Herbs That Invigorate Blood

Front 1

Channels:
LIV, GB, PER

Properties:
Spicy, Warm

A&I:
* Invigorates the blood & promotes the movement of qi: for any blood stasis pattern. This is a very important herb in gynecology.

- Expels wind & alleviates pain: a leading herb for any externally contracted wind disorder. Also skin disorders caused by wind.

- Headache: moves qi upwards & alleviates pain.

C&C:
- Yin deficiency with heat signs
- headaches from ascendant Liver Yang
- Qi deficiency
- excessive menstrual bleeding
- overdose: perhaps vomiting & dizziness

Dosage: up to 6g
- irregular menstruation: up to 9g
- Do not use big dosages

Back 1

Chuan Xiong
Szechuan Lovage Root
Radix Ligustici Wallichii

Front 2

Channels:
HT, PER, LIV

Properties:
Bitter, Slightly Cold

A&I:
* Invigorates the blood & breaks up blood stasis: Blood stasis disorders in the abdomen. Also blood stasis obstructing the chest.

- Clears heat & soothes irritability: especially for restlessness, irritability, palpitations, & insomnia from heat entering the Ying level.

C&C:
- Blood stasis
- incompatible with Li Lu

Dosage: up to 15g
- alone or when treating vasculitis: 60g
- fry in wine to better invigorate blood

Back 2

Dan Shen
"Cinnabar Root"
Salvia Root
Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae

Front 3

Channels:
HT, LIV, SP

Properties:
Bitter, Sweet, Warm

A&I:
* Promotes the movement of & tonifies the blood: for blood deficiency patterns presenting with gynecological issues.

- Invigorates the channel & relaxes the sinews: numbness of the extremities, lower back pain, knee pain, wind-damp bi

- Tonifies the blood & invigorates the channels: weakness in the extremities in the elderly or paralysis & vertigo from blood stasis or wind-stroke.

C&C: none

Dosage: up to 15g
- in severe cases up to 30g

Back 3

Ji Xue Teng
"Chicken Blood Vine"
Spatholobus, Millettia Root and Vine
Caulis Milletiae Seu Spatholobi

Front 4

Channels:
HT, LIV, LU

Properties:
Spicy, Bitter, Warm

A&I:
* Invigorates the blood & alleviates pain: blood stasis & traumatic injury. Also dysmenorrhea

- promotes the movement of qi & alleviates pain: stagnant qi (chest pain, abdominal pain, menstrual pain, hernial disorders, & *epigastric pain)

C&C:
- Pregnancy

Dosage: up to 12g
- Toast or fry in vinegar to enhance blood invigorating properties.
- use as powder for stronger effect

Back 4

Yan Hu Suo
Corydalis Rhizome
Rhizoma Corydalis Yanhusuo

Front 5

Channels:
HT, LU, LIV, GB

Properties:
Spicy, Bitter, Cold

A&I:
* Invigorates the blood & breaks up blood stasis: topical & internal use for pain from trauma. Hastens the healing of chronic swords.

- Promotes the movement of qi: pain in the chest, abdomen, or flank from constrained Liver qi (even with heat signs)

- Clears the Heart & cools the Blood: hot phlegm obstructing the orifices (anxiety, agitation, seizures, mental derangement)

- Benefits the Gallbladder & reduces jaundice

C&C:
- absence of stagnant qi or blood stasis
- Yin deficiency from blood loss
- Pregnancy
- don't use with Ding Xiang

Dosage: up to 9g

Back 5

Yu Jin
"Constrained Metal"
Tumeric Tuber
Tuber Curcumae

Front 6

Channels:
SP, ST, LIV

Properties:
Spicy, Bitter, Warm

A&I:
* Invigorates the blood & unblocks menstruation: chest & abdominal pain, amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea from blood stasis caused by empty cold. Also pain and swelling from trauma

- Promotes the movement of qi & alleviates pain: epigastric & abdominal pain from stagnant qi

- Expels wind & promotes the movement of blood: wind-damp bi with blood stasis, especially in shoulders

C&C:
- blood deficiency w/o stagnant qi or blood stasis

Dosage: up to 9g
- mix with salad or sesame oil for ointment

Back 6

Jiang Huang
"Ginger Yellow"
Tumeric Rhizome
Rhizoma Curcumae Longae

Front 7

Channels:
HT, LIV, BL, PER

Properties:
Spicy, Bitter, Slightly Cold

A&I:
* Invigorates the blood & regulates the menses: gynecological disorders (irregular menses, premenstrual pain, immobile abdominal masses, infertility, post-partum abdominal pain)

- Invigorates the blood & reduces masses: abdominal masses or infertility caused by stasis from blood deficiency

- Promotes urination & reduces swelling: acute systemic edema especially that which is accompanied by blood in urine.

