- Region
- Asia
- Origin
- China
- Traditions
- Chinese medical traditions
Asia · Herb · № 660
Ligusticum sinense
Herb · Asia
Chinese lovage root (gao ben)
Ligusticum sinense
Traditionally attributed effects: expels wind-cold and relieves above all headache at the crown, toothache and rheumatic pain.
Safety notes
Not with yin deficiency with heat or blood deficiency. Traditional use is no proof of effectiveness; if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or have a medical condition, consult a doctor or pharmacist.
Preparation
Rhizome and root. Usually as a decoction, together with other herbs.
Use in traditions
Described in the classical Chinese materia medica, in the group 'herbs that open the surface'. Gao ben is a warm remedy for headache at the crown and for colds with chills. It is also used in hair washes.
Applications
Use by tradition
How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.
Chinese materia medica
- Nature and taste
- pungent, warm
- Meridians
- bladder, lung
Attributed effects
Opens the surface in wind-cold, relieves pain from cold (headache, toothache, abdominal pain) and expels wind, dampness and cold in rheumatism.
Preparation and amount
Traditional dosage: 3–9 g a day, usually in a decoction.
Combinations
- With bai zhi and chuanxiong for headache
- Ways to prepare herbs
- Decoction