House of Botanicals · Buda, Texas · Est. 2015

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Herb module

Mo Yao

MyrrhCommiphora myrrha

An ancient fragrant resin, used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to move stuck Blood and ease the ache of bumps and strains.

Found inPain Release

Mo Yao is myrrh, the dried resin of a small desert tree. In Traditional Chinese Medicine it is a primary resin for the deep, fixed ache that follows an injury, when Blood has pooled and stopped flowing freely. In Zoi's Pain Release™ formula it helps get that circulation moving again so the area can calm down.

Best functions

  • Invigorates the Blood and breaks up stasis
  • Used to reduce swelling
  • Traditionally used to help tissue rebuild, described as 'generating flesh'
  • Eases the pain of physical injury and stuck Blood

Fascinating facts

  • Myrrh comes from small, thorny trees that grow in the dry lands of the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa. When the bark is cut, a pale sap seeps out and hardens into reddish-brown lumps called 'tears,' and those tears are the part that is used.
  • Myrrh has been treasured for thousands of years as incense and perfume. It was used in ancient Egyptian embalming, it appears as one of the gifts of the Magi, and its name is thought to come from an ancient Semitic word meaning 'bitter.'
  • In Noa's herb index, myrrh is grouped with the Blood-regulating herbs, and its one listed flavor is bitter.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine

Mo Yao is neutral in nature, with a bitter flavor. It enters the Heart, Liver, and Spleen channels, and it is a Blood-regulating herb.

Go deeperDownload the fact sheet on the Pain Release page
Biomedical deep dive

Mo Yao Myrrh

From the Zoi Medicinals fact sheets’ Biomedical Details, with lines from Noa’s herb notes marked “Noa’s notes”.

On the fact sheet

  • Mo Yao (Commiphora myrrha) is neutral and enters the HT, LIV, and SP meridians; invigorates Blood, dispels stasis, reduces swelling, generates flesh, and alleviates pain. A primary resin for traumatic injury and blood stagnation pain. Pain Release sheet

Key active constituents

The fact sheets don’t name constituents for this herb.

Pharmacology and mechanisms

  • The Pain Release sheet lists myrrh among the formula's analgesic (pain-relieving) herbs.
  • Its pain-relieving effects appear to involve lowering prostaglandin production (pain messengers), suppressing inflammatory cytokines, and possibly activating opioid (natural pain-control) pathways.

What the research says

  • Research on myrrh's analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity supports these mechanisms (Dolara et al., Nature 1996; Su et al., J Ethnopharmacol 2011; Shen et al., J Ethnopharmacol 2012).

Safety, interactions and cautions

  • Every Zoi fact sheet: do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding unless directed by your health care practitioner.
  • The Pain Release fact sheet cautions using it with anticoagulant or antiplatelet medicines (such as warfarin, aspirin or clopidogrel), because several of its herbs promote circulation and may add to their effect.
  • The Pain Release fact sheet notes the formula contains several blood-invigorating herbs (circulation-moving herbs).
  • Contraindicated in pregnancy. Noa’s notes
  • Caution with heavy bleeding. Noa’s notes
  • Caution with anticoagulants (blood thinners). Noa’s notes

In these Zoi formulas

  • Pain Release (#8 on the fact sheet)

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.