Chuanxiong is the rhizome of the plant Ligusticum chuanxiong in the Apiaceae family. In ancient times, this herb was also known as Xiongqiong, and its name may be related to the shape of the medicinal rhizome and its characteristic effect of targeting the head. It is primarily produced in Sichuan and is now mostly cultivated. It can be used raw or stir-fried with wine or bran.
I. Efficacy and Application
Chuanxiong has a pungent taste and a warm nature. It belongs to the liver, gallbladder, and pericardium meridians.
Efficacy It can promote blood circulation and qi flow, dispel wind, and relieve pain. Its characteristics are pungent, warm, fragrant, and dry, moving without staying, capable of both dispersing and ascending to the vertex, and also entering the blood aspect, descending to the sea of blood. Its ability to dispel wind and relieve pain is highly effective, especially in treating various types of headaches, thus it is known as the essential medicine for headaches. Chuanxiong has the functions of dispersing with pungency, relieving depression, unblocking, and relieving pain, and was also called the "qi medicine in the blood" by ancient people. Due to its broad effect in promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, it is more suitable for various conditions caused by blood stasis obstruction, thus it is also known as the essential medicine for treating gynecological and traumatic blood stasis pains.
Commonly used for the treatment of wind-cold headache, hypochondriac pain, abdominal pain, cold impediment with muscle spasm, amenorrhea, difficult labor, postpartum blood stasis and mass pain, abscesses, sores, and ulcers.
Summary of Masterpieces by Renowned Authors:
The Classic of Materia Medica: "It primarily treats wind stroke entering the brain, headache, cold impediment, sinew spasm with slackness and urgency, metal sores, and women's blood block with infertility."
"Bie Lu": "It dispels cold movement in the brain, wandering wind on the face, tearing eyes, excessive nasal discharge and saliva, sudden dizziness as if drunk, various cold qi, firm pain in the heart and abdomen, sudden evil attacks, acute swelling and pain, flank wind pain, warms the middle and internal cold."
"Treating weak waist and feet, hemiplegia, main placenta not delivered, treating cold pain in the abdomen."
Changsha Materia Medica: "It unblocks the meridians, relieves the depression of wind-wood, alleviates pain and stops diarrhea, disperses stagnant qi and breaks up blood stasis."
"Compendium of Materia Medica": "Pungent, warm, ascending, and floating. It serves as a guiding meridian for Shaoyang and enters the Qi aspect of the Jueyin meridians of the hands and feet, acting as a Qi-regulating herb within the blood. It assists clear Yang and opens various stagnations, moistens liver dryness, and replenishes liver deficiency. It ascends to the head and eyes, descends to the Sea of Blood, expels wind and disperses stasis, relieves pain, and regulates menstruation. It treats wind-dampness in the head, blood deficiency headache, abdominal pain and flank wind, Qi stagnation and blood stagnation, damp diarrhea and bloody dysentery, cold impediment with muscle spasms, excessive tearing and nasal discharge, disorders caused by wind-wood, as well as abscesses, sores, and ulcers, and all types of blood disorders in both men and women."
"Medical Records of Integrating Chinese and Western Medicine": "Warm and dispersing properties combined, its power ascends, descends, reaches outward, and penetrates inward without any limitation. Its special ability lies in guiding the body's clear and light qi upward to the brain, treating headaches caused by wind invasion of the brain, headaches due to floating heat rushing upward to the brain, and headaches from cerebral congestion."
II. Compatibility and Application
1. Used for irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, difficult labor, postpartum abdominal pain due to blood stasis, flank pain, numbness of limbs, as well as injuries from falls and trauma, sores and abscesses with swelling and pain, etc. Chuanxiong is pungent and aromatic, promoting circulation and dispersing stagnation, warming and unblocking blood vessels. It can both activate blood circulation and remove blood stasis to regulate menstruation, and also promote qi flow and relieve depression to alleviate pain. Ancient practitioners called it the "qi-moving herb in the blood," as it effectively promotes the flow of both qi and blood. In formulations, it is most commonly paired with Danggui (Angelica sinensis) to enhance its effects of activating blood circulation, dispersing stasis, promoting qi flow, and relieving pain. Based on this combination, it is often used for various syndromes of qi stagnation and blood stasis.
For treating various blood deficiency syndromes, it is often combined with Angelica sinensis, Rehmannia glutinosa, and Paeonia lactiflora, forming the renowned blood-tonifying formula Si Wu Tang. Based on Si Wu Tang, flexible modifications serve as the foundation for numerous blood-regulating formulas. For instance, to treat blood stasis and pain, one can add peach kernel and safflower, resulting in Tao Hong Si Wu Tang, also known as Jia Wei Si Wu Tang. For blood deficiency with threatened miscarriage or excessive menstrual bleeding, one can add Artemisia argyi, donkey-hide gelatin, and honey-fried licorice, forming Jiao Ai Tang. For dual deficiency of qi and blood, it can be combined with Si Jun Zi Tang, resulting in Ba Zhen Tang. If there is evident deficiency of middle qi and kidney yang, one can further add Astragalus membranaceus and cinnamon to Ba Zhen Tang, forming Shi Quan Da Bu Tang.
If treating abdominal pain in pregnant women, or accompanied by lower limb edema and difficulty urinating, it is often combined with Angelica sinensis and peony, known as Danggui Shaoyao San.
