Can Geranium wilfordii treat stroke?

Generally speaking, stroke refers to cerebral apoplexy. Geranium (Geraniaceae) can be used as an adjunctive treatment for stroke. The detailed analysis is as follows:

Geranium has functions of eliminating wind-damp, promoting meridian circulation, clearing heat toxins, and stopping diarrhea and dysentery. According to traditional Chinese medicine theory, stroke is mostly caused by factors such as wind, fire, phlegm, and blood stasis. The wind-dispelling, meridian-promoting, and blood-activating properties of geranium help alleviate symptoms caused by cerebral apoplexy such as limb numbness, motor dysfunction, spasms, and pain. Geranium can be used alone or in combination with other medicines. Records indicate that a decoction of geranium alone may be used externally by applying a hot towel soaked in the first decoction to the affected area, followed by taking the second decoction orally once daily, which has remarkable effects on symptoms such as facial paralysis after stroke.

Geranium is often combined with other wind-damp dispelling and meridian promoting herbs such as Siegesbeckia orientalis and Diplocyclos palmatus to jointly improve post-stroke sequelae. Geranium has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, which helps reduce the damage caused by hypertension on the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems, thereby exerting an indirect positive effect on the treatment and prevention of stroke.

However, it should be noted that stroke is a serious cerebrovascular disease, and its treatment should take into account the patient's specific condition comprehensively, including the severity of the illness, duration, and individual differences. Therefore, when using geranium as an adjunctive treatment for stroke, it should be done under the guidance of a physician, and self-medication should not be done blindly.