INDIVIDUAL HERBS

Pharmaceutical Latin: Rhizoma Chuanxiong
Rhizoma Ligustici Chuanxiong
Rhizoma Ligustici Wallichii
Common English: Szechwan Lovage Rhizome
Sichuan Lovage Rhizome
Cnidium
Herbs that Regulate Blood: Herbs that Invigorate Blood
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
  • Contraindicated in those who have Yin Deficiency Fire with with a red tongue and a dry mouth.
  • Contraindicated in those who have headaches due to Liver Yang Rising, Qi Deficiency or excessive menstrual bleeding.
  • Contraindicated in those who have vomiting and dizziness from Excess.
  • Use caution with pregnancy.
  • Use caution with someone who bleeds or bruises easily.
  • Symptoms of overdose include: vomiting and dizziness.
INCOMPATIBILITIES
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS
  • Use with caution for patients taking anticoagulants such as heparin, warfarin (Coumadin) and enoxaparin (Lovenox) or antiplatelet drugs such as aspirin, dipyridamole (Persantine) and clopidogrel (Plavix) as concurrent use may have an additive or synergisti8c effect.

Rx. Cyperi
Xiang Fu

Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui

Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui

Sm. Persicae
Tao Ren
Flos Carthami
Hong Hua

Qi Stagnation combined with Blood Stasis.

 

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.

Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui

Ram. Cinnamomi
Gui Zhi
Fr. Evodiae
Wu Zhu Yu

Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gu
i
Rz. Zingiberis Preparatum
Pao Jiang

Hb. Leonuri
Yi Mu Cao
Sm. Persicae
Tao Ren

Cold due to Insufficiency of the Chong and Ren channels causing lower abdominal pain during menstruation.

Retained lochia.

Postpartum Blood Stasis.

Rx. Bupleuri
Chai Hu
Rx. Paeoniae Rubra
Chi Shao

Rx. Astragali
Huang Qi
Pheretima
Di Long

Rx. Saposhnikoviae
Fang Feng
Hb. Schizonepetae
Jing Jie

Liver Qi and Blood Stagnation generating headaches and/or chest pain.

Numbness of the limbs.

Headache due Wind-Cold Invasion.

Rz. seu Rx. Notopterygii
Qiang Huo
Rz. Ligustici
Gao Ben
(Rx. Saposhnikoviae)
(Fang Feng)

or

Rz. seu Rx. Notopterygii
Qiang Huo
Bombyx Batryticatus
Jiang Can

Rx. Cynanchi
Bai Wei
Flos Chrysanthemi
Ju Hua

Flos Chrysanthemi
Ju Hua

Bombyx Batryticatus
Jiang Can

Wind-Damp lateral headache.

Jue Yin Headache.

Jue Yin headache.

Rx. Rehmanniae
Sheng Di Huang
Rx. Paeoniae Alba
Bai Shao
(Rx. Angelicae Sinensis)
(Dang Gui)

Flos. Carthami
Hong Hua
Rx. Salviae Miltiorrhizae
Dan Shen
Tub. Curcumae
Yu Jin

Hb. Asari
Xi Xin

Headaches due to Blood Deficiency.

Angina pectoris.

Wind-Cold headaches.

Shao Yin Cold headache.

Swelling and pain from sores, boils and trauma.

Rx. Bupleuri
Chai Hu
Flos Chrysanthemi
Ju Hua

Rx. Angelicae Pubescentis
Du Huo
Caulis Piperis Kadsurae
Hai Feng Teng
(Rx. Angelicae Sinensis)
(Dang Gui)

Ram. Cinnamomi
Gui Zhi

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
Tu Fu Ling

Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui
Rx. Paeoniae Alba
Bai Shao
Sm. Leonuri
Chong Wei Zi
Hb. Leonuri
Yi Mu Cao

Cx. Moutan
Mu Dan Pi
Rx. Rehmanniae
Sheng Di Huang

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
Rou Gui

Rx. Achyranthis Bidentatae
Niu Xi
Rz. Imperatae
Bai Mao Gen

Flos. Carthami
Hong Hua
Hb. Lycopi
Ze Lan

Irregular menstruation with Cold in the Blood.

 

Epistaxis during menstruation.

Amenorrhea.

Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui

Rx. Cyperi
Xiang Fu

Rz. Atractylodis
Cang Zhu
Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum
Zhi Ban Xia
Exocarpium Citri Rubrum
Ju Hong
Poria Rubra
Chi Fu Ling
Rz. Arisaematis
Zhi Tian Nan Xing
Fr. Aurantii Immaturus
Zhi Shi
Rx. Glycyrrhizae Preparata
Zhi Gan Cao

Rz. Zingiberis Recens
Sheng Jiang

Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui

Sm. Persicae
Tao Ren
Flos Carthami
Hong Hua

Rx. Paeoniae Alba
Bai Shao

Ram. Cinnamomi
Gui Zhi

Fr. Evodiae
Wu Zhu Yu
Cx. Moutan
Mu Dan Pi
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui

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
Dang Gui

Rx. Achyranthis Bidentatae
Niu Xi
Plastrum Testudinis
Gui Ban

Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gu
i
Sm. Persicae
Tao Ren
Rz. Zingiberis Preparatum
Pao Jiang
Rx. Glycyrrhizae Preparata
Zhi Gan Cao

Rx. Bupleuri
Chai Hu
Rz. Cyperi
Xiang Fu

Rx. Paeoniae Alba
Bai Shao
Fr. Aurantii
Zhi Ke

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
Tao Ren
Flos Carthami
Hong Hua
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gu
i
Rx. Bupleuri
Chai Hu

Rx. Astragali
Huang Qi
Pheretima
Di Long
Flos. Carthami
Hong Hua
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui

Rx. Astragali
Huang Qi
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gu
i
Sp. Gleditsiae
Zao Jiao Ci

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.

Hb. Asari
Xi Xin

Rx. Saposhnikoviae
Fang Feng

Flos Chrysanthemi
Ju Hua

Gypsum Fibrosum
Shi Gao
Bombyx Batryticatus
Jiang Can

Rz. Ligustici
Gao Ben

Wind-Cold headaches.

Wind-Heat headaches.

Severe headaches without Interior Fire.

  1. This is an important herb for gynecological problems.
  2. When used with other herbs that circulate Blood, this herb can strengthen the force of that circulation.
  3. It is used in Blood tonics, Blood Stagnation and pain formulas.
  4. It is used for treating Heat syndromes primarily in the Upper Jiao.
  5. This is an important herb for treating headaches.
  6. Some say that this herb nourishes Blood and awakens the senses.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. Wine-fried Chuanxiong Jiu Chao Chuan Xiong enhances the herbs ability to invigorate the Blood, move Qi and stop pain.