Nature: acrid, bitter, warm

Enters: Liver, Kidney, Bladder

Actions: Eliminates wind-dampness, alleviates pain; releases the exterior, disperses wind-cold-dampness.

Indications:
• Wind-damp: Bi syndrome, body pain – especially lower back and legs – can be used for both acute and chronic conditions. Gout.
• Exterior wind-cold together with dampness.
• Shaoyin headache radiating to the teeth.
• A small dose (3-6g) can lift spleen Yang and treat internal dampness.
• Tranquilizing effect.
• **As with numerous Chinese herbs, several different species are used as this herb. In some parts of China A. dahurica (Bai zhi) is used, and species of the Heraclelum and Aralia genera are also used.
• May cause skin photosensitivity with topical application.
• It is said that when the wind blows, this plant is still.
• Compared to Qiang huo, Du huo is more for the lower body (while Qiang huo is stronger & more for the upper body), Du huo is milder at eliminating exterior syndromes but is more effective at eliminating dampness than Qiang huo.
MLT: Promotes Qi and blood circulation, similar to Western (A. archangelica) species.
Hsu: Sedative, analgesic, antiarthritic, hypotensive.
DY: Moderate in action; treats hidden wind or wind which is more internal and fixed; tropism: the lower part of the body, lumbar area, knees, legs, feet, and Shaoyin.
• With Qiang huo to dispel wind, cold, dampness, and treat Bi over the whole body. For indications such as:
– 1. Moving rheumatic pains all over the body. (Juan Bi Tang)
– 2. Common cold with fever, back pain, and joint pain due to wind, cold, and dampness. (Qiang Huo Sheng Shi Tang)
– 3. Joint running wind due to wind, cold, and dampness penetrating the channels and network vessels. Li jie feng or joint running wind refers to acute arthralgia which is severe and movable with loss of joint mobility, swelling, and intense joint pain which is worse at night. This affection can transform itself into heat and then cause redness, pain, swelling, and heat.

Dose: 3-15g