Sheng Ma vs. Black Cohosh

[Guest guest]

Speaking of...

I've been wondering for some time how similar these herbs are. I know what

black cohosh does and at this point, I don't prescribe Sheng ma for black

cohosh's indications.

 

Some Western sources on black cohosh:

 

Kenner & Requena (Botanical Medicine): Antispasmodic (musculotrope and

neurotrope), sedative, sympatholytic, vagolytic, LH antagonist.

.. Pungent-cooling; wood yang.

.. Wood: headaches-migraine, ophthalmic headaches, cluster headaches,

hypertension, vertigo, Meniere's, neuralgia, spasmophilia, menstrual cramps,

menopausal complaints incl. depression, anxiety, hot flashes, vaginal

dryness and atrophy.

.. Also for genital herpes, asthma, pertussis, anxiety, panic attack, facial

neuralgia, rheumatic pain, relieves tension in shoulders and occiput along

the gall bladdder channel.

.. Careful with the use of this herb for a true migraine - can induce

vomiting.

 

John Christopher (School of Natural Healing): Nervine; emmenagogue;

antispasmodic; alterative; diuretic; astringent; expectorant; diaphoretic;

arterial and nervine sedative; cardiac stimulant-slightly depresses heart

rate while increasing force of pulse and equalizing circulation;

stomachic-tonic; antiseptic; antivenomous; muscular: for rheumatism,

arthritis, neuralgia; tonic to mucus and serous tissues; stimulates

secretions of liver, kidneys, and lymphatics.

.. Pelvic disturbances, uterine disorders - contracts the uterus, increases

menstrual flow.

.. Acute chronic pulmonary and bronchial affections.

.. Parturition: initiates uterine contractions, checks hemorrhage, allays

nervousness and afterpains of delivery.

.. Hypertension, palpitations, hemorrhage, uterine contractions: use full

dose.

.. Smaller dose for insomnia, headache, indigestion, bronchitis...

.. Use as a syrup for colic, convulsions, nerve disorders, cough, whooping

cough, liver and kidney disorders.

.. (Too many applications to list)

.. Overdose produces nausea and vomiting.

 

Matt Wood (7 Herbs): A black, tangled mass of roots: for those caught in

state of brooding, dark hopelessness, entangled in a web of coercive forces,

against which one fights, but feels cannot ultimately defeat; a sense of

entrapment; maybe caught in an abusive relationship or manipulative business

pattern.

.. For those who need to grab hold of their fears and drives in order to get

through the entanglement which surrounds them.

.. Gives the confidence to go through the black states of mind.

.. Known as the " Herbal Chiropractor " - for spine problems/pain and head

pain, especially when worse with menstruation.

 

Mills/Bone (PPP): Estrogen-like effects, binds to estrogen receptors;

suppresses LH; anti-rheumatic, antispasmodic, estrogenic, uterine tonic.

Indications include arthritis, rhematism, neuralgia, sciatica; menstruation

disorders; respiratory tract disorders, whooping cough, asthma; tinnitus;

adjunct in the treatment of conditions requiring reduction of LH levels

(e.g. infertility, miscarriage, cyst formation, ovarian tumorigenesis,

PCS...)

 

IBIS: Affinities: hypothalamic-pitutuitary-gonadal axis, lungs, reproductive

tract, smooth and striated muscle.

.. Actions: Emmenogogue, hormonal and utero-ovarian tonic (estrogen mimetic,

LH suppressive), antirheumatic, antitussive, sedating nervine,

antispasmodic.

dosage: tincture: (Fresh 1:2, Dry 1:5) 0.5-2ml B.I.D. or T.I.D.;

Standardized Extract: Standardized to triterpenes as 27-desoxyactein. 20mg

B.I.D.

(Manufacturers preparations may vary).

.. Therapy: Menopausal symptoms, PMS symptoms, dysmenorrhea hypertension,

spasmodic rheumatic conditions, bronchitis, pertussis, hypertension.

.. Depression, deep gloom, associated with menstrual cycle (Boericke, 1927)

.. Spastic parametropathy; conditions based on estrogen deficiency; puberty;

pregnancy, menopause; menopausal depression (Weiss, 1988)

.. Intercostal myalgia; chorea; tinnitus aurium (Bradley, 1992)

.. Specific indications: menopausal symptoms, dysmenorrhea.

