Nature: acrid, bitter, warm
Enters: Heart, Liver, Spleen, Stomach, Lung
Actions: Promotes blood and Qi circulation, relieves pain.
Indications:
• Blood and Qi stagnation: pain – chest, abdomen, epigastrium, limbs, hernial, trauma, and especially dysmenorrhea. This is the premier analgesic herb.
• Can be used for any kind of pain when combined appropriately.
• Treats ulcers.
• Possesses 1% the analgesic strength of opium.
• Some hypnotic effects; used to promote sleep for insomnia.
• Toast or fry in vinegar to enhance its blood circulating properties.
• Use as a powder for a stronger effect.
Jin: Focuses on the liver.
RW: Greatly reduces the tremors of Parkinson’s disease, chorea minor, and other forms of ataxia.
NAH: Contains the alkaloid bulbocapriine, which has been used for Parkinson’s, Meniere’s, convulsions.
Hsu: Tranquilizer, analgesic, spasmolytic, anti-ulcerative agent.
DY: When used alone or with small amounts of other herbs, use up to 50g in decoction or 10g directly as powder.
• Stops pain in the whole body – the upper and lower, interior and exterior.
• A medicinal for the qi within the blood. It moves the Yang aspect of the blood. It disperses Qi stagnation in the blood and blood stagnation in the Qi. It is, therefore, a medicinal which quickens simultaneously the Qi and blood, but which, nevertheless, has more of its action on the blood than the Qi.
• With Chuan lian zi to clear heat, eliminate dampness, course the liver, move the Qi and blood, and stop pain. This combination (Jin Ling Zi San) is used for indications such as:
– 1. Pain in the chest, epigastrium, abdomen, and lateral costal regions due to liver depression Qi stagnation sometimes associated with liver blood stasis. (Use wine mix-fried Yan hu suo and scorched Chuan lian zi.)
– 2. Liver depression Qi stagnation transforming into liver heat or fire.
– 3. Dysmenorrhea and menstrual irregularities due to Qi and/or blood stasis. (Use scorched Chuan lian zi and vinegar mix-fried Yan hu suo.)
– 4. Heart pain due to Qi and blood stagnation. (Use wine mix-fried Yan hu suo and scorched Chuan lian zi.)
– 5. Inguinal hernia or diseases of the scrotum or testicles due to Qi stagnating in the liver channel. (Use scorched Chuan lian zi and vinegar mix-fried Yan hu suo.)
– 6. Hepatitis, cholecystitis, and angiocholitis due to damp-heat in the liver and gallbladder. (Use scorched Chuan lian zi and vinegar mix-fried Yan hu suo.)
– This combination is a major analgesic which can be added to other prescriptions when pain is a key manifestation of the disorder and especially if this pain is due to Qi stagnation and blood stasis. If there is a headache, add Chuan xiong and Hong hua. If there is chest pain, add Jie geng, Zhi ke, and Xie bai. If there is lateral costal pain, add Chai hu and Yu jin. If there is stomach and epigastric pain, add Mu xiang and Dan shen. If there is lower abdominal pain, add Mu xiang and Tao ren. If there is lower abdomen pain occurring on both sides of the abdomen in the area traversed by the liver channel, add Wu yao and Xiao hui xiang.
Dose: 4.5-12g