This product is the rhizome of the perennial herbaceous plant Zedoary Rhizome (Curcuma phaeocaulis Val.), Guangxi Zedoary Rhizome (C. kwangsiensis S. G. Lee et C. F. Liang), or Wen Curcuma Root (C. wenyujin Y. H. Chen et C. Ling) of the ginger family. It is mainly produced in Guangxi, Sichuan, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and other regions. It is harvested in winter, steamed or boiled until thoroughly cooked, dried in the sun, and then sliced for raw use or processed with vinegar.

bubble_chart Properties and Meridians

Acrid and bitter, warm. Act on liver and spleen meridians.

bubble_chart Efficacy

Breaking blood stasis and moving qi, dispersing stagnation and relieving pain.

bubble_chart Indications

1. is used for abdominal mass, amenorrhea, and heart and abdominal pain caused by qi stagnation and blood stasis. This product is pungent, dispersing, bitter, and draining, and warm in nature, capable of both breaking and expelling blood stasis and moving qi to relieve pain. It is often used in mutual reinforcement with Sparganium Rhizome. For example, the Shoushi Baoyuan Zedoary Rhizome powder combines this product with Sparganium Rhizome, Chinese Angelica, Cyperus, etc., to treat amenorrhea, abdominal pain, and abdominal masses. Clinically, for gynecological amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea, it is often combined with Chinese Angelica, Carthamus, etc.; for hypochondriac stuffiness, malaria with splenomegaly, it is combined with Bupleurum, turtle carapace, etc.; for chest impediment, it is combined with Sichuan Lovage Rhizome, Salvia, etc. For those with weak constitution and long-standing static blood, it is combined with Astragalus Root, Tangshen, etc., to both eliminate and tonify.
2. It is used for food accumulation, epigastric distension, and fullness pain. This product not only eliminates blood stasis and masses but also breaks qi and resolves food accumulation. For food accumulation and abdominal pain, it is often combined with green tangerine peel, Areca Seed, etc., such as in the Zhengzhi Zhunsheng Zedoary Rhizome pill.
3. Additionally, this product can also be used for traumatic injuries, swelling, and pain, taking advantage of its ability to break stasis, disperse swelling, and relieve pain.
4. Modern clinical applications include using this product to treat various cancers such as cervical cancer, mainly through tumor injection of Zedoary Rhizome injection, 10-30ml each time (containing 20-60g of raw medicine), and can also be combined with other drugs for decoction and internal use. It has varying degrees of effectiveness for cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, liver cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, etc., especially for patients who have lost the opportunity for surgery and other treatments, it can alleviate symptoms. It can also treat cervical erosion, using Zedoary Rhizome ointment or Zedoary Rhizome emulsion locally. Through extensive clinical observation, the efficacy is relatively good.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. Yaoxing Lun: "For treating women's blood and qi heart pain, breaking abdominal masses and cold qi, grind and take with wine vinegar for efficacy."
2. Rihuazi Bencao: "Treats all types of qi, opens middle consumptive thirst, promotes menstruation, disperses static blood, stops pain from injuries, and expels blood and internal injury bad blood."
3. Bencao Tujing: "Nowadays, it is the most important medicine for doctors to treat abdominal masses and various types of qi. It is good when used together with Sparganium Rhizome. It is also widely used in women's medicine."

bubble_chart Usage and Dosage

Decoct and take 3-15g. After vinegar processing, it can enhance the effect of resolving stasis to stop pain. For external use, apply an appropriate amount.

bubble_chart Cautions and Contraindications

Pregnant women and those with hypermenorrhea should avoid use.

bubble_chart Modern Pharmacology

This product contains volatile oils, primarily including Zedoary Rhizome ketone, Zedoary Rhizome alkene, and Curcumin. In recent years, anticancer active components such as Zedoary Rhizome alcohol and Zedoary Rhizome diketone have been isolated from the volatile oils. It has anticancer effects, not only through direct action but also by enhancing the host's specific immune function, thereby achieving significant immune protection effects. Curcumin can inhibit platelet aggregation and has antithrombotic effects; it can stimulate gastrointestinal smooth muscle in the digestive tract. Zedoary Rhizome alcohol and its sesquiterpene compounds have significant anti-early pregnancy effects. The volatile oils can inhibit Staphylococcus aureus, beta-hemolytic streptococcus, Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae, and Vibrio cholerae.