Notopterygium Conquer Dampness Decoction (Qiang Huo Sheng Shi Tang)
This formula has that aromatic smell and taste that made Vick’s Mentholatum rub famous. For this reason, it is best taken in tea form, you want to taste it, to smell it. It’ll help open up your nose and head.
It is warming and drying in nature. This makes it especially effective for headaches or body aches due to rainy, humid, or cold weather.
This particular type of pain includes:
- a sense of heaviness in the body
- stiffness of the neck
- difficulty in rotating or even bending the trunk.
If you have an acupuncture chart around, you may notice that all of these locations are atop the Bladder channel. That’s where the wind-cold-damp qi is collecting and so that is where the symptoms arise.
Ingredients:
Qiang Huo 羌活 notopterygium root, chiang-huo Rhizoma et Radix Notopterygii
- The Qiang Huo is a warm drying herb that pushes out the cold damp qi energy that is causing that heavy achy feeling in the upper back and head. In particular, this herb enters the upper portion of the Bladder channel.
Du Huo 獨活 pubescent angelica root, angelica root, tu-huo Radix Angelicae Pubiscentis
- Du Huo is a warm drying herb that pushes out the cold damp qi energy that is causing achiness in the lower back. In particular, this herb enters the lower portion of the Bladder channel.
Chuan Xiong 川芎 Sichuan lovage root, cnidium, chuanxiong root Rhizoma Ligustici Chuanxiong
Man Jing Zi 蔓荊子 vitex fruit, vitex seed Fructus Viticis
- These herbs are specific to the headache, but the Chuang Xiong assists in addressing the body aches as well.
Fang Feng 防風 saposhnikovia root, ledebouriella root, siler Radix Ledebouriellae Divaricatae
Gao Ben 藁本 Chinese lovage root, ligusticum root, kao-ben Rhizoma et Radix Ligustici
- These two herbs support the Qiang Huo in removing the damp and cold from the Bladder channel resulting in less pain and headache.
Zhi Gan Cao 炙甘草 licorice root Radix Glycyrrhizae prep. [caution]
- Zhi Gan Cao harmonizes the formula so the harsh actions of some of the herbs don’t get out of hand to create side effects.
Read more about: Formulas. Last updated 09/25/2009