If treating hemiplegia, paralysis, and flaccid paralysis, it is often combined with Angelica sinensis, Astragalus, earthworm, peach kernel, safflower, etc., which is known as Buyang Huanwu Decoction.
If treating sores and abscesses with pus formation, and deficiency of the body preventing ulceration, it is often combined with Astragalus membranaceus, Honeysuckle, and Spina Gleditsiae, known as Tuoli Xiaodu Powder.
For the treatment of deficiency-induced restlessness and insomnia, it is often combined with sour jujube kernel, anemarrhena rhizome, and poria, as in the Sour Jujube Kernel Decoction.
Wang Ang said: "Paeonia and Rehmannia are sour and cold, which are yin, while Ligusticum and Angelica are acrid and warm, which are yang. Therefore, the Four Substances Decoction uses them to complement each other and to counteract the stagnation of blood-nourishing medicinals."
2. For conditions such as liver qi stagnation, flank pain, and menstrual irregularities. Chuanxiong excels in promoting qi flow and soothing the liver. To treat menstrual disorders caused by liver depression and blood deficiency, as well as disharmony between the liver and spleen, it is often combined with Chaihu (Bupleurum), Danggui (Angelica sinensis), Shaoyao (Paeonia lactiflora), and Fuling (Poria cocos), forming the Xiaoyao San formula. If accompanied by symptoms of irritability and heat, Mudanpi (Paeonia suffruticosa) and Zhizi (Gardenia jasminoides) can be added, resulting in the Danzhi Xiaoyao San formula.
In addition, formulas such as Chaihu Shugan San and Yueju Wan are all used for their ability to disperse and move stagnant qi and blood.
3. For headache, rheumatic arthralgia and other syndromes. Chuanxiong has a good effect of dispelling wind and relieving pain, and it also has the property of ascending and dispersing, which can ascend to the head and eyes, making it an important medicine for treating headache. For headache due to external wind-cold, it is often combined with Baizhi, Fangfeng, and Xixin, such as in Chuanxiong Chatiao Powder.
For treating wind-heat headache, it is often combined with chrysanthemum, gypsum, silkworm, etc., known as Chuanxiong Powder.
If treating rheumatic headache, it is often combined with Notopterygium, Ligusticum, and Saposhnikovia, known as Notopterygium Dampness-Dispelling Decoction.
If treating headache and dizziness due to blood stasis, it is often combined with red peony root, safflower, salvia root, and dahurian angelica root.
If treating headache due to blood deficiency, it is often combined with Chinese angelica root, rehmannia root, white peony root, and chrysanthemum, known as the Modified Four-Substance Decoction.
If treating wind-damp obstruction and limb joint pain, it is often combined with wind-dispelling and collateral-dredging herbs such as Notopterygium root, Pubescent angelica root, Mulberry twig, and Kadsura pepper stem.
In addition, for treating liver yang headache, Chuanxiong can also be combined with Gastrodia elata, as seen in Liu Hejian's Da Chuanxiong Wan. If mulberry leaves and abalone shell are added, it can further enhance the efficacy for liver yang hyperactivity headache, which is worth referencing.
Li Dongyuan said, "For headaches, one must use Ligusticum chuanxiong."
Wang Ang said: "For treating wind-dampness in the head and blood deficiency headache, it can guide blood downward, and must be used for headache, adding various channel-guiding herbs: Taiyang channel with Qianghuo, Yangming channel with Baizhi, Shaoyang channel with Chaihu, Taiyin channel with Cangzhu, Shaoyin channel with Xixin, and Jueyin channel with Wuzhuyu."
4. For wind-cold common cold, or wind-heat common cold with obvious headache, Chuanxiong can also be used. Chuanxiong has the effect of dispelling wind and releasing the exterior, as well as dispersing wind-cold. In the exterior-releasing formulas of "Yi Fang Ji Jie," such as Jing Fang Bai Du San, Ren Shen Bai Du San, Jiu Wei Qiang Huo Tang, and Chuanxiong Cha Tiao San, all contain Chuanxiong.
III. Usage and Dosage
Chuanxiong is often used in decoctions and also made into pills and powders. Its dosage varies, leading to different effects. Taking decoctions as an example, a small amount of a few grams can soothe the liver and raise yang; a common dosage of over ten grams can promote qi circulation, activate blood, dispel wind, and relieve pain; some practitioners even use dozens of grams in a single dose, primarily to raise the clear and lower the turbid, quickly stopping headaches. However, long-term use of large doses can easily harm the body's vital qi, which should not be overlooked.
IV. Application Precautions
Chuanxiong is pungent and warm in nature, with a dispersing and ascending property, which can easily consume yin and damage qi. Therefore, it is not suitable for those with yin deficiency and fire excess, red tongue, and dry mouth. It should be used with caution in women with excessive menstrual bleeding and those with hemorrhagic diseases.
Wang Ang said: "The fragrant and pungent nature dissipates, capable of dispersing genuine qi; prolonged or solitary consumption may lead to sudden death."
Zhang Xichun said, "For those with yin deficiency and rising fire, who often sweat on the head, Ligusticum chuanxiong should not be used."
Practical Notes on Traditional Chinese Medicine: Modified on the evening of January 8, 2021
#Practical Notes on Traditional Chinese Medicine#
