Dong quai is used for menopause vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes. However, a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial showed that dong quai was no more effective than placebo
Potential anti-osteoporotic effects of dong quai independent of any estrogen mechanism were evaluated in rat models which showed that the extract of A. sinensis may prevent the bone loss. However, more high quality human evidence is needed to confirm same anti-osteoporotic effects of dong quai in humans.
Dong quai contains a chemical compound called butylidenephthalide which has antispasmodic activity in vitro and might relieve dysmenorrhoea muscle cramps by relaxing the uterus muscle.[8] However, this claim lacks evidence of effectiveness in human clinical trials.
In an animal study, Dong quai also induced hair growth via the inhibition of apoptosis signaling.
Overall, the U.S. National Library of Medicine states that more evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of dong quai for most uses.