Decumbent Corydalis Rhizome

Traditional Use

Primary Actions

• Promotes the movement of Qi and Blood and relieves pain - Xia Tian Wu is used for sciatica-type pain, channel obstruction, traumatic discomfort, and fixed pain with stasis.
• Stops spasm and relaxes tension - traditional indications include spasmodic pain, hemiplegia, and neurologic tightness after wind-stroke or obstruction.
• Lowers elevated blood pressure in modern Chinese usage - the herb is widely used for hypertension-related headache, dizziness, and vascular tension patterns.
• Benefits wind-damp painful obstruction - rheumatic pain, numbness, and chronic joint discomfort are standard indications.

Secondary Actions

• Xia Tian Wu is distinct from Yan Hu Suo: both move pain, but Xia Tian Wu has a stronger modern reputation for hypertension, spasm, and vascular-neurologic patterns.
• Its cool nature makes it more suitable for obstructive heat or tension patterns than for cold-deficiency pain.

Classic Formulas

• Xia Tian Wu with Tian Ma and Gou Teng - a common modern-TCM pairing for hypertension, spasm, and headache with vascular tension.
• Xia Tian Wu with Du Huo and Qin Jiao - a channel-opening strategy for wind-damp pain and numbness.
• Xia Tian Wu with Chuan Xiong and Dang Gui - a Blood-moving approach for post-stroke stiffness, pain, and limb obstruction.

Classical References

• Traditional and modern Chinese herb references describe Xia Tian Wu as bitter, acrid, and cool, entering the Liver and Kidney to lower blood pressure, stop spasm, move Qi, and relieve pain.
• The herb is routinely listed for hypertension, sciatica, rheumatic arthritis, hemiplegia, and related obstructive pain conditions.
• Its place in the materia medica is relatively modern-functional compared with older purely classical pain herbs, which is why blood pressure lowering is explicitly named in standard descriptions.