In Traditional Chinese Medicine Gastrodia Root (tian ma) is considered to be neutral and sweet and affects the liver meridian. This herb is used to calm the liver and extinguish liver wind from either cold or heat patterns. In TCM this type of liver wind is considered the cause of tremors, headache, spasms, epilepsy, and childhood convulsions. Gastrodia Root (tian ma) can also be used to treat problems caused by heat or blood deficiency. By extinguishing wind, this herb help alleviate migraines by reducing the migraine headache pain and dizziness that occur with wind-phlegm patterns. This herb will also help relieve numbness and pain in the lower back and extremities caused by wind phlegm. Traditional Chinese herbalists also use gastrodia to treat numbness of the limbs, rheumatism, arthritis, sciatica, and motor impairment of hands, feet, and limbs due to stroke.

Historically, gastrodia has not been used by Western herbalists. But recently, the active ingredient has been extracted from the gastrodia tuber to make vanillin tablets. Vanillin tablets have been shown to be effective in treating grand mal seizures and petit mal attacks of epilepsy.