This product is the tuber of the perennial orchid Chinese Taxillus Herb, Gastrodia Tuber (Gastrodia elata Bl.). It is distributed throughout the north and south of mainland China, mainly produced in Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, and other regions. It is collected in winter and spring. Those dug up when the stems wither in winter are called "winter hemp," which is of superior quality; those dug up during sprouting in spring are called "spring hemp," which is of inferior quality. After digging, the above-ground stems and fibrous roots are removed, washed, thoroughly steamed, and then dried in the sun, air-dried, or oven-dried. When used, it is moistened thoroughly and sliced.

bubble_chart Properties and Meridians

Sweet, neutral. Act on liver meridian.

bubble_chart Efficacy

Calm the wind to stop convulsions, suppress liver yang, and dispel wind to unblock the collaterals.

bubble_chart Indications

1. is used for internal stirring of liver wind, fright epilepsy convulsion. Gastrodia Tuber enters the liver, functions to calm wind and stop convulsions, and is sweet and moist without being harsh, with a mild effect. Therefore, it can be used to treat various diseases caused by internal stirring of liver wind, fright epilepsy convulsion, regardless of cold, heat, deficiency, or excess, and can be combined with other medicinals. For example, to treat acute infantile convulsion in children, it can be combined with antelope horn, Uncaria, and whole scorpion, forming Uncaria Decoction; to treat chronic infantile convulsion due to spleen deficiency, it is combined with Ginseng, White Atractylodes Rhizome, and white Stiff Silkworm, such as in Awakening the Spleen Pill; to treat tetanus convulsion and opisthotonos, it is combined with Arisaema, giant typhonium rhizome, and Saposhnikovia Root, such as in Jade-like Vitality Powder. In recent years, effective components extracted from Gastrodia Tuber have been used to make vanillin tablets, which are effective in treating major and minor epileptic seizures.
2. It is used for vertigo and headache. Gastrodia Tuber not only calms liver wind but also subdues liver yang, making it an excellent remedy for stopping vertigo. To treat vertigo and headache due to ascendant hyperactivity of liver yang, it is often combined with Uncaria, Abalone Shell, and Achyranthes Root, such as in Gastrodia Tuber Uncaria Decoction; to treat vertigo and headache due to wind phlegm disturbing upwards, it is often combined with Pineilia, White Atractylodes Rhizome, and Poria, such as in Pineilia, White Atractylodes and Gastrodia Decoction. In recent years, Armillaria mellea tablets have been used to treat hyperlipidemia, significantly reducing serum cholesterol and triglycerides, while also lowering systolic or diastolic blood pressure to varying degrees, and improving symptoms such as dizziness, headache, and chest tightness.
3. It is used for limb numbness, convulsion, and wind-dampness arthralgia. Gastrodia Tuber also has the effect of dispelling external wind and unblocking meridians. To treat wind stroke involving meridians leading to limb numbness, convulsion, and difficulty in movement, it is often combined with Sichuan Lovage Rhizome, such as in Gastrodia Pill; to treat wind-dampness arthralgia with difficulty in joint flexion and extension, it is often combined with Gentian, Notopterygium, and mulberry twig, such as in Gentian Gastrodia Tuber Decoction. Clinically, a 20% Gastrodia Tuber injection is used intramuscularly to treat sciatica, trigeminal neuralgia, and supraorbital neuralgia, with significant pain relief effects.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. Benjing: "Long-term use tonifies qi, strengthens yin, promotes physical fitness, lightens the body, and prolongs life."
2. Kaibao Bencao: "Primarily treats various wind-dampness impediments, stiffness and spasms in the limbs, pediatric wind epilepsy, fright qi, benefits the waist and knees, and strengthens tendons and muscles."
3. Bencao Huiyan: "Primarily treats head wind, headache, dizziness and vertigo, epilepsy and strong convulsions, spasms and rigidity in the limbs, incoherent speech, all types of apoplexy, and wind phlegm."

bubble_chart Usage and Dosage

3-10 grams, decoct and take orally. 1-1.5 grams, grind into powder and take infused.

bubble_chart Modern Pharmacology

This product contains vanillyl alcohol, vanillin, vitamin A-like substances, glycosides, crystalline neutral substances, and trace amounts of alkaloids and mucilage. Gastrodia Tuber has the effects of reducing peripheral and coronary vascular resistance, lowering blood pressure, slowing heart rate, and providing analgesic effects. The polysaccharides in Gastrodia Tuber have immunomodulatory activity.

Gastrodia Tuber is known as "Chijian" in the Benjing. Gastrodia Tuber must coexist with Armillaria mellea, forming a very close nutritional relationship during its growth and reproduction. Recent studies have shown that the solid culture of Armillaria mellea has pharmacological effects and clinical efficacy similar to Gastrodia Tuber, so Armillaria mellea can be used as a substitute for Gastrodia Tuber in medicine, and products like Armillaria mellea tablets have been applied in clinical practice.