Ch 10 Herbs that Invigorate blood (reg blood) Flashcards
Chuan Xiong ***
“Water plant”
Szwchuan lovage root)
Acrid, warm (pretty strong herb)
LV, GB, PC
Invigorates the blood and promotes movement of Qi; Expels wind and alleviates pain (for HA, dysmenorrhea, blood not nourishing sinews, etc); recently for angina and aneurism
CAUTION w/ pregnancy, heavy menses. NOT for fire from yin xu
Dan Shen ***
“Red Ginseng”
(Salvia root)
Bitter, slightly cold (moderate herb)
HT, PC, LV
Invigorates blood and dispels stasis, alleviates pain (chest, abdomen, gyn); Clears heat and soothes irritability (insomnia or palpitations); cools blood, reduces abscesses; Nourishes the blood and calms spirit
NOT for pregnancy or w/ Li Lu
Ji Xue Teng ***
“Chicken blood vine”
(Spatholobus root and vine)
Bitter, sweet, warm
HT, LV, SP
Promotes the movement of and tonifies blood; Invigorates the channels, collaterals, relaxes sinews
NOT for Pt with heavy menses
Yan Hu Suo ***
“Herbal Aleve”
(Corydalis rhizome)
Acrid, bitter, warm
HT, LV, ST
Invigorates blood, promotes the movement of Qi, STRONGLY stops pain (abdominal, traumatic, chest, gyn)
NOT during pregnancy (unless in exceptional circumstances)
Yu Jin ***
“Constrained/depressed gold”
(Curcuma tuber)
Acrid, bitter, cold
HT, LU, LV, GB
Invigorates blood, stops pain, promotes movement of Qi and resolves constraint (moving but not harsh, for depression); Clears heat, cools blood; Clears HT and opens the orifices (anxiety, seizures, etc); Benefits the GB, reduces jaundice
CAUTION with pregnancy
Yi Mu Cao ***
“Benefits mother herb”
(Leonorus, Chinese motherwort)
Acrid, bitter, slightly cold
HT, LV, BL
Invigorates blood, dispels stasis (regulates menstruation, postpartum); Promotes urination, reduces swelling; Clears heat and resolves toxicity (itchy rashes…)
NOT w/yin or blood xu, or during pregnancy
Chi Shao ***
Red peony root
Sour, bitter, slightly cold
LV, SP
Invigorates the blood, dispels blood stasis, stops pain (traumatic injury, early abscesses/boils, GYN like fibroids or dysmenorrhea); Clears heat and cools blood
Caution w/cold from xu
Tao Ren ***
“Peach kernel”
(inside of peach pit)
Bitter, sweet, neutral
HT, LI, LV, LU
Breaks up blood stasis (strongly invigorates blood), for GYN, trauma, abdominal masses; moistens intestines for constipation; stops cough/wheezing (weak action)
NOT w/blood xu, pregnancy, or loose stools
Hong Hua ***
“Red flower”
(Safflower, carthamus)
Acrid, warm
HT, LV
Invigorates blood, dispels stasis, and unblocks menstruation (historically used for abortions), for unexpressed rashes, abdominal masses, GYN, trauma (sometimes too strong)
NOT during pregnancy, or w/any bleeding related problems like hemorrhagic dz or peptic ulcers
E Zhu ***
curcuma rhizome
bitter, acrid, warm
LV, SP
Breaks up blood stasis, promotes the movement of Qi, and alleviates pain (but harsh!); Dissolves accumulations, reduces food stagnation, alleviates pain
NOT for pregnancy or excessive menstruation
San Leng ***
“3 ridges/edges”
(Burr reed rhizome)
Bitter, acrid, neutral
LV, SP
Forcefully breaks up blood stasis (HARSH), promotes the movement of Qi, alleviates pain; Dissolves accumulations (food stagnation)
NOT in pregnancy, or excessive menstruation
Niu Xi ***
“Ox knee”
(Achyranthes root)
Bitter, sour, neutral
LV, KD
Breaks up blood stasis, dispels blood stasis, unblocks menstruation; (when prepared) Tonifies LV, KD, strengthens sinews and bones, benefits joints (infertility, elderly pt); Induces downward movement of blood and fire (LYR, difficult delivery); Clears DH in lower jiao
