Ancient Herbal Decoction Effective Migraine Treatment, Study Shows

Ancient Herbal Decoction Effective Migraine Treatment, Study Shows
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Ellen Wan
1/9/2023
Updated:
3/16/2023

Severe throbbing pain, often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light and sound are the hallmark symptoms of a migraine headache.

Migraine is a neurologic disorder that afflicts more than three million people each year in the United States. A recent study at China’s Capital Medical University showed that the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Evodia rutaecarpa (Wuzhuyu) can relieve migraines and reduce the frequency of occurrence.

Evodia Decoction Can Relieve Hyperalgesia

On Jan. 10, 2022, a research team led by Prof. Gong Muxin of the Capital Medical University published their research results of Evodia decoction in improving migraine in Phytomedicine.

According to the study, titled, “Wuzhuyu Decoction relieves hyperalgesia by regulating central and peripheral 5-HT in chronic migraine model rats,” chronic migraine is a type of neurological disease with recurrent hemicrania and throbbing headache as the main symptoms. Its pathogenesis is related to the disorder between calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) which leads to pain sensitivity.

At present, there is no specific drug that provides effective treatment for migraine in clinical practice. Commonly used triptans are only for relieving the symptoms of pain. Applied externally, triptans act directly on the central nervous system (CNS), bind to the 5-HT1B/1D receptors of the CNS, and promote cerebral vasoconstriction and inhibition, leading to the release of pain-related neuropeptide substances. However, prolonged use is prone to drug resistance, and excessive use can even lead to drug-induced headaches.

Inflammatory soup, used in animal experiments to create migraine models, decreased both central and peripheral nerve 5-HT in the model rats, the research team found.

After providing the Evodia decoction, it not only increases the 5-HT in the CNS, but also upregulates the number of tryptophan hydroxylase, 5-hydroxytryptophan, enterochromogranin A, and 5-HT positive cells in the colon.

Evodia decoction also promotes 5-HT synthesis and release into the blood, causing the peripheral nerves to have an indirect regulatory effect on the CNS. When the 5-HT binds to 5-HT receptors on nerve axons, it indirectly reduces the release of CGRP, thereby inhibiting the pain sensitivity of chronic migraine.

The study concluded that Evodia decoction in the treatment of chronic migraine acts indirectly in promoting the synthesis of neurotransmitters, thereby affecting the release of CGRP in the trigeminal nerve and reducing pain sensitivity.

As early as the East Han Dynasty in China, Zhang Zhongjing, an eminent TCM practitioner, documented in his “Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases” that “retching, spitting, and headaches should be treated with Evodia decoction.” The statement indicated that Evodia decoction can warm the inside, dispel the cold of the body, and balance the qi energy.

In TCM, it is believed that headaches are caused by qi (vital energy) stagnation and blood stasis. “Qi” and “blood” are the two essential substances that run through the entire body and maintain its physiological activities.

The operation of qi is closely related to the surrounding environment. People’s emotions, diet, living habits, and even interpersonal relationships will affect the operation of these substances in the body. If it is blocked or becomes stagnated somewhere in the body, various diseases will occur.

The Main Ingredients of Evodia Decoction

The main ingredients of Evodia decoction are Evodia rutaecarpa, ginseng, ginger, and jujube.

Evodia decoction, as the prime ingredient, regulates the meridians of the liver, spleen, and kidney, warms the stomach, relieves vomiting, soothes the liver, relieves pain, warms the kidney, and relieves diarrhea. The “meridian” system is responsible for transporting qi and blood throughout the human body. These transported substances circulate inside the body to maintain balance and stability in various tissues and organs. When the meridian system is blocked, it will affect the transport of substances and the body will begin to show various abnormal symptoms.

The ingredient ginseng, apart from replenishing vitality, can also balance the heat of Evodia rutaecarpa. Ginger, like Evodia rutaecarpa, can warm the stomach and strengthen the effect of Evodia rutaecarpa by lowering adverse effects, stopping vomiting, and dispelling cold. Reducing the adverse yin, an important topic in Chinese medicine means suppressing the surge of all related negative elements, such as hiccups, nausea, and so on.

Jujube can alleviate the dryness of Evodia rutaecarpa and ginger as well as assist ginseng to nourish and invigorate qi. Dryness refers to insufficient water in the body, or poor metabolism of the water, resulting in water shortage in certain parts of the body.

In an interview with The Epoch Times on Dec. 31, 2022, Japanese physician He Xia said that migraine is not the result of just a single cause. So traditional TCM therapy, coupled with other treatments such as acupuncture, can provide the best relief and treatment results for migraines.

She said that in daily life, one should develop good living habits, such as a regular daily routine, adequate sleep, and proper relaxation. In terms of diet, one should reduce the intake of fried, spicy, and other irritating foods, and take appropriate exercise to improve physical fitness, as good practices to prevent recurring migraine attacks.

Ellen Wan has worked for the Japanese edition of The Epoch Times since 2007.
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