☯ TCM Properties
Invigorates Blood and Dispels Stasis; Reduces Swelling and Alleviates Pain; Promotes Menstruation; Treats Traumatic Injuries
Traditional Chinese Uses
Su Mu (sappan wood) is a neutral, sweet-salty herb used in Chinese medicine to invigorate Blood and eliminate stasis, making it applicable for amenorrhea, menstrual pain, and postpartum abdominal pain from Blood stagnation. It also treats traumatic injuries with bruising and swelling and is used for certain types of chest pain from obstruction. While not as powerful as some other Blood-breaking herbs, its moderate action makes it appropriate for both excess and mixed deficiency-stasis patterns.
Botanical Description
Caesalpinia sappan (syn. Biancaea sappan), sappanwood, is a small to medium-sized thorny tree of the family Fabaceae, native to Southeast Asia and southern China and long cultivated for both medicine and dye. It grows 5 to 10 meters tall, with grayish bark and recurved prickles on the branches and along the rachis of the leaves. The leaves are bipinnately compound with numerous small oblong leaflets. Showy terminal panicles of bright yellow, slightly irregular flowers with a red blotch appear in summer, followed by flat, woody, oblong pods that contain three to four hard seeds. The dense, deep red to orange-red heartwood, rich in brazilein and homoisoflavonoid pigments, is the medicinal and dye material, harvested from mature trunks and split into chips.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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