Kuan Jin Teng宽筋藤
Tinosporae sinensis Caulis · Chinese Tinospora Stem · Sinew-Relaxing Vine
Overview
The woody stem of a climbing vine of the moonseed family, cut into slices and dried; the Chinese name means simply "the vine that loosens the sinews". Bitter and cool, entering the Liver, it is a staple of southern Chinese, Dai and Tibetan practice for wind-damp painful obstruction — joints and sinews that ache, stiffen and will not release. It opens the channels rather than tonifying, so it is normally built into a formula with warming or blood-moving partners rather than taken alone.
Nature & Flavor
Bitter · CoolChannels
LiverTypical Dosage
9–15 g in decoctionActions
3 core actions
- Dispels wind-damp, unblocks the channelsWind-damp painful obstruction: heavy, aching, stiff joints, low back and leg pain, and numbness of the limbs that worsens in cold or wet weather.
- Relaxes the sinews, relieves painCramping and contracture of the sinews and restricted movement after injury; also a common ingredient in soaks and washes for the limbs.
- Moves blood, reduces swellingBruising and swelling after a sprain or blow, usually alongside stronger blood-moving herbs.
In Formulas
Formulas containing Kuan Jin Teng
No published formula lists this herb yet — the library is growing.
Indications & Clinical Uses
- Wind-damp joint and low back pain, worse in cold or damp weather
- Stiffness, cramping and contracture of the sinews
- Numbness and restricted movement of the limbs
- Swelling and bruising after a sprain or blow
Western Medical Keywords
Searchable condition terms
Contraindications
Cautions
Bitter and cooling, so it is not the right single herb where the painful obstruction is plainly a cold pattern with no heat, and it can sit badly on a weak digestion. Joint pain with marked swelling, fever, or a rapid change for the worse needs a diagnosis before it is treated as bi syndrome. This is a regional herb with a thinner safety literature than the mainstream Pharmacopoeia items, so keep to the dispensed dose and to short courses under supervision.
Contraindicated in pregnancy: Not used in pregnancy without practitioner supervision — it opens the channels and moves blood, and safety data are limited
For licensed practitioners’ reference only
References
- Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
2. 《中华本草》.
3. 地方药材标准（宽筋藤，广西·云南）.
Professional reference notice. Entries are scholarly references for licensed TCM practitioners and students — not medical advice, and not a recommendation to self-prescribe. Chinese herbal formulas should be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Content is an original editorial compilation by Cura x Cura, cross-checked against the cited references.