SHU JING HUO XUE TANG

Relax the Collaterals & Invigorate Blood • The "Chronic Pain" Specialist

Symptoms

Persistent Aching: Chronic, deep-seated pain in the joints, lower back, or legs that feels "fixed" and stubborn.

Weather-Sensitivity: Pain that flares up significantly during cold, rainy, or humid weather (Classic Damp-Bi).

Restricted Mobility: Difficulty walking, bending, or rotating joints; a feeling that the limbs are "rusty" or heavy.

Fixed Stabbing Pain: Areas of the body that are tender to the touch with sharp, localized pain (indicating Blood Stasis).

Key Indicator: "Wind-Damp-Cold Obstructing the Channels with Secondary Blood Stasis"—where the initial environmental invasion has stayed so long it has physically "congealed" the blood flow in the area.

Tongue: Purple or dark body (stasis) with a white, greasy coating (dampness).

Pulse: Wiry (Xuan) and Choppy (Se).

Ingredients

Dang Gui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix)

Raw Herbs 3g   | Granules 15.8g

Chuan Xiong (Chuanxiong Rhizoma)

Raw Herbs 1g   | Granules 5.1g

Tao Ren (Persicae Semen)

Raw Herbs 3g   | Granules 15.8g

Qiang Huo (Notopterygii Rhizoma)

Raw Herbs 1g   | Granules 5.3g

Fang Feng (Saposhnikoviae Radix)

Raw Herbs 1g   | Granules 5.3g

Cang Zhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma)

Raw Herbs 3g   | Granules 15.8g

Wei Ling Xian (Clematidis Radix)

Raw Herbs 3g   | Granules 15.8g

Niu Xi (Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix)

Raw Herbs 3g   | Granules 15.8g

Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae Radix)

Raw Herbs 1g   | Granules 5.3g

Description

Shu Jing Huo Xue Tang follows a "Three-Pronged" strategy: it moves the blood, chases the wind, and drains the dampness.

The Blood-Moving Quartet (Dang Gui, Chuan Xiong, Tao Ren, Hong Hua): This is essentially the Tao Hong Si Wu core. It breaks up the physical stasis that "locks" the joints. By moving the blood, it "washes" the metabolic waste out of the channels.

The Wind-Damp Chasers (Qiang Huo, Fang Feng, Wei Ling Xian): Qiang Huo targets the upper body, Fang Feng wanders through the muscles to expel wind, and Wei Ling Xian is the "Salt that melts the Ice"—it is famous for its ability to penetrate deep into the joints to soften stiffness.

The Dampness Dryer (Cang Zhu): This strong, aromatic herb "shatters" the internal dampness that causes the feeling of heaviness and swelling in the limbs.

The Downward Conductor (Niu Xi): This is the "Guide." It directs the action of the other herbs toward the lower back and legs, making this formula particularly effective for sciatica or knee pain.

Posology

Granules

3 to 9g daily, divided into 2 doses, taken with warm water.

Raw Plants

Decoct in 1000ml of water. For chronic conditions, it is often taken for 2–4 weeks. Traditionally, a small amount of rice wine may be added to the decoction to further enhance its "channel-opening" and blood-invigorating properties.

Cautions

STRICTLY CONTRAINDICATED during pregnancy due to the strong blood-breaking action of Tao Ren and Hong Hua. Not indicated for Heat Bi (joints that are red, hot, and swollen)—the warming nature of this formula will worsen inflammation. Use with caution in patients with digestive weakness, as the heavy blood-movers can be "cloying."