The difference between cinnamon and cinnamon bark lies in the source of medicinal use, efficacy, action, etc., and needs to be used in accordance with medical advice.
Cinnamon is the dried twigs and cinnamon bark is the dried bark of yinxiang, geranium cinnamon, fragrant cinnamon or South China cinnamon. The former has the effect of sweating and relieving the muscles (relieving the evil qi on the surface of the skin), warming the meridians, etc., and it can treat wind-cold colds and flu and epigastric cold pains (the cold pain in the stomach and abdomen), while the latter has the effect of warming the stomach and spleen and dispersing the wind-cold, etc., and it can treat epigastric cold pains and vomiting and other symptoms.
Cinnamon is derived from the dried shoots of the plant Cinnamomum cassia, family Camphoraceae, and has the effects of sweating and detoxifying the muscles, warming the meridians and channels, and assisting yang in transforming qi. It can be used for treating or improving cold and flu, cold pain in the epigastrium and abdomen, menstrual closure due to blood cold and paralysis in the joints. It should be noted that, Yin deficiency fire, solid heat, bleeding tendency and pregnant women should be careful with cinnamon, and cinnamon should not be used with red stone resin.
Cinnamon bark is the dried bark of the camphor plant Yinxiang, geranium cinnamon, fragrant cinnamon or South China cinnamon, which has the effect of warming the spleen and stomach, dispersing wind-cold, and clearing the bloodstream, and it can be used for the treatment of epigastric and abdominal cold pain, vomiting, rheumatism and paralysis, bruises and blood stasis, and the treatment of menstrual irregularities or improvement of the disease. Its adverse effects and contraindications are not clear.
It should be noted that, if you need to use Chinese herbs, it is recommended to ask the doctor to identify the symptoms and choose, do not blindly use Chinese medicine without authorization, in order to prevent improper use of medication.