Lu Lu Tong
Quick Facts
- What it is: Lu Lu Tong is the dried spiky seed ball of the Chinese sweetgum tree, used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for joint pain, period pain, swelling and blocked sinuses.
- Main uses: Aching, stiff joints and limbs, Painful or absent periods, Fluid retention and puffiness, Blocked nose and sinuses
- Best for: Traditional TCM prescribing for wind-damp joint pain, Use inside a practitioner-designed multi-herb formula
- Active ingredients: Betulonic acid, Oleanolic acid, Cinnamic acid, Volatile oil, Tannins, Flavonoids
- Forms: Dried fruit spikes for decoction, Granules or concentrated powder, Ingredient in multi-herb TCM formulas, External wash or soak
- Time to effect: Traditionally a few days to two weeks; not confirmed by trials.
- Side effects: Usually mild stomach upset or extra urination; the main risks are added bleeding and harm in pregnancy.
Track this remedy in the app
Track Lu Lu Tong with reminders and record whether it helped, in the app.
What is Lu Lu Tong?
Lu Lu Tong is the dried, spiky seed ball of the Chinese sweetgum tree (Liquidambar formosana). In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) it is used mainly for aching, stiff joints and limbs. It is also used for painful or absent periods, for puffiness, and for blocked sinuses.
It is a single herb, not a ready-made formula. In practice, a TCM practitioner almost always mixes it with several other herbs. They adjust the blend to suit the person in front of them.
So a bottle labelled only "Lu Lu Tong" holds the raw ingredient. It is not a finished treatment.
Here is the honest verdict on the evidence. Lu Lu Tong has a long, solid record in Chinese herbal practice. But we could not find human trials that test it on its own.
Traditional use tells you what people have done for hundreds of years. It is not proof that the herb works. That point applies to everything on this page.
How does Lu Lu Tong work?
In TCM terms, Lu Lu Tong is said to "move blood and qi". It is also said to open the channels, clear wind-damp, and help you pass more urine.
In plain words, it is used where a practitioner sees pain that moves around. It may also be used for sluggish blood flow, or for fluid that is not draining away.
That is a traditional idea, not a proven way of working in the body. Lab work on extracts of the fruit has reported anti-inflammatory (swelling-calming) effects. The same work reported mild pain-dulling effects in cells and in rodents.
None of that lab work has been confirmed in people. Treat any account of how Lu Lu Tong works as a fair guess, not as settled fact.
What forms does Lu Lu Tong come in?
You will usually meet Lu Lu Tong in one of these forms:
- Whole dried fruit spikes, simmered into a decoction (a strong tea). This is the classic form. - Granules or strong powder that dissolve in hot water - One ingredient inside a multi-herb TCM formula, given by a practitioner - Now and then, a tincture (an alcohol extract) - Now and then, an outer soak or wash for sore limbs
Standard capsules are not common. No standard extract strength has been agreed on.
Where it comes from:
Lu Lu Tong has been used in Chinese medicine for hundreds of years. It appears in Qing dynasty materia medica texts. The name means roughly "all roads open".
It is listed in the modern Chinese Pharmacopoeia. It is still a routine, everyday herb in Chinese clinics. There it is used for painful joints, period pain and blocked sinuses.
It is known in Korean and Japanese herbal practice too. Related sweetgum species have their own folk histories in North America and Turkey.
Who should avoid Lu Lu Tong?
- Never use it if you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant. It is a blood-moving herb and traditional practice bans it in pregnancy because of the risk of harm to the pregnancy.
- Do not use it if you are trying to bring on a late period, since a missed period may mean you are pregnant.
- Do not use it if you have heavy menstrual bleeding, or bleeding between periods that has not been checked by a doctor.
- Do not use it if you have a bleeding disorder such as haemophilia (an inherited condition where blood does not clot properly), or a low platelet count (too few of the blood cells that help clotting).
- Do not use it if you take a blood thinner or antiplatelet medicine, such as warfarin, apixaban, rivaroxaban, aspirin or clopidogrel, unless your prescriber has agreed.
- Do not use it in the two weeks before planned surgery, or before a dental extraction, because of the added bleeding risk.
- Do not use it if you are breastfeeding, because its safety for a nursing baby has not been studied.
- Do not give it to children unless a qualified practitioner has prescribed it for that child.
- Do not use it if you have chronic kidney disease (long-term reduced kidney function) or heart failure (a weak heart pump) without medical advice, because it increases urine output.
- Do not swallow an external wash or soak made from the herb.
- Avoid it if you have had an allergic reaction to sweetgum (Liquidambar) products, including storax resin.
When should you see a doctor?
See a doctor promptly if you notice bleeding that will not stop, blood in your urine or stool, black tarry stools, or bruising that appears for no reason.
Get urgent medical help if you have chest pain, trouble breathing, swelling of the face, lips or tongue, or a spreading rash, as these can mean a serious allergic reaction.
Make an appointment rather than continuing the herb if your joint pain, swelling or congestion is getting worse, if a period stops unexpectedly, if swelling appears in only one leg, or if nothing has changed after two to three weeks. Tell your doctor or pharmacist about every herb you take, especially before surgery or if you are on a blood thinner.
Evidence grades and traditional-use labels are explained in our methodology. Nothing here is medical advice.
4.8