NOT in pregnancy or w/excessive menses
Chuan Niu Xi ***
“Ox knee from Sichuan”
(Cyathula root)
sweet, bitter, neutral
LV, KD
Invigorates blood, unblocks menses; Expels wind, drains dampness
NOT in pregnancy or w/excessive menses
Jiang Huang **
“ginger yellow”
(turmeric rhizome)
Acrid, bitter, warm
SP, ST, LV
Breaks up blood stasis, unblocks menstruation, drives Qi downward; Promotes movement of QI and alleviates pain (arm, shoulder, rib); Expels W, for DW Bi
NOT in pregnancy
Ze Lan **
“Marsh orchid”
(Lycopos, bugleweed)
Bitter, acrid, slightly warm
LV, SP
Gently invigorates the blood w/out injuring Qi (for trauma/channel pain); promotes urination (d/t stagnation in the vessels)
Hu Zhang **
“tiger’s cane”
(Bushy knotweed rhizome)
Bitter, cold
LV, GB, LU
Invigorates blood, dispels stasis, unblocks channels, stops pain; Resolves dampness, eliminates wind and transforms phlegm; Clears heat, resolves toxicity; Drains heat downward, transforms phlegm to stop cough
NOT during pregnancy
Ru Xiang
“Milk fragrance”
(Frankincense, gum olibanum)
Acrid, bitter, warm
HT, LV, SP
Invigorates blood and promotes movement of Qi; Relaxes sinews, invigorates channels, alleviates pain; Reduces swelling and generates flesh
NOT without stasis, during pregnancy, in Pt w/weak ST, or longterm use
Mo Yao **
“Bright Myrrh”
(myrrh)
Bitter, neutral
HT, LV, SP
Breaks up blood stasis to stop pain, reduces swelling; generates flesh
NOT for use without stasis, in pregnancy, in Pt w/weak ST, or longterm use
Wang Bu Liu Xiang **
“King Cannot Stay Its Movement
(Vaccaria seeds)
Bitter, Neutral
LV, ST
Powerfully and rapidly invigorates blood and disperses clumping and stasis (insufficient lactation, amenorrhea); Invigorates the channels; Reduces swelling (of breasts, testes)
NOT in pregnancy
Lu Lu Tong **
“all roads open”
(Sweetgum fruit, liquidambar fruit)
Bitter, neutral
LV, ST
Invigorates Qi and blood, opens the middle jiao and unblocks channels; Expels wind (for WD Bi), promotes urination and water metabolism
NOT in pregnancy
Liu Ji Nu **
Anomalous artemesia
Bitter, warm
HT, SP
Breaks up blood stasis, unblocks menstruation, TREATS TRAUMA and alleviates pain; Reduces food stagnation and transforms accumulations; topically for contusions, burns, bleeding from wounds
NOT in pregnancy
Su Mu **
“Sumatra wood”
(Sappan wood)
Sweet, salty, acrid, neutral
HT, LV, SP
Invigorates blood, reduces swelling, alleviates pain, expels stagnation; Stops bleeding
NOT in pregnancy or w/menorrhagia
Wu Ling Zhi **
flying squirrel feces
Bitter, sweet, warm
LV
Invigorates blood and alleviates PAIN; Transforms stasis and stops bleeding; for Childhood nutritional impairment with focal distention
NOT during pregnancy
Wa Leng Zi **
cockle shell, ark shell
Salty, neutral
LV, SP, LU
Invigorates blood, dissolves (old) phlegm, dissipates nodules (for masses from stagnation); Absorbs acids and alleviates (epigastric) pain
Shui Zhi **
leech
Salty, bitter, neutral, slightly toxic
LV, BL
Breaks up and drives out blood stasis, reduces fixed masses
NOT in pregnancy
Tu Bie Chong **
ground beetle, wingless cockroach
Salty, cold, slightly toxic
LV, HT, SP
Breaks up and drives out blood stasis; knits together (renews) sinews and joins bones
NOT in pregnancy
Meng Chong **
horse fly, tabanus
Bitter, slightly cold, toxic (1.5-3g)
LV
Quickly and vigorously breaks up blood stasis, reduces abdominal masses while unblocking blood vessels; Dispels stasis, heals injuries, stops pain
