TCM Uses For The Herb Dong Quai
Women's Health Problems, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure & More
Women suffering from menopausal or PMS symptoms may take dong quai. This Chinese herb may also help with heart disease, anemia, high blood pressure, abscesses or ulcers.
Dong quai (Angelica sinensis) root, also known as tang kuei or dang gui is an herb used regularly in Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine. A blood-tonifying and invigorating herb, it is found in many traditional formulas. It can be taken as a tea, tincture or in capsule form. Taking dong quai may help with a variety of health problems from PMS and menopausal symptoms to heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, ulcers and migraines.
Traditional Chinese Uses for Dong Quai
In Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine, Blood Deficiency (or Vacuity) may be likened to anemia with symptoms such as dizziness and palpitations. But Blood Deficiency also includes some forms of emotional distress, eye irritation or dryness, insomnia and joint/muscle stiffness.
Even certain types of constipation are considered Blood Deficiency based. A Chinese herbalist may use dong quai in an herbal formula to treat the above symptoms if the patient’s overall assessment indicates it is appropriate.
Blood Stagnation, for which invigorating Chinese herbs are used, can also take many forms. Certain PMS symptoms are considered types of blood stagnation. In cases where the lower abdomen feels cold and warmth relieves some of the pain, dong quai is likely to be of help. Certain types of arthritis fall into this category as well. Invigorating and tonifying the blood may also be useful in treating abscesses or sores.
Modern Western Uses for Dong Quai
From a more Western perspective there is some evidence that dong quai relaxes smooth muscle and has a mildly sedative effect. Both of these effects are beneficial to women suffering from premenstrual syndrome cramping and irritability. The sedative effect may also help ease insomnia, as well as some other symptoms, in menopausal women.
Patients with heart disease treated with a formula which included dong quai showed less chest pain and better exercise tolerance. Stroke victims taking dong quai immediately after the stroke suffered from less brain damage. Dong quai also appears to lower high blood pressure in some cases.
Not surprisingly, dong quai seems to be helpful in treating anemia, although further study is needed to confirm this. Ongoing research into dong quai includes its use in treating migraine headaches, other types of pain, liver disease and constipation.
When Dong Quai May Not Be Effective
If the above seems like a laundry list of diseases, it is because of the difference in how western medicine approaches health as compared to Traditional Chinese Medicine. In TCM the goal is to bring the patient back into balance, not to merely treat one specific symptom. So, given the right combination of signs and symptoms, dong quai is likely to help. But if the person with heart disease or PMS or other medical condition does not fit the TCM profile, dong quai is less likely to help.
The best way to benefit from dong quai or other Chinese herbs is to consult a TCM practitioner. Dong quai has Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicinal properties that a practitioner would take into account when developing a formula for an individual. To steal a line from television pharmaceutical ads -dong quai is not for everyone. The difference is that a TCM practitioner is more likely to be able to tell that ahead of time and use more appropriate herbs instead.
