TCM remedy offers hope in treating chronic pain
Print Edition
A PLANT used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine as a pain reliever may help fight chronic pain, say US and Chinese researchers.
Flowering plant Corydalis, a member of the poppy family, contains a key pain-relieving ingredient known as dehydrocorybulbine (DHCB) in its roots, researchers wrote in US journal “Current Biology.”
“Our study reports the discovery of a new natural product that can relieve pain,” Olivier Civelli of the University of California, Irvine, said in a statement. “This analgesic acts in animal assays against the three types of pain that afflict humans, including acute, inflammatory, and neuropathic or chronic pain.”
Civelli, along with Xinmiao Liang of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, made the discovery as part of the “herbalome” project aiming to catalogue all the chemical components of traditional Chinese medicine.
Corydalis grows mainly in central eastern China, where underground tubers are harvested, ground, and boiled in hot vinegar. Those concoctions are often prescribed to treat pain, including headaches and back pain.
Researchers found that it works through receptors, including one that binds neurotransmitter dopamine.
While Corydalis extracts or isolated DHCB work against all types of pain, they hold special promise for those who suffer with persistent, low-level chronic pain, the researchers said.
Unlike traditional opiate drugs such as morphine, DHCB doesn’t appear to lose effectiveness over time.
“We do not have good medications for chronic pain. DHCB may not be able to relieve strong chronic pain, but may be used for low-level chronic pain,” said Civelli.
Although Corydalis preparations can be purchased online, researchers said further testing for DHCB’s toxicity is needed before doctors should consider prescribing it.
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