Cinnamon 14

Cinnamon 14 is based on traditional formulas for getting rid of wind, cold, and damp that has invaded from the environment (e.g., when one has been working outdoors in rainy or cold weather). When such conditions affect the body, they usually lead to pain (e.g., arthritis and muscular aching - bi syndrome) and/or sinus congestion, with pain being the primary focus of treatment. One of the traditional formulas for this type of wind-cold-damp disorder is Cinnamon and Anemarrhena Combination (Guizhi Shaoyao Zhimu Tang), indicated for arthritis, joint swelling, and muscular atrophy of the legs. The traditional formula includes Cinnamon Combination (Guizhi Tang) with additional herbs to dispel wind-cold plus tonic herbs (aconite, atractylodes, siler, anemarrhena). Cinnamon 14 is a modified version, adding a blood vitalizing, analgesic component (cnidium and tang-kuei, to complement cinnamon twig and peony), and replacing ma-huang and asarum of the original formula by the warming wind dispelling herbs chiang-huo, cyperus, and perilla leaf. The latter two herbs are the key components of Cyperus and Perilla Formula (Xiang Su San), typically prescribed for common cold, headache, and nausea. Cinnamon 14 differs from Chiang-huo 13 (used for arthralgia) in that the latter is more suited to a chronic inflammatory condition (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis), while Cinnamon 14 is better suited to a disorder of relatively recent onset (while it is not at a fixed site and is strongly affected by weather). Cinnamon 14 is also suitable for sinus congestion and other acute symptoms that occur after exposure to cold and damp weather, even if muscle/joint aching is not a symptom. See Dry Ginger Tablets for an example of a formula that treats cold-damp of internal origin.