Evidence supporting the use of: Mugwort
For the health condition: Afterbirth Pain

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Synopsis

Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 2

Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) has a long history of use in traditional medicine, especially in East Asia and Europe, for women’s reproductive health. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), mugwort is a key component of "moxibustion," a practice in which the herb is burned near specific acupuncture points. It is traditionally believed to promote circulation, dispel cold, and regulate menstruation. After childbirth, mugwort has been used to help expel lochia (postpartum uterine discharge) and to alleviate afterbirth pain, which is thought to be associated with uterine contractions as the uterus returns to its normal size.

However, scientific evidence for mugwort's efficacy in treating afterbirth pain is limited. Most available support comes from historical texts, anecdotal reports, and its inclusion in classic herbal formulas. Few modern clinical studies have rigorously evaluated its direct impact on afterbirth pain. Some pharmacological studies indicate mugwort contains volatile oils and flavonoids with anti-inflammatory and mild analgesic effects, but these findings are not specific to afterbirth pain. As a result, while mugwort's use for this purpose is well established in traditional contexts, there is a lack of robust scientific validation, and thus the quality of evidence supporting this use is modest.

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