C&C:
- pregnancy
- Yin or Blood Deficiency

Dosage: up to 60g
- up to 120g when treating edema from glomerulonephritis

Back 7

Yi Mu Cao
"Benefit Mother Herb"
Chinese Motherwort
Herba Leonuri Heterophylli

Front 8

Channels:
LIV, SP

Properties:
Bitter, Spicy, Slightly Warm, Aromatic

A&I:
* Promotes the movement of blood & menstruation: pain from blood stasis obstructing the menses & post-partum abdominal pain from blood stasis

- Invigorates the blood & dispels blood stasis: topically or internally for swelling from trauma or abcess.

- Promotes urination: post-partum edema, post-partum abdominal pain from blood stasis

C&C:
- pregnancy
- cases without blood stasis

Dosage: up to 9g
- up to 30g with topical use

Back 8

Ze Lan
"Marsh Orchid"
Bugleweed
Herba Lycopi Lucidi

Front 9

Channels:
LIV

Properties:
Sweet, Warm

A&I:
* Invigorates the blood & regulates the menses: blood stasis (scanty menstruation, amenorrhea, &/or chest & abdominal pain & distention

- Reduces swellings: auxiliary herb for neck swellings & scrofula (topical).

C&C:
- Pregnancy
- Sp & St Xu (can cause diarrhea)

Dosage: up to 6g

Back 9

Yue Ji Hua
"Moon Season Flower"
Chinese Tea Rose Flower (Partially Opened)
Flos Et Fructus Rosae Chinensis
No School Sample

Front 10

Channels:
LU, ST, LIV

Properties:
Sweet, Neutral

A&I:
* Expels wind & invigorates the channels: used when dampness & heat obstruct the channels (chest & flank soreness, soreness in muscles & sinews, and stiffness in the joints).

- Expels phlegm: cough due to heat in the Lungs.

- Expels summerheat & promotes urination: summerheat with fever & scanty urination.

- Benefits the breasts: swollen painful breasts or insufficient lactation.

C&C: None

Dosage: up to 12g
- up to 30g when used alone.
- should be decocted first

Back 10

Si Gua Luo
"Net of String Melon"
Dried Skeleton of Vegetable Sponge
Fasciculus Vascularis Luffae

Front 11

Channels:
LIV, GB, LU

Properties:
Bitter, Cold

A&I:
* Invigorates the blood & dispels stasis: for wind damp bi, ammenorhea, & traumatic injury

- Clears heat & resolves dampness: for damp-heat jaundice & turbid vaginal discharge. (use fresh)

- Drains heat downward, transforms phlegm, & stops coughing: for cough due to Lung heat

- Discharges Toxin: burns, carbuncles, & other skin infections, & snakebites. (use fresh ground topically for these)

C&C: pregnancy

Dosage: up to 30g

Back 11

Hu Zhang
"Tiger's Cane"
Bushy Knotweed Root and Rhizome
Radix Et Rhizoma Polygoni Cuspidati

Front 12

Channels:
LIV, SP

Properties:
Sour, Bitter, Slightly Cold

A&I:
* Invigorates blood, removes stagnation and swelling: for amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, acute inflammations, abdominal pain and masses. Also used for swelling and stagnation from internal or external injury, rashes, and abscess.

* Clears heat and cools the blood: for heat in the blood level causing fever, red-purple tongue, skin blotches, and bleeding. Also treats gynecological disorders from hot blood (dysmenorrhea or menorrhagia).

- Clears liver fire: when ascending liver fire affects the eyes, causing redness and swelling.

C&C:
- blood deficiency

Dosage: up to 9g

Back 12

Chi Shao
"Red Peony"
Red Peony Root
Radix Rubrus Paeoniae Lactiflorae

Front 13

Channels:
HT, LI, LIV, ST

Properties:
Bitter, Sweet, Neutral

A&I:
* Breaks up blood stasis: important herb used to resolve many kinds of problems associated with blood stasis (menstrual disorders, abdominal pain, traumatic injury, flank pain, Lung abcess & Intestinal abcess with immobile abdominal mass.

- Moistens the Intestinces & unblocks the bowels: constipation from dry Intestines

- Use for any blood stasis disorder
- Along with Hong Hua - The herb most often used to invigorate blood.

C&C: pregnancy

Dosage: up to 9g

Back 13

Tao Ren
Peach Kernel
Semen Pruni Persicae

Front 14

Channels:
HT, LIV

Properties:
Spicy, Warm

A&I:
* Invigorates the blood & unblocks menstruation: blood stasis with amenorrhea, abdominal pain, post partum dizziness, lochiosis, & abdominal masses. Also joint pain

- Dispels blood stasis & alleviates pain: blood stasis wounds & pain (carbuncles & dark purplish erythema.

