Solomon’s Seal

Key Uses

Arthritis, tendinitis, trigger finger, inflammation of intestinal mucosa, loose tendons or ligaments in any part of the body, graying hair, bone spurs, dry and cracking joints, elevated blood sugar

History

Solomon’s Seal is native to the Asia, Northern Europe and North America. It was used by Native Americans for both food and medicine. Today in some countries it is used as a vegetable for culinary uses. I have personally eaten Solomon’s Seal and it tastes similar to a jicama when eaten raw, very tasty! The name Solomon’s Seal is said to come from the fact that a scar left on the root of the plant after the stems died is supposed to resemble the seal that the Hebrew King Solomon used in ancient Israel. Gerard stated that the name was given because the “root has marks like the stamp of a seal and because the virtue the root hath in sealing and healing up green wounds, broken bones and such like, being stamp’t and laid thereon”. Whatever the name, it’s virtues remain the same. In ancient Chinese medicine Solomon’s Seal is known as He Sho Wu and is considered an essential herb. Solomon’s Seal is a beautiful plant which grows about one and a half to two feet tall. It prefers the shade and seems to populate a hilly area quickly. Its stems and leaves resembles ligaments with muscles attached to them and beneath the stem a small white flower hangs from the axils of the leaves. The roots appear gnarly and resembles bones with “joints” appearing at each new year’s growth. Of course, these signatures teach us that the plant is beneficial for our structural system, both the joints and the tendons and ligaments and really the fascial system in general. Gerard reports that the plant was used for the “knitting of bones and truly which might be written, there is not another herb to be found comparable to it for the purposes aforesaid” (Solomon).

Clinical Uses

Solomon’s seal has a long history of use as an herb for the musculoskeletal system. It adjusts the tension in ligaments and tendons and fascia in general. If they are too tight or too loose, Solomon’s seal knows how to adjust them. Herbalist Jim McDonald suggest this is due to Solomon’s Seal’s moistening action. If a tendon is tight it may be because it is too dry. If it is too loose, the moistening action of the plant helps it to regain its proper tension. It does moisten all fascial tissue as well as joints. I use it when my joints start cracking and in a few days I notice the dry, cracking has improved. It moistens by bringing synovial fluid back into the joints. I have used Solomon’s Seal many times with excellent results. My mother and an orthopedic surgeon I knew both had chronic trigger fingers which continued to bother them even after multiple surgeries. After giving both of them an oil with Solmon’s Seal and teasel both had cessation of any trigger fingers. This is because of the lengthening of the tissue that the plant is known for. A year ago in October I had a exacerbation of a bunion on my tarsal joint that bothered me so bad that I had to only wear flip flops for two weeks strait. I didn’t have any tincture of the plant to take but decided to eat two to three pieces of the roots as I was cleaning them to tincture them. Two days later I had absolutely no pain in the area and there was no sign that I even had a bunion on the effected joint. This lasted for about one year and then I used some Solomon’s Seal tincture with similar results. I have given this to people with knee pain, shoulder pain, bursitis, hand pain all with total to near total cessation of pain. Matthew Wood states that he has seen in remove bone spurs due to the spur forming from improper tension on the bone from issues with fascial tissue. It can also help repair mild tears to the ACL, meniscus and rotator cuff areas and is also beneficial for bulging spinal disks.Solomon’s seal is also an expectorant for mucus that is dry and hard to expectorate.Solomon’s Seal also resembles intestines and is beneficial for intestinal issues because it anti-inflammatory and tonifying effect. The mucilage also is said to contain polysaccharides and feel intestinal flora.Herbalist Michael Tierra polygonate odorati as a yin tonic for the lungs, heart and stomach. In Chinese medicine it is used for dryness of the lungs and stomach. It is used to sooth chronic dry coughs, thirst and insatiable hunger. It nourishes the yin when there is too much heat. It is also used to cool febrile conditions. In traditional Chinese medicine it is also said to help restore the natural color of hair after it has turned gray.Classic texts consistently mention the use of Solomon’s seal topically for the healing of bruises

Studies

No human studies were found. In one in vitro study, the saponin dioscin was extracted from Polygonatum Zanlanscianense Pam and was found to inhibit the growth of human leukemia cells.

Resources