Dharmananda, S. (n.d.). SIMPLE TRADITIONAL FORMULAS FOR PAIN. Retrieved from: http://www.itmonline.org/arts/pain.htm

Botanical Name: Corydalis ambigua, Corydalis spp., Corydalis yanhusuo, C. amurensis
Common name: Yan hu su (Chinese) (Hempen & Fischer, 2009, p. 532)
Family: Fumariaceae (Natural Standard, 2014).
Parts used: rhizome (Hempen & Fischer, 2009, p. 532)

Qualities: Warm, pungent and bitter

Constituents: Alkaloids (incl. corydalin, corybulbin, apomorphic and berberine alkaloids) (Hempen & Fischer, 2009, p. 532)

Actions

• Analgesic (Hempen & Fischer, 2009, p. 532)
• Hypnotic (Hempen & Fischer, 2009, p. 532)
• Sedative (Hempen & Fischer, 2009, p. 532; Natural Standard 2014)
• Anti-ulcerative (Hempen & Fischer, 2009, p. 532)
• Anti-parasitic (Natural Standard, 2014)

TCM specific: moves blood, relieves pain, breaks up blood stasis and moves and regulates qi (Hempen & Fischer, 2009, p. 532)

Indications

• Moves blood and relieves pain in dysmenorrheal (Hempen & Fischer, 2009, p. 532)
• Chest pain (Hempen & Fischer, 2009, p. 532)
• Epigastric and abdominal pain (Hempen & Fischer, 2009, p. 532)
• Pain following blunt trauma (Hempen & Fischer, 2009, p. 532)
• Hernia-like pain (Hempen & Fischer, 2009, p. 532)
• Angina pectoris (Natural Standard, 2014)

Dosage & Preparation: 3-15g/day (Hempen & Fischer, 2009, p. 532)

Caution: Has shown to have inhibitory effect in K(ATP) channels (Natural Standard, 2014)

Contraindications:

• Pregnancy (Hempen & Fischer, 2009, p. 532)
• As a hypnotic and sedative, the herb is contraindicated in depression (Bone, 2013, p. 275).

Combinations: For dysmenorrhea and pain in limbs combine with Cortex cinnamomi (Hempen & Fischer, 2009, p. 532)

Interactions: May interact with sedatives, hypnotics, anti-arrythmias and analgesics (Natural Standard, 2014)