How long does Keishikajutsubuto take to work?

Some people notice warmth and looser joints within a few days. Kampo practice allows two to four weeks for a fair trial. These are traditional expectations, not trial results.

Does Keishikajutsubuto interact with any medicines?

Keishikajutsubuto may interact with other Kampo formulas that contain licorice (kanzo), such as Shakuyakukanzoto, water tablets (diuretics), such as furosemide or hydrochlorothiazide, digoxin (a heart drug), heart rhythm drugs (antiarrhythmics), such as amiodarone or flecainide, other products that contain aconite…

Is Keishikajutsubuto supported by evidence?

Traditional tier T2: a long-standing staple of Kampo in Japan. Evidence grade: insufficient, because we found no controlled human trial of this formula for pain.

Keishikajutsubuto

Traditionally used for: People who feel cold, tire easily and sweat with little effort; Long-standing aching pain rather than sudden injury.

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What is Keishikajutsubuto? Keishikajutsubuto is a herbal formula from Kampo, the herbal medicine of Japan. It is a set blend of seven herbs in fixed amounts. Doctors in Japan give it for aching joints, stiff shoulders and nerve pain. It is aimed at people who feel cold, tire easily and sweat with little effort. Their pain often gets worse in cold or damp weather. It sits on Japan's approved list of 148 Kampo formulas. Good human trial proof is thin. The formula has a long record of use in Japan, but long use is not proof that it works. Two of its herbs, licorice and processed aconite, need real care. How does Keishikajutsubuto work? No one has shown how this formula works in the body. The Kampo idea is that it warms the body and moves "wind, cold and damp" out of the joints. That is a traditional way of describing a pattern of cold, achy, stiff pain. Lab work points to a few plausible actions. Peony and cinnamon may calm swelling and ease muscle spasm. Processed aconite acts on nerve signals and may dull pain. These are lab and animal findings. They do not prove that the finished formula eases pain in people. What forms does Keishikajutsubuto come in? Most people take it as dried extract granules that you stir into hot water. This is the form Japanese pharmacies dispense. You can also find it as tablets or fine powder. Some Kampo doctors still brew the raw herbs as a tea. Buy only from a licensed maker or pharmacy. The aconite in it must be properly processed, and home-made versions are not safe. Where it comes from: The parent formula, Keishito, comes from the Shanghan Lun, a Chinese text from about 200 CE. Kampo doctors in Japan took that base and added two herbs: atractylodes and processed aconite. The new blend was aimed at cold, damp joint pain in weak or elderly patients. Japanese doctors have used it in this form for centuries. Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) now lists it among the 148 Kampo formulas covered by national health insurance.

Helps

What does Keishikajutsubuto help with? Joint pain and stiffness that gets worse in cold, damp weather: This is the main traditional use, and the one Kampo doctors reach for most. The classic picture is dull, achy joints that feel better with warmth and worse in the rain. Human trial proof is lacking. We found no randomised placebo-controlled trial for this use. Nerve pain (neuralgia): Kampo texts list nerve pain as a target, mainly when the pain comes with a feeling of cold. Processed aconite is the herb credited with this effect. The published evidence is limited to case reports and clinical experience, not controlled trials. Stiff, sore shoulders and neck: Japanese practice uses it for long-standing shoulder stiffness in people who chill easily. It is often chosen over stronger formulas for frail or older patients. No controlled human trial supports this use. Low back pain: Traditional use covers cold, heavy, aching low back pain. It is not the first choice for sudden back injury. Evidence here is traditional only. See a doctor for new back pain with fever, leg weakness or bladder trouble. Numbness or tingling in the hands and feet: Kampo practice links this symptom to the aconite part of the formula. Be careful: new numbness or tingling can also be a sign of too much aconite. There are no human trials. If tingling starts or gets worse after you take a dose, stop and get advice.

Keishikajutsubuto

Q: What does Keishikajutsubuto help with?

Keishikajutsubuto is traditionally used for joint pain and stiffness that gets worse in cold, damp weather, nerve pain (neuralgia), stiff, sore shoulders and neck, low back pain, numbness or tingling in the hands and feet and pain in people who feel cold and sweat easily.

Q: Which foods are rich in Keishikajutsubuto?

Foods rich in Keishikajutsubuto include licorice sweets and licorice tea, salty processed foods and fresh ginger and cinnamon.

