Parts Most Frequently Used: Root, Rhizome​

Flavors/Temps: Acrid, Bitter, Warm

Caution: Considered safe although a small number of people may experience an allergic reaction.
.

Key Constituents: Cnidilide, Methyl eugenol, Limonene, Elemicin, Lavandulol, Myristicin

History/Folklore:

About 30 Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formulas contain Chinese lovage root (Ligusticum sinense). It inhibits the central nervous system helping to sedate and relieve pain. It relaxes tracheal, intestinal, and uterine smooth muscles relieving asthma and abdominal cramping. It is especially effective for treating sinus congestion, headaches at the top of the head, and pain associated with Wind Damp and Wind Cold such as arthritis and even acute low back pain.

Chinese lovage root is combined with notopterygium (Notopterygium incisum/Qiang Huo) and Chinese angelica root (Angelica dahuricae/Bai Zhi)– sometimes confused with Angelica senensis/Dang Gui, commonly called “women’s herb”). This combination is used to treat headaches and toothaches caused by Wind Cold. Chinese lovage root combined with black atractylodes (Atractylodes chinensis/Cang Zhu) and ledebouriella (Fang Feng) is used to treat arthritis, osteoporosis, and gout.

Chinese lovage root is known to be best for treating headaches at the vertex or parietal area at the top of the head. Notopterygium is best for treating occipital headaches. Angelica (Angelica sinense/Dang Gui) is better for treating frontal headaches and migraines, and ligusticum (Ligusticum wallichii/Chuang Xiong) is better for treating headaches caused by Blood Stagnation. Compared to angelica, notopterygium is more strongly upward moving and inclined to cause sweating. Ligusticum (Chuan Xiong) focuses on the Liver and Gallbladder Channels. Chinese lovage root focuses on the Bladder and Du Channels clearing Wind Cold and Wind Damp from above and below (From the head to the lower back, knees, and ankles).

Chinese lovage root is used in TCM as a Warm, Acrid herb that Releases to the Exterior. This category of herbs is used in the early stages of upper respiratory infections, treating coughs, congestion, earaches, headaches, red eyes, sore throat and sinuses, fevers, aching muscles, and wheezing. They release to the exterior by inducing sweating. As a spicy, pungent herb it also promotes sweating that helps to improve the circulation of Qi and Body Fluids.

As with all Ligusticum plants, the botanical name derives from the Italian region of Liguria, where one if not all the species originated. Because the section between the root and the seedlings looks like straw, it is commonly called straw weed.

Do not confuse Chinese lovage root (Ligusticum sinense) with Ligusticum wallichii (Ligusticum, Chuan Xiong) or Ligusticum porteri (Osha), plants that are the same genus, but that have different attributes. Ligusticum wallichii (aka Ligusticum, Szechuan Lovage Root, Chuan Xiong) is a famous blood tonic herb that also helps relieve pain and inflammation. It is an acrid, pungent, and warming herb. Ligusticum porteri (aka Osha, Tie Da Yin Chen) is native to North America and is best known for treating bronchitis, sore throats, colds and flu, and pneumonia. Lovage (Levistricum officinales, Du Huo Cao) is also a different plant than Chinese Lovage and is best known as a digestive and bladder irrigation herb.