Kadsura pepper

Wandering joint and muscle pain that tightens and aches in cold wet weather, with stiff limbs that loosen with movement and warmth

An older patient with heavy, sore knees and a fixed dull lumbar ache who feels the barometer drop

Residual stiffness and aching in a limb weeks after a sprain, when swelling has settled but movement is still guarded

Overview. Piper kadsura is a woody climbing pepper of the forests and coasts of southern Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and eastern China, clinging to trees and rocks with adventitious roots. The dried stem, cut into short peppery-smelling sections, is hai feng teng, the sea wind vine. It is a slightly warm, acrid and bitter drug of the Liver channel in the wind-damp dispelling class, used to open the channels and ease the stiff, aching joints of bi syndrome. Its neolignans include kadsurenone, one of the first natural platelet-activating factor antagonists identified.

Clinical Notes. Hai feng teng is a moderate, well-tolerated channel-opener best used as a supporting herb in bi formulas rather than alone. It suits cold-damp joint pain: stiffness, heaviness, aching that shifts around, and worsening in wet weather.

Chinese Medicine Profile. Temperature: slightly warm. Taste: acrid, bitter. Channels: Liver. Actions: Dispels wind and dampness from the channels and joints; Opens the channels and collaterals and relieves pain; Relaxes tight sinews and eases limited movement; Moves qi and blood in the limbs after injury.