Ch 10 Herbs that Invigorate blood (reg blood)

Question 1

Chuan Xiong ***
“Water plant”
Szwchuan lovage root)

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Dan Shen ***
“Red Ginseng”
(Salvia root)

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Ji Xue Teng ***
“Chicken blood vine”
(Spatholobus root and vine)

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Yan Hu Suo ***
“Herbal Aleve”
(Corydalis rhizome)

Answer 4

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)

Question 5

Yu Jin ***
“Constrained/depressed gold”
(Curcuma tuber)

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Yi Mu Cao ***
“Benefits mother herb”
(Leonorus, Chinese motherwort)

Answer 6

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

Question 7

Chi Shao ***

Red peony root

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Tao Ren ***
“Peach kernel”
(inside of peach pit)

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Hong Hua ***
“Red flower”
(Safflower, carthamus)

Answer 9

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

Question 10

E Zhu ***

curcuma rhizome

Answer 10

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

Question 11

San Leng ***
“3 ridges/edges”
(Burr reed rhizome)

Answer 11

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

Question 12

Niu Xi ***
“Ox knee”
(Achyranthes root)

Answer 12

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

Question 13

Chuan Niu Xi ***
“Ox knee from Sichuan”
(Cyathula root)

Answer 13

sweet, bitter, neutral
LV, KD
Invigorates blood, unblocks menses; Expels wind, drains dampness
NOT in pregnancy or w/excessive menses

Question 14

Jiang Huang **
“ginger yellow”
(turmeric rhizome)

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Ze Lan **
“Marsh orchid”
(Lycopos, bugleweed)

Answer 15

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)

Question 16

Hu Zhang **
“tiger’s cane”
(Bushy knotweed rhizome)

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Ru Xiang
“Milk fragrance”
(Frankincense, gum olibanum)

Answer 17

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

Question 18

Mo Yao **
“Bright Myrrh”
(myrrh)

Answer 18

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

Question 19

Wang Bu Liu Xiang **
“King Cannot Stay Its Movement
(Vaccaria seeds)

Answer 19

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

Question 20

Lu Lu Tong **
“all roads open”
(Sweetgum fruit, liquidambar fruit)

Answer 20

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

Question 21

Liu Ji Nu **

Anomalous artemesia

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Su Mu **
“Sumatra wood”
(Sappan wood)

Answer 22

Sweet, salty, acrid, neutral
HT, LV, SP
Invigorates blood, reduces swelling, alleviates pain, expels stagnation; Stops bleeding
NOT in pregnancy or w/menorrhagia

Question 23

Wu Ling Zhi **

flying squirrel feces

Answer 23

Bitter, sweet, warm
LV
Invigorates blood and alleviates PAIN; Transforms stasis and stops bleeding; for Childhood nutritional impairment with focal distention
NOT during pregnancy

Question 24

Wa Leng Zi **

cockle shell, ark shell

Answer 24

Salty, neutral
LV, SP, LU
Invigorates blood, dissolves (old) phlegm, dissipates nodules (for masses from stagnation); Absorbs acids and alleviates (epigastric) pain

Question 25

Shui Zhi **

leech

Answer 25

Salty, bitter, neutral, slightly toxic
LV, BL
Breaks up and drives out blood stasis, reduces fixed masses
NOT in pregnancy

Question 26

Tu Bie Chong **

ground beetle, wingless cockroach

Answer 26

Salty, cold, slightly toxic
LV, HT, SP
Breaks up and drives out blood stasis; knits together (renews) sinews and joins bones
NOT in pregnancy

Question 27

Meng Chong **

horse fly, tabanus

Answer 27

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