INDIVIDUAL HERBS
| Pharmaceutical Latin: | Rhizoma Chuanxiong Rhizoma Ligustici Chuanxiong Rhizoma Ligustici Wallichii |
| Common English: | Szechwan Lovage Rhizome Sichuan Lovage Rhizome Cnidium |
| Taste | Temperature | Entering Meridians | Dosage |
Acrid |
Warm |
Liver Gallbladder Pericardium |
3-10g Powder: 1-1.5g Tincture: 1-3ml |
| Actions | Indications/Syndromes |
Invigorates the Blood and promotes the movement of Qi |
Blood Stasis, especially in gynecology with dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, difficult labor or retained lochia Qi and Blood Stagnation with pain and soreness in the chest, flanks and hypochondria |
Expels Wind and alleviates pain |
Externally contracted Wind with headache, dizziness or painful obstruction (Bi Syndrome) - especially useful for headaches due to Wind-Heat, Wind-Cold or Blood Deficiency (depending on the combination) Wind skin disorders |
CONTRAINDICATIONS |
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INCOMPATIBILITIES |
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HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS |
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Rx. Cyperi |
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis |
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Qi Stagnation combined with Blood Stasis.
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Blood Deficiency causing menstrual problems including dysmenorrhea, scanty menses and amenorrhea. Wind-Damp Invasion blocking the Blood vessels causing pain, numbness and paralysis. Harmonizes, nourishes and invigorates the Blood and disperses Blood Stasis. |
Abdominal pain accompanying menstruation. Pain due to trauma. Headache from Blood Stagnation. |
Cold due to Insufficiency of the Chong and Ren channels causing lower abdominal pain during menstruation. |
Retained lochia. |
Postpartum Blood Stasis. |
Liver Qi and Blood Stagnation generating headaches and/or chest pain. |
Numbness of the limbs. |
Headache due Wind-Cold Invasion. |
Rz. seu Rx. Notopterygii or Rz. seu Rx. Notopterygii |
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Wind-Damp lateral headache. |
Jue Yin Headache. |
Jue Yin headache. |
Rx. Rehmanniae |
Flos. Carthami |
Hb. Asari |
Headaches due to Blood Deficiency. |
Angina pectoris. |
Wind-Cold headaches. Shao Yin Cold headache. Swelling and pain from sores, boils and trauma. |
Rx. Angelicae Pubescentis |
Ram. Cinnamomi |
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Shao Yang headache. |
Wind-Cold-Damp Bi. |
Expels Wind-Dampness, warms the channels and collaterals, facilitates joint movement and relieves Bi pain for joint and limb pain due to External Wind-Cold invasion. |
Rz. Smilacis Glabrae |
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis |
Cx. Moutan |
Raises the clear Yang while directing turbid Qi downward, moves Qi, invigorates the Blood, clears Heat and removes Dampness for headaches from constrained Damp-Heat in the Liver channel. |
Irregular menstruation with either early or delayed onset. |
Irregular menstruation with Heat in the Blood. |
Cx. Cinnamomi |
Rx. Achyranthis Bidentatae |
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Irregular menstruation with Cold in the Blood.
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Epistaxis during menstruation. |
Amenorrhea. |
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis |
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis |
Ram. Cinnamomi |
Amenorrhea due to Phlegm-Dampness Accumulation in cases of obesity. |
Dysmenorrhea due to Blood Stasis. |
Dysmenorrhea with a scanty flow of Blood and cold sensations in the abdomen due to Deficiency Cold in the Chong and Ren Channels. |
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis |
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis |
Rx. Bupleuri |
Difficult labor. |
Continuous postpartum bleeding due to Blood Stasis with Blood Deficiency and Cold. |
Hypochondriac pain with chest and epigastric distention from Liver Qi Stagnation. |
Sm. Persicae |
Rx. Astragali |
Rx. Astragali |
Sharp stabbing pain in the chest and hypochondriac area due to Blood Stagnation. |
Numbness of the limbs and paralysis. |
Chronic non-healing sores with or without pus in deficient patients. |
Flos Chrysanthemi |
Rz. Ligustici |
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Wind-Cold headaches. |
Wind-Heat headaches. |
Severe headaches without Interior Fire. |
- This is an important herb for gynecological problems.
- When used with other herbs that circulate Blood, this herb can strengthen the force of that circulation.
- It is used in Blood tonics, Blood Stagnation and pain formulas.
- It is used for treating Heat syndromes primarily in the Upper Jiao.
- This is an important herb for treating headaches.
- Some say that this herb nourishes Blood and awakens the senses.
- Both Chuan Xiong and Rz. Cyperi Xiang Fu act at the interface if Qi and Blood, entering the Liver and San Jiao. Chuan Xiong is a noted guiding herb to the Liver, Gallbladder, San Jiao and Pericardium. It raises and discharges, reaching upward to the head and outward to the Exterior, dispersing Wind and Cold. Xiang Fu extends its effects to all twelve channels, directs its actions downward, harmonizing the Middle and relieving constraint.
- Both Chuan Xiong and Rz. Ligustici Gao Ben treat headaches. Chuan Xiong is best for lateral headaches while Gao Ben is best for headaches at the vertex.
- Both Chuan Xiong and Hb. Lycopi Ze Lan are aromatic, invigorate the Blood and stop pain. Chuan Xiong moves the Qi within the Blood and ascends to the head and eyes to expel Wind and stop headaches. Ze Lan promotes fluid metabolism and facilitates urination and is used in disorders in which Blood Stasis and edema both occur.
- Dry-fried Chuanxiong Chao Chuan Xiong moderates this herbs tendency to exhaust Qi and Blood and is appropriate for patients with Qi and Blood Deficiency.
- Wine-fried Chuanxiong Jiu Chao Chuan Xiong enhances the herbs ability to invigorate the Blood, move Qi and stop pain.