Gui zhi - Cinnamon twig

Cinnamon twig
[ gui zhi ]
Chinese herbal medicine
Other names: cinnamon, cinnamon, mushroom cinnamon, cinnamon tube
English name: Cinnamomi Ramulus
Main effects: sweating and relieving muscles, warming and unblocking meridians, helping yang and transforming qi, balancing and descending qi
Cinnamon twig is a commonly used herbal medicine for dispelling cold and relieving exterior symptoms. It can help the body sweat, relieve muscle stiffness and promote blood circulation. It is often used to treat headaches, stuffy noses, cold joints and painful menstruation caused by colds. This herbal medicine likes a warm and humid environment. It is grown in Guangxi, Guangdong and Yunnan in my country. Among them, the cinnamon twig produced in Guangxi has a more prominent medicinal effect. It is usually used with other Chinese herbal medicines. The specific dosage should be followed according to the doctor's advice.
Cinnamon twig is pungent, sweet and warm in nature. It enters the heart, lung and bladder meridians.
The characteristics of cinnamon twig are that it can both dispel wind and cold and warm and replenish yang. It can dredge the circulation of qi and blood throughout the body and help enhance the yang of the human body. For colds on the surface of the body, it is suitable for both weak and healthy people; for cold symptoms in the body, whether it is caused by external cold invasion or insufficient yang, it can be regulated. It can not only regulate the circulation of qi and blood, but also improve blood stasis and edema.
Cinnamon twigs are not as obvious as ephedra in sweating, but are better at warming yang and unblocking blood vessels. It contains a variety of effective ingredients, including volatile oils, phenolic substances, organic acids, polysaccharides, etc., so it has the effects of sweating, warming meridians, enhancing yang, and calming qi reversal.
Effects and Benefits
Cinnamon twigs can promote sweating, relieve muscle tension and discomfort on the surface of the body, while warming the whole body to promote blood circulation, and improve symptoms such as cold hands and feet or menstrual pain. It can also improve the level of Yang in the body, help improve problems such as fear of cold, body edema, and regulate the poor circulation of Qi and blood such as palpitations, shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting.
What are the main effects and clinical applications of cinnamon twigs?
Cinnamon twigs are mainly used in the following situations:
Wind-cold cold: relieve symptoms such as nasal congestion and headache caused by cold;.
Cold pain in the stomach and abdomen: improve pain caused by cold or spleen and stomach deficiency;.
Irregular menstruation and dysmenorrhea: regulate menstrual problems caused by cold;.
Joint pain: relieve joint stiffness and pain caused by wind, cold and dampness.
·Body edema: improve swelling caused by abnormal water metabolism.
Wind-cold exterior syndrome
To treat exogenous wind-cold and no sweating, it is often used in combination with ephedra.
To treat exogenous wind-cold and sweating, it is often used in combination with white peony. 
Cold stagnation pain
Improve chest tightness and heartache caused by insufficient chest yang, often combined with Zhishi and Xiebai. Relieve abdominal cramps caused by spleen and stomach deficiency and cold, combined with white peony root, licorice, etc.;
Treat amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea caused by blood cold and postpartum abdominal pain, combined with Angelica sinensis and Chuanxiong, etc.; Improve shoulder and arm pain caused by wind, cold and dampness, combined with aconite and licorice, etc. .
Palpitations, phlegm and edema
Regulate palpitations caused by insufficient heart yang, often combined with licorice to improve phlegm and dizziness caused by weakened spleen and stomach transportation and transformation functions, combined with Poria cocos, Atractylodes macrocephala, etc. to treat edema caused by insufficient kidney yang, combined with Poria cocos, Polyporus umbellatus and other diuretic herbs.