Quick Facts

What it is: Keishikajutsubuto is a seven-herb Japanese Kampo formula on the MHLW-approved list of 148 insurance-covered Kampo medicines, used for cold, achy joint and nerve pain.
Main uses: Joint pain and stiffness made worse by cold or damp, Nerve pain, Stiff shoulders and low back pain
Best for: People who feel cold, tire easily and sweat with little effort, Long-standing aching pain rather than sudden injury
Active ingredients: Cinnamon bark (cinnamaldehyde), Peony root (paeoniflorin), Licorice root (glycyrrhizin), Processed aconite root (aconite alkaloids), Atractylodes rhizome, Ginger, Jujube
Forms: Dried extract granules, Tablets, Fine powder, Raw herbs brewed as a tea
Time to effect: Some notice warmth in days; Kampo practice allows two to four weeks for a fair trial.
Side effects: Usually mild stomach upset or rash; rarely low potassium, heart rhythm trouble, liver or lung problems.
Pregnancy & breastfeeding: Avoid unless your clinician advises otherwise.

Educational information, not medical advice — ask your doctor or midwife.

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What is Keishikajutsubuto?

Keishikajutsubuto is a herbal formula from Kampo, the herbal medicine of Japan. It is a set blend of seven herbs in fixed amounts. Doctors in Japan give it for aching joints, stiff shoulders and nerve pain.

It is aimed at people who feel cold, tire easily and sweat with little effort. Their pain often gets worse in cold or damp weather. It sits on Japan's approved list of 148 Kampo formulas.

Good human trial proof is thin. The formula has a long record of use in Japan, but long use is not proof that it works. Two of its herbs, licorice and processed aconite, need real care.

How does Keishikajutsubuto work?

No one has shown how this formula works in the body. The Kampo idea is that it warms the body and moves "wind, cold and damp" out of the joints. That is a traditional way of describing a pattern of cold, achy, stiff pain.

Lab work points to a few plausible actions. Peony and cinnamon may calm swelling and ease muscle spasm. Processed aconite acts on nerve signals and may dull pain.

These are lab and animal findings. They do not prove that the finished formula eases pain in people.

What forms does Keishikajutsubuto come in?

Most people take it as dried extract granules that you stir into hot water. This is the form Japanese pharmacies dispense.

You can also find it as tablets or fine powder. Some Kampo doctors still brew the raw herbs as a tea.

Buy only from a licensed maker or pharmacy. The aconite in it must be properly processed, and home-made versions are not safe.

Where it comes from:

The parent formula, Keishito, comes from the Shanghan Lun, a Chinese text from about 200 CE. Kampo doctors in Japan took that base and added two herbs: atractylodes and processed aconite.

The new blend was aimed at cold, damp joint pain in weak or elderly patients. Japanese doctors have used it in this form for centuries.

Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) now lists it among the 148 Kampo formulas covered by national health insurance.

If this is an emergency

Some reactions to Keishikajutsubuto need urgent care. Call your local emergency number or go to an emergency department straight away — do not wait to see whether it passes.

Who should avoid Keishikajutsubuto?

Do not use if you are pregnant or might be pregnant, because the processed aconite in it is not considered safe in pregnancy.
Do not use if you are breastfeeding, unless a doctor who knows Kampo tells you otherwise.
Do not use if you have low potassium (hypokalaemia, meaning too little of a salt your muscles and heart need).
Do not use if you have aldosteronism (a hormone problem that raises blood pressure and drops potassium).
Do not use if you have ever had muscle weakness or a myopathy (muscle damage) caused by licorice.
Do not use if you have an arrhythmia (an uneven or irregular heartbeat) unless a doctor is supervising you.
Do not use if you take digoxin, a water tablet (diuretic), steroid tablets or a heart rhythm drug, unless a doctor has checked the combination first.
Do not use if you already take another Kampo formula, supplement or injection that contains licorice or glycyrrhizin, unless a pharmacist has added up the total.
Do not use if you take any other product containing aconite (bushi or bushi); never double up on aconite.
Do not use if you have serious liver or kidney disease without your doctor's agreement.
Do not use if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure (hypertension).
Do not use if you are allergic to cinnamon, peony, licorice, ginger or any other herb in the blend.
Do not use if you plan to give it to a child, unless a Kampo-trained doctor prescribes and doses it.
Do not use if your product is home-made or of unknown origin; never use raw, unprocessed aconite root.

When should you see a doctor?

Stop taking it and get urgent medical help the same day if your heart pounds, races or beats unevenly, if your lips, tongue or face tingle or go numb, or if you feel sick and dizzy after a dose. These can be signs of too much aconite.

