiopulmonary resuscitation: 42 patients randomly divided into treatment group (A group) and control group (B group). A group (22 cases) received 240 mg tetramethylpyrazine added to 250 ml 5% glucose intravenously over 1 hour at the start of resuscitation, then once daily for 7 days. B group (20 cases) received the same treatment except no tetramethylpyrazine. Results: A group had 16 markedly effective (72.72%), 3 effective (13.64%), 3 ineffective (13.64%); B group had 8 markedly effective (40.00%), 3 effective (15.00%), 9 ineffective (45.00%), with significant difference between groups (P<0.05). [Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Emergency Medicine, 2003,10(5):299] 7) Vertebrobasilar insufficiency: Tetramethylpyrazine injection (containing 160 mg tetramethylpyrazine) intravenously once daily for 3 to 7 days as one course. After 3 and 7 days, markedly effective and effective cases were 31 (33.7%) and 58 (63.0%) respectively, out of 80 and 10 cases. [Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Emergency Medicine, 2004,11(1):20] 8) Nephrotic syndrome: On the basis of hormone and symptomatic treatment, tetramethylpyrazine intravenous drip once daily for 14 days as one course. Among 28 cases, 14 completely remitted, 6 basically remitted, 4 effective, 4 ineffective, total effective rate 85.7%. [Yunnan Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2003,24(6):11] 9) Sudden deafness: Treatment with tetramethylpyrazine, dexamethasone, adenosine triphosphate, and coenzyme A intravenous drip in 110 cases. Results: 39 cured (35.5%), 58 markedly effective (52.7%), 8 effective (7.2%), 5 ineffective (4.6%), total effective rate 95.4%, efficacy superior to control group without tetramethylpyrazine (P<0.05). [Chinese Journal of Integrated Medicine, 2003,5(1):70]