Chinese Poppy Plant, Corydalis, Works For Chronic Pain (Article/Study)

Chinese Poppy Plant, Corydalis, Works For Chronic Pain (Article):

“They found that dehydrocorybulbine (DHCB), an agent isolated from the root of the plant [long used in traditional Chinese medicine, Corydalis], had a positive effect on the three primary types of human pain — acute, inflammatory, and chronic/neuropathic pain. ‘We landed on DHCB but rapidly found that it acts not through the morphine receptor but through other receptors, in particular one that binds dopamine,’ Civelli explained.”

Corydalis, or Yan Hu Suo to us Chinese herbalists, is one of our most commonly used medicinals to treat pain, move qi and blood. While it’s encouraging to see Western medicine catching up to us, actively studying our Chinese herbs to discover “new endogenous transmitters and hormones,” it’s unfortunate more people don’t realize: You don’t have to wait for science to know why Corydalis works, to know if Yan Hu Suo might help you now.

Are all pain-management herbs the same? Thankfully, no; because not all pain is the same. In Chinese medicine, we see pain manifesting from a number of etiologies: deficiency, stagnation, damp, cold, heat, etc. Depending on the symptoms and signs, a Chinese herbalist would tailor a formula not only based on constitutional concerns, but environmental factors, dietary considerations, spiritual/emotional development and behavioral patterns. So while three individuals may come in complaining of knee pain, they likely will receive three very different treatment plans.

If you need help managing chronic pain, consider making an appointment to assess what lifestyle changes you could be making, herbs you could be taking, and further resources that are available to you as you go forward!