独活寄生汤

Name

Pubescent Angelica and Loranthus Decoction

Source

The book Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang

Ingredients

Explanation

Du Huo: The principal drug, being pungent and bitter in flavor and slightly warm in nature, playing an active part in removing cold-dampness in the lower-Jiao and the joints.

Xi Xin: Dispelling cold to relieve pain.

Fang Feng: Dispelling wind to remove dampness.

Qin Jiao: Expelling wind-dampness to relax the tendons.

Ji Sheng, Du Zhong and Niu Xi: Expelling wind-dampness and reinforcing the liver and kidney.

Dang Gui, Chuan Xiong, Di Huang and Bai Shao: Nourishing blood and promoting its circulation.

Ren Shen and Fu Ling: Invigorating Qi and strengthening the spleen.

Gui Xin: Warming and clearing the blood vessels.

Gan Cao: Tempering the actions of all the other ingredients.

Effect

Expelling wind-dampness, relieving, arresting pain due to arthralgia-syndrome, reinforcing the liver and kidney, tonifying Qi and blood.

Indications

Syndromes such as arthralgia due to persistent wind-cold-dampness, insufficiency or the liver and kidney, and deficiency of both Qi and blood, all marked by pain of the loins and knees, limited movement or numbness of the joints, aversion to cold, preference for warmth, palpitation, shortness of breath, pale tongue with whitish coating, and thready feeble pulse; including such diseases with the above symptoms as chronic arthritis, rheumatic sciatica, etc.

Administration

Decocted in water for oral dose to be taken 3 times.