- Incomplete expressions of rash of measles or painful obstruction of the chest due to blood stasis (must be combined with herbs that cools blood or herbs that clear heat & release toxicity).

- Most used herb to invigorate blood (along with tao ren)

C&C: pregnancy

Dosage: up to 9g
- Add near end.

Back 14

Hong Hua
"Red Flower"
Safflower Flower
Flos Carthami Tinctorii

Front 15

Channels:
LIV, SP

Properties:
Bitter, Spicy, Warm

A&I:
* Breaks up blood stasis, promotes the movement of qi, & alleviates pain: abdominal pain, dysmenorrhea, abdominal masses & epigastric masses from blood stasis)

- Dissolves accumulations & alleviates pain: for pain, distention, fullness, & constriction in the chest & abdomen from food stagnation

- gynecology & food stagnation
- often combined with san leng

C&C:
- pregnancy
- qi & blood xu
- excessive menstruation

Dosage: up to 9g
- fry with wine (vinegar?) to increase blood invigorating properties.

Back 15

E Zhu
Zedoary Rhizome
Rhizoma Curcumae Zedoariae

The major herb used for gynecological distorders

Front 16

Channels:
LIV, SP

Properties:
Bitter, Spicy, Neutral

A&I:
* Forcefully breaks up blood stasis, promotes the movement of qi & alleviates pain: blood stasis patterns with amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, post partum abdominal pain, & abdominal masses

- Dissolves accumulations: severe abdominal pain & distention from food stagnation and stagnant qi.

C&C:
- pregnancy
- deficiency

Dosage: up to 9g

Back 16

San Leng
"Three Edges"
Bur Reed Rhizome
Rhizoma Sparganii

Front 17

Channels:
HT, LIV, SP

Properties:
Spicy, Bitter, Warm

A&I:
* Invigorates the blood, promotes the movement of qi, & alleviates pain: traumatic pain arising from blood stasis, early stages of carbuncles, sores swellings, & pain. Also chest, epigastric, or abdominal pain due to blood stasis

- Relaxes the sinews, invigorates the channels, & alleviates pain: Bi Syndromes

- Reduces swelling & generates flesh: applied topically as an appointment or powder to reduce to reduce swelling, generate flesh, alleviate pain, & promote healing in sores, carbuncles, & traumatic injury

C&C:
- pregnancy
- Spleen xu (O.D. can cause vomiting)

Dosage: up to 9g

Back 17

Ru Xiang
"Fragrant Milk"
Frankincense Resin
Resina Olibani

Front 18

Channels:
HT, LIV, SP

Properties:
Bitter, Neutral

A&I:
* Invigorates the blood & dispels blood stasis, reduces swelling & alleviates pain: blood stasis ( pain from trauma, sores, carbuncles, swellings, immobile abdominal masses, painful obstruction, chest pain, abdominal pain, & amenorrhea.

- Promotes healing: used topically to promote the healing of chronic nonhealing sores.

- often used with ru xiang (trauma)

C&C:
- pregnancy
- excessive uterine bleeding

Dosage: up to 12g

Back 18

Mo Yao
Myrrh
Resina Myrrhae

Front 19

Channels:
LIV, KID

Properties:
Bitter, Sour, Neutral

A&I:
* Strengthens the sinews & bones & benefits the joints: pain & soreness affecting the lower back & knees due to deficiency, as ti tonifies & nourishes the Liver & Kidneys. Especially geriatric bi syndromes.

- Invigorates the blood & expels blood stasis: dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, * lochioschesis

- Clears damp-heat in the lower jiao: auxiliary herb for stony lin accompanied by lower back pain & bloody urine.

- Induces the downward movement of blood: reckless movement of hot blood in the upper jiao or yin deficiency with ascending fire (nosebleed, vomiting blood, toothache, bleeding gums)

C&C:
- pregnancy
- diarrhea from spleen xu
- excessive menstruation or spermatorrhea from weak basal qi
- Do not use with bai qian

Dosage: up to 15g

Back 19

Niu Xi
Achyranthes Root
Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae

Front 20

Channels:
LIV, ST

Properties:
Bitter, Neutral

A&I:
*Promotes the movement of blood & invigorates the channels: in the upper part of the body this herb promotes lactation, & in the lower part it unblocks menstruation. For Insufficient lactation or amenorrhea due to blood stasis

- Reduces selling: for painful swellings, especially of the breast or testicles.

- used as pellets in ear acupuncture

C&C: pregnancy

Dosage: up to 9g

Back 20

Wang Bu Liu Xing
Vaccaria Seeds
Semen Vaccariae Segetalis

Front 21

Channels:
LIV, ST

Properties:
Bitter, Neutral

A&I:
* Promotes the movement of qi & blood, opens the middle burner, & unblocks the channels: epigastric pain, abdominal distention, scanty menstruation, bi syndromes with pain & stiffness of lower back & knees.

