Tian Ma

Name: Tian Ma

Other Names: Gastrodia Tuber, Rhizoma Gastrodiabe

Description: Gastrodia Tuber (tian ma)

Rhizoma Gastrodiabe

Properties: Sweet in flavour and neutral in nature, it acts on liver channel. It is effective for calming the liver and suppressing hyperactiviy of liver-yang, such as dizziness due to wind-phlegm, acute convulsion due to high fever, chronic infantile convulsion and tetanus caused by deficiency of spleen. In addition, it has effects of expelling the wind and activating channels in treating headache and arthralgia due to wind.

Effects: Calming the liver, checking endogenous wind, clearing obstruction in the channels to expel evil-wind.

Indications:

1. For dizziness and headache caused by hyperactivity of liver-yang, it is usually used with scutellaria root (Radix scutellariae), capejasmine fruit (Fructus Gardeniae), abalone¡¯s shell (Concha Haliotidis), white peony root (Radix Paeoniae alba), uncaria stem with hooks (Ramulus Uncariae cum uncis), as in Gastrodia Tuber and Uncaria Decoction; for dizziness and headache, large amount of expectoration and chest pain due to upward movement of wind-phlegm, it is used together with pinellia tuber (Rhizoma Pinelliae), dired old orange peel (Pericardium Citri reticulatae), white atractylodes rhizome (Rhizoma Atractylodis macrocephalae) and poria (Poria), as in Decoction of Pinellia, White Atractylodes and Gastrodia; for dizziness caused by blood deficiency, it is used together with Decoction of Four Ingredients (Chinese angelica, prepared rehmanniae root, chuanxiong rhizome and white peony root).

2. For high febrile convulsion, infantile epilepsy and convulsion, it is used in combination with antelope¡¯s born (Cornu Saigae Tataricae), uncaria stem (Ramulus Uncariae uncis), scorpion (Scorpio), as in Decoction of Uncaria; for chronic infantile convulsion, it is used with dangshen (Radix Codongopsis pilosulae), white atractylodes rhizome (Rhizoma Atractylodis macrocephalae) and larva of a silksorm batryis (Bombyx Batryticatus) in order to nourish Qi and spleen, and check wind to relieve convulsion; for tetanus, it is used in combination with arisaema tuber (Rhzoma Arisaematis) dahurian angelica root (Radix Angelicae dahuricae) and ledeboriella root (Radix Ledebouriellae).

3. For headache caused by latent wind, it is used together with Chuanxiong rhizome (Rhizoma Ligustici chuanxiong), wildginger (Herba Asari), angelica root (Radix Angelicae pubescentis) and long-noded pit viper (Ancistrodon or Agkistrondon Acutus); for rheumatic arthralgia, numbness and pain of extremities, it is used together with anti-rheumatic remedies.

Dosage: 3-10g.