Pharmacology:

.. Cimicifuga extracts have been shown to reduce LH levels in vivo- animal

studies. They also bind competitively to estrogen receptors in rat uteri

(Jarry, 1985)

.. Clinical trials: In a clinical trial of 110 menopausal women, standardized

Cimicifuga (Remifemin) after two months at 8mg daily reduced LH but did not

change FSH levels (Duker, 1991). In another group of hysterectomized women,

Cimicifuga extract gave similar climacteric symptom relief as estriol,

conjugated estrogen, and estrogen-getagen combinations, (Lehmann, 1988).

.. Cimicifuga has minimal to mild toxicity. Occasional side effects of

gastro-intestinal disturbance, and frontal headache are reported. Since long

term studies are lacking, Commission E recommends duration of treatment not

to exceed six months. (Blumenthal et al. 1997)

.. Contraindications: pregnancy until end of 3rd trimester when it is

considered a partus preparator by midwife herbalists. It may also be used to

prevent threatened miscarriage, however this is only recommended for

obstetrically experienced herbalists or herbally experienced midwives.

.. Eclectic Medicine and Cimicifuga: Cimicifuga was an important Eclectic

medication and played a key role in the history of eclectic therapeutics as

Macrotys, which at one time was prepared, like Podophyllum, as a solid

extract by the " resinoid " faction of the Eclectics. Later it became an

important Specific Medication.

Specific Indications: heavy, tensive, aching pain (Scudder); pain

characterized as rheumatic: dull, tensive, intermittent, drawing, and

seeming as if dependent upon a contracted state of the muscular fibers;

soreness of muscular tissues, as if one had been pounded or bruised; stiff

neck; aching of whole body from colds; the onset of fevers, or from muscular

exertion; lumbago; bruised feeling of muscles of the forehead, with

stiffness of the ocular muscles; soreness and stiffness of the throat with

sense of muscular drawing in the pharynx and fauces; muscular pains in the

loins, thigh, or back, of a drawing character; deep-seated boring and

tensive pains; rheumatoid dyspepsia: dull, aching pain and tenderness in

stomach and bowels, with tendency to metastasis, and aggravated by food and

drink, the stomach feeling as if painfully contracting upon a hard body or

lump; the soreness and aching pains of abdominal gripe, when of rheumatoid

type; sore, bruised sensation in the respiratory tract; chronic muscular

rheumatism; ovarian pains of a dull aching character; dragging pains in the

womb, with sense of soreness; the dull tensive pains incident to

reproductive disorders of the female; false pains; after-pains; weak,

irregular uterine contractions during labor; irregular, scanty, or delayed

menstruation, with dull pain and muscular soreness; chorea, with amenorrhea;

rheumatism of the uterus (Felter, p. 466). Muscular aching and pains of la

grippe; rheumatic endocarditis; diaphragmatic rheumatism, pleurodynia,

intercostal neuralgia; gastralgia, enteralgia, mediastinal pain, pain in the

orbits and ears, when acute and rheumatoid in nature; acute muscular pain;

headache; eye-strain; atony of the reproductive tract; amenorrhea;

dysmenorrhea; uterine subinvolution; leukorrhea; reflex mammary pains during

gestation; ovaralgia; ovarian neuralgia; hysteria; spasmodic asthma;

pertussis.

 

Many of the Western materia medicas do tend to have ridiculously long lists

of indications (mainly because they don't tend to work as closely with a

diagnosis and the Chinese do - in a Chinese mat. med. the long list of

indications can be implied simply by stating, for instance, that an herb

drains dampness and tonifies spleen Qi and therefore can be applied to most

spleen qi xu and/or spleen dampness patterns). Regardless, I can't imagine

Sheng ma's actions even coming close to addressing all the indications of

black cohosh listed above, particuarly those of the female reproductive

system. Though I'd love to hear any information to the contrary, since

imported Sheng ma is a lot cheaper than American black cohosh.

 

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Peter L. Borten, L.Ac.

4004 SW Kelly Avenue, Ste 201

Portland, Oregon 97201

503.522.2613

http://www.whiteflowerhealing.com/

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