- Promotes urination: edema with difficult urination

C&C:
- pregnancy
- reports that it can induce palpitations

Dosage: up to 9g

Back 21

Lu Lu Tong
"All Roads Open"
Sweetgum Fruit
Fructus Liquidambaris Taiwaniae

Front 22

Channels:
HT, SP

Properties:
Bitter, Warm

A&I:
Dispels blood stasis, unblocks menstruation, & alleviates pain: amenorrhea or post partum abdominal pain from blood stasis. Also fractures, contusions, or sprains.

* Also used topically as a powder for contusions, burns, & bleeding from wounds.

C&C:
- pregnancy
- diarrhea from spleen deficiency
- weak qi & blood

Dosage: up to 9g

Back 22

Liu Ji Nu
"Liu's Resident Slave"
Artemesia
Herba Artemisiae Anomalae

Front 23

Channels:
LIV, KI

Properties:
Spicy, Bitter, Neutral

A&I:
* Dispels blood stasis & promotes the healing of bones & sinews: swellings & pain from blood & qi stasis caused by external injury & especially fractures. Also thought to promote the healing of fractures

C&C:
- yin xu with heat signs
- blood xu

Dosage:
- up to 9g
- add first

Back 23

Zi Ran Tong
"Natural Copper"
Pyrite
Pyritum

Front 24

Channels:
HT, LIV

Properties:
Sweet, Salty, Neutral

A&E:
* Dispels blood stasis & alleviates pain: symptoms related to injury from falls, fractures, contusions, & sprains, as well as pain due to blood stasis patterns from other causes.

- Stops bleeding: applied topically

- Protects the surface of ulcer, prevents decay, generates flesh: chronic non-healing ulcers (topical).

C&C:
- Pregnancy
- Yin Deficient hot blood patterns

Dosage: up to 1.5g as a powder
- Strain decoction before drinking

Back 24

Xue Jie
"Exhausted Blood"
Dragon's Blood Resin
Sanguis Draconis

Front 25

Channels:
HT, LIV, SP

Properties:
Sweet, Salty, Neutral, Slightly Spicy

A&E:
* Invigorates blood, reduces swellings, & alleviates pain: postpartum abdominal pain, pain & swelling from falls fractures, contusions, or sprains.

- Stops Bleeding: excessive postpartum bleeding with dizziness, vertigo, & shortness of breath

C&C: pregnancy

Dosage: up to 9g

Back 25

Su Mu
Sappan Wood
Lignum Sappan

Front 26

Channels:
LIV, SP

Properties:
Bitter, Sweet, Warm

A&I:
* Disperses blood stasis & alleviates pain: amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, postpartum abdominal pain, & epigastric pain. Also chest pain

- Transforms stasis & stops bleeding: for uterine bleeding & lochioschesis

- Childhood nutritional impairment (rarely used for this)

C&C:
- pregnancy
- weak Spleen & Stomach qi
- antagonizes ren shen

Dosage: up to 9g
- raw to invigorate blood
- dry fry to stop bleeding
- decoct in cheesecloth

Back 26

Wu Ling Zhi
"Fat of the Five Spirits"
Flying Squirrel Feces
Feces Trogopterori Seu Pteromi

Front 27

Channels:
LIV, ST

Properties:
Salty, Cool

A&I:
* Disperses blood stasis, unblocks menstruation, & promotes lactation: amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, lack of or insufficient lactation

* Expels wind-dampness from the channels: for pain due to painful obstruction, stiffness or spasms in the limbs, or pain that prevents bending & stretching

C&C:
- pregnancy
- where sores have already ulcerated

Dosage: up to 9g
- powder is most effective

- Reduces swelling & promotes discharge of pus: toxic swellings such as abscesses & boils. Apply topically.

Back 27

Chuan Shan Jia
"Penetrate Mountain Scales"
Anteater Scales, Pangolin Scales
Squama Manitis Pentadactylis

Front 28

Channels:
LIV, SP

Properties:
Sweet, Salty, Neutral

A&E:
* Invigorates the blood, dissolves phlegm, & dissipates nodules: for *immobile or mobile abdominal masses involving either blood stasis, stagnant qi, or accumulation of phlegm.

- Absorbs acid & alleviates pain: for chronic pain in the pit of the Stomach (such as ulcer pain) or blood stasis pain accompanied by vomiting with acid regurgitation

C&C: Pregnancy

Dosage: up to 15g
- required pre-cooking and should be broken into pieces or ground into powder before cooking.
- use raw to promote the movement of blood & dissolve phlegm
- calcined to absorb gastric acid.

Back 28

Wa Leng Zi
Cockle Shell, Ark Shell
Concha Arcae Inflatae