Synopsis

Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 2

Chinese Motherwort (Leonurus japonicus, known as "Yi Mu Cao" in Traditional Chinese Medicine) has a long history of use for stopping external bleeding. Traditional Chinese medical texts and materia medica describe its application in managing bleeding from wounds, trauma, and even gynecological bleeding. The aerial parts of the plant are often used in herbal poultices or decoctions, sometimes applied directly to wounds to help staunch blood flow. The traditional rationale is based on its classification as an herb that "invigorates blood" and "dispels stasis," which, paradoxically, includes the ability to stop bleeding by promoting healthy blood flow and healing damaged blood vessels.

Modern scientific studies on Chinese Motherwort's hemostatic (bleeding-stopping) effects are limited, especially regarding external bleeding. Some preclinical research and pharmacological screenings suggest the plant contains alkaloids and flavonoids that may have effects on blood circulation and uterine contraction, but robust clinical or laboratory evidence directly demonstrating hemostatic effects on external wounds is lacking. As such, its use for external bleeding remains primarily traditional, with little modern scientific validation. Therefore, the evidence supporting its use for this indication is rated as modest and primarily based on historical and traditional sources rather than rigorous scientific proof.

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