Call your doctor within a day or two if your ankles or face swell, you gain weight quickly, your blood pressure climbs, or your muscles feel weak and crampy. These can be signs of low potassium from licorice.

Get checked promptly for yellow skin or eyes, dark urine and deep tiredness, which can mean liver trouble. Also get checked for a new dry cough, fever or breathlessness, which can mean lung inflammation.

See your doctor if your pain is new, severe, or comes with fever, weight loss, leg weakness or bladder problems. Do not self-treat those.

What does Keishikajutsubuto help with?

Joint pain and stiffness that gets worse in cold, damp weather: This is the main traditional use, and the one Kampo doctors reach for most. The classic picture is dull, achy joints that feel better with warmth and worse in the rain. Human trial proof is lacking. We found no randomised placebo-controlled trial for this use.
Nerve pain (neuralgia): Kampo texts list nerve pain as a target, mainly when the pain comes with a feeling of cold. Processed aconite is the herb credited with this effect. The published evidence is limited to case reports and clinical experience, not controlled trials.
Stiff, sore shoulders and neck: Japanese practice uses it for long-standing shoulder stiffness in people who chill easily. It is often chosen over stronger formulas for frail or older patients. No controlled human trial supports this use.
Low back pain: Traditional use covers cold, heavy, aching low back pain. It is not the first choice for sudden back injury. Evidence here is traditional only. See a doctor for new back pain with fever, leg weakness or bladder trouble.
Numbness or tingling in the hands and feet: Kampo practice links this symptom to the aconite part of the formula. Be careful: new numbness or tingling can also be a sign of too much aconite. There are no human trials. If tingling starts or gets worse after you take a dose, stop and get advice.

Which foods are rich in Keishikajutsubuto?

Licorice sweets and licorice tea: they add more glycyrrhizin on top of the formula
Salty processed foods: salt worsens the swelling and raised blood pressure licorice can cause
Fresh ginger and cinnamon: kitchen versions of two herbs in the blend, though food amounts are far smaller

What are the side effects of Keishikajutsubuto?

Nausea or stomach upset
Loss of appetite
Skin rash, redness or itching
Tingling or numbness around the mouth, lips or tongue
A pounding, racing or uneven heartbeat
Hot flushes or sweating
Puffy face, swollen ankles or sudden weight gain
Rising blood pressure
Muscle weakness, cramps or heavy legs from low potassium (a salt your muscles and heart need)
Rare liver injury, with yellow skin or eyes, dark urine and deep tiredness
Rare lung inflammation, with a dry cough, fever and breathlessness

Good to know:

Most people take Keishikajutsubuto without trouble. The usual complaints are mild: an upset stomach or a skin rash. Serious reactions are rare, but they do happen.

Two herbs cause most of the risk. Licorice can lower your potassium and raise your blood pressure. Processed aconite can upset heart rhythm and cause tingling.

Stop taking it and get advice if your heart pounds, your mouth tingles, or you swell up. These are the signs that matter most.

How much Keishikajutsubuto should you take?

Recommended daily: In Japan the usual adult dose of the dried extract granules is 7.5 g a day, split into two or three doses. Older or frail people often start lower, near 5 g a day. Strengths differ between makers. Follow the dose printed on your product or the one your prescriber gives you. Do not raise the dose on your own. The aconite content makes extra doses risky.
Best time of day: Take it in two or three doses spread through the day, usually morning, midday and evening. Japanese practice is to take it before meals or between meals.
With or without food: Take it on an empty stomach, about 30 minutes before a meal or between meals. If it upsets your stomach, take it with food instead.
Time to effect: Some people notice warmth and looser joints within a few days. Kampo practice allows two to four weeks for a fair trial. These are traditional expectations, not trial results.
How long to take it: Kampo doctors usually review after two to four weeks. If your pain has not shifted at all by then, the formula is probably not the right match for you. Longer use needs monitoring, mainly for the licorice. Ask for a potassium blood test if you take it for more than a few weeks.

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Evidence grades and traditional-use labels are explained in our methodology. Nothing here is medical advice.

Keishikajutsubuto

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Helps

Keishikajutsubuto

Quick Facts

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What is Keishikajutsubuto?

How does Keishikajutsubuto work?

What forms does Keishikajutsubuto come in?

Where it comes from:

If this is an emergency

Who should avoid Keishikajutsubuto?

When should you see a doctor?

What does Keishikajutsubuto help with?

Which foods are rich in Keishikajutsubuto?

What are the side effects of Keishikajutsubuto?

Good to know:

How much Keishikajutsubuto should you take?

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