Tian Ma (Gastrodia Rhizome)

Chinese Herb Actions

Chinese Herb Dosage

• What is the typical dosage of Tian Ma?

  3–9 g in decoction. When taken directly as a powder, the usual amount is 1–1.5 g per dose. Good-quality material is preferred, as Tian Ma is costly and adulteration is common.

  Source: owner’s Five Branches notes (1–3 qian decoction; 0.3–0.5 qian as powder); standard materia medica ranges. Reference only — not a prescription.

Chinese Herb Contraindications & Cautions

• Are there cautions or contraindications for Tian Ma?

  Tian Ma is generally well tolerated. Traditionally it is used cautiously in patterns of yin or blood deficiency without genuine internal wind, since it is a wind-extinguishing rather than a nourishing herb. Owner’s notes record no specific classical contraindication for Tian Ma itself.

  Source: owner’s Five Branches notes; standard materia medica caution for deficiency without wind.

Chinese Herb Toxicity & Overdose

• Low. No significant toxicity is reported at normal therapeutic doses; Gastrodia is regarded as a safe herb in traditional use, and no toxicity signal appears in the reviewed research.

  Source: materia medica consensus; reviewed pharmacology literature (below).

Herb-Drug Interactions

• No well-established clinical herb–drug interactions are documented. Because gastrodin research reports sedative, GABAergic, and vascular activity in laboratory models (below), practitioner caution is reasonable alongside sedative, anticonvulsant, or blood-pressure medication. (Flagged for practitioner confirmation — absence of documented interactions is not proof of safety.)

Western / Biomedical Research

Chinese Herb Clinical Studies & Research

Provided as research context — a summary of published biomedical study, not a therapeutic or medical claim.

• Is there modern research on Tian Ma (Gastrodia) and gastrodin?

  Yes, though it is largely preclinical. The most-studied constituent is gastrodin, the principal active compound of Tian Ma. Reviews describe antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective activity in cell and animal models — including scavenging of reactive oxygen species, suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and enhancement of GABAergic transmission — acting through pathways such as Nrf2, NF-κB, and PI3K/AKT. These findings come chiefly from laboratory and animal studies; robust human clinical evidence remains limited.

  Sources: PubMed 38165423 (Gastrodin: a comprehensive pharmacological review, Naunyn-Schmiedeberg’s Arch Pharmacol, 2024); PMC 5801292 (review of gastrodin CNS effects); PMC 11394983 (gastrodin synthesis, pharmacology & pharmacokinetics review). Research context, not a therapeutic claim.

Chinese Herb Notes

• How does Tian Ma compare to Gou Teng and Ling Yang Jiao, and what is it combined with?

  Tian Ma is the balanced, neutral wind-extinguisher used across wind patterns; Gou Teng and Ling Yang Jiao are cooler and better where heat drives the wind. Because it is neither cold nor warming, Tian Ma suits internal wind whether from heat, phlegm, or deficiency, and it is especially valued for headache and dizziness.

  • vs Gou Teng — both extinguish wind and are the paired chief herbs of Tian Ma Gou Teng Yin; Gou Teng is cool and additionally clears Liver heat, so it is favored when heat and rising yang predominate.
  • vs Ling Yang Jiao — Ling Yang Jiao is salty and cold and strongly clears Liver fire and heat-generated wind; Tian Ma is milder and more neutral.

  Common combinations: with Gou Teng (the chief pair of Tian Ma Gou Teng Yin) for rising Liver yang and internal wind; with Chuan Xiong for wind headache affecting the whole head; with Ban Xia and Bai Zhu (Ban Xia Bai Zhu Tian Ma Tang) for wind-phlegm dizziness; with Du Huo, Niu Xi, and Sang Ji Sheng for wind-damp painful obstruction.

  Source: owner’s Five Branches notes (differentiation set & combinations).