Wen Dan Tang: A Potential Jing Fang Decoction for Headache Disorders?

BACKGROUND: Chinese herbal medicine is considered relatively safe, inexpensive, and easily accessible. Wen Dan Tang (WDT), a Jing Fang ancient classical Chinese herbal formula with a broad indication profile has been used for several centuries in China to treat various illnesses. QUESTION: Are there evidence-based clinical trials that show that WDT has a significant impact on the treatment of various diseases, especially in patients with migraine and tension-type headaches (TTH)? METHODS: This study is based on an online database search using PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Library, AcuTrials, Embase, Semantic Scholar, Jstor, internet research, and review of ancient and modern Chinese medical textbooks regarding WDT and its compounds. RESULTS: There were no studies on WDT in migraine and TTH; therefore, this work gathers and describes data for every single compound in the formula. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the bioactive compounds found in WDT composition show potential in treating patients with neurological, psychiatric disorders, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, and digestive disorders. Some coherence between WDT in headache reduction and improvements in the quality of life in patients with migraines and TTH could be evaluated, showing positive results of WDT in these patients.