Chuanxiong (Ligusticum chuanxiong)
Alias:
Xiao Ye Chuanxiong (Small Leaf Chuanxiong).
Source:
This product is the rhizome of the Umