Cinnamon in Traditional Medicine: From Ancient Spice to Modern Bodywork

Cinnamon is one of the oldest medicinal substances in continuous use. Egyptian papyri from 1550 BCE list it as a remedy. Chinese medical texts from the Han Dynasty (200 BCE) classify it as a warming herb that "opens the channels and moves blood." Ayurvedic practitioners have prescribed it for circulation and digestive heat for over 3,000 years.

Most people today think of cinnamon as a kitchen spice. It goes in lattes, oatmeal, baked goods. But the cinnamon in your spice rack and the cinnamon in traditional medicine are doing fundamentally different work.

Medicinal cinnamon — Cinnamomum cassia in Chinese medicine, Cinnamomum verum in Ayurveda — is one of the most powerful warming herbs in any pharmacopoeia. When applied topically, its volatile oils penetrate tissue rapidly, dilate local blood vessels, and create the deep warmth that practitioners have relied on for millennia.

Gui Zhi: Cinnamon Twig in Chinese Medicine

In Chinese herbal medicine, we distinguish between two parts of the cinnamon tree. Rou Gui (cinnamon bark) warms the interior and strengthens kidney yang, the body's fundamental metabolic fire. Gui Zhi (cinnamon twig) works the surface: it warms the channels and moves blood through areas of stagnation.

This distinction matters. Gui Zhi is the cinnamon that applies to bodywork and topical use. Its action is outward and moving. It drives circulation to the extremities, penetrates cold, stiff tissue, and helps other herbs reach deeper into the body.

In clinical practice, I use warming herbs when I see a pattern of cold stagnation: tight muscles that won't release, joints that ache in cold weather, circulation that pools instead of flowing. Cold stagnation is one of the most common patterns I treat. It shows up as chronic neck and shoulder tension, lower back stiffness, cold hands and feet, and that heavy, foggy feeling after sitting too long.

The traditional formula this product is based on — Po Sum On, which translates to "Protect the Heart's Peace" — combines cinnamon with other moving, warming herbs to address exactly this pattern.

How Warming Herbs Work on Tissue

When cinnamon oil contacts the skin, its active compound cinnamaldehyde activates TRPA1 receptors — the same sensory channels that respond to temperature changes. This triggers local vasodilation (blood vessel opening) without the inflammation that comes from actual heat exposure.

The result is increased blood flow to the area. More blood means faster delivery of oxygen and nutrients, and faster clearance of metabolic waste like lactic acid.

This is why warming topical oils feel different from menthol-based products. Menthol activates cold receptors (TRPM8) and creates a cooling sensation that masks pain. Cinnamon activates warming receptors and actually moves blood into the tissue. One distracts. The other addresses the underlying stagnation.

Dragon's blood resin (Xue Jie) adds to this effect. Used in Chinese medicine for centuries to "break blood stasis," it promotes microcirculation and accelerates tissue repair at the application site. Ginger adds another layer of channel-warming action. Peppermint and eucalyptus provide the analgesic surface layer while the deeper herbs do their work underneath.

Traditional Uses, Modern Applications

The ways people use warming topical oils haven't changed much in a few thousand years. The body's patterns of tension and stagnation are fundamentally human.

Neck and shoulder tension. The gallbladder and bladder meridians run through the upper trapezius and along the sides of the neck. When qi and blood stagnate here — from stress, posture, or emotional holding — the muscles tighten and won't release. Warming oil applied with firm massage moves blood through these channels and breaks the tension-stagnation cycle.

Recovery after physical exertion. Muscles that have been worked hard accumulate metabolic byproducts. Warming herbs drive blood flow to flush these out and deliver the nutrients needed for repair. This is why athletes and martial artists across Asia have used cinnamon-based liniments for centuries.

"My husband does Martial arts... This oil works wonders on his joints and muscles after training." — Magesh

Cold extremities and sluggish circulation. The kidneys govern warmth distribution in Chinese medicine. When kidney yang is depleted from overwork, inadequate rest, or aging, warmth withdraws from the periphery. Massaging warming oil into the soles of the feet, ankles, and lower back helps restore that warmth.

"My feet were so tired I could not sleep. I rubbed the oil into my soles and went into deep slumber."

Mental clarity and focus. In Chinese medicine, clear thinking depends on clear yang rising to the head. When cold and dampness obstruct this upward movement, you get brain fog, heaviness, and that sluggish afternoon feeling. Cinnamon's ascending, warming nature helps clear this obstruction. Applied to the temples and upper shoulders, it can shift your mental state in minutes.

"Out of all the uses, my favorite is for clearing the sinuses and increasing alertness." — Stacy

The Formulation Philosophy

When I formulate a topical oil, I'm thinking about layers. The surface layer needs to feel good and give you immediate feedback that the oil is working. The middle layer carries the therapeutic herbs into the tissue. And the base nourishes the skin and sustains the effect over time.

Cinnamon Protector Oil follows this layered approach:

• Surface: Peppermint and eucalyptus for immediate sensation and analgesic effect
• Middle: Cinnamon and ginger for deep warming and blood movement
• Base: Camellia oil for skin nourishment, dragon's blood for microcirculation support

The formula is based on Po Sum On — a traditional Chinese topical formula whose name means "Protect the Heart's Peace." I modified the traditional recipe with plant infusions and essential oils, handcrafted with the same intention I bring to every patient treatment.

It's the oil I reach for in my own clinic. Acupuncturists, massage therapists, and physical therapists across the country use it to deepen treatment and give patients results they can feel.

How to Use It

A little goes a long way. Apply a small amount to the affected area and massage with firm pressure. The warming effect builds and continues working long after application.

Start with the shoulders and neck if you carry tension there. For circulation, focus on the soles of the feet and lower back. For mental clarity, dab on the temples, cheekbones, and upper shoulders.

"This stuff is POWERFUL! It's like tiger balm on steroids and smells sooo good." — Leann

The oil also works well alongside Lucidia. Lucidia works internally on cellular defense and immune modulation. Cinnamon Protector Oil works the exterior, moving blood and releasing tension from the surface inward. Two different approaches, same body.

Shop Cinnamon Protector Oil — Handcrafted in California with Cinnamon, Dragon's Blood, Peppermint, Ginger, Eucalyptus, and Camellia Oil. $24.

Not for use under 12 years old. Do not apply to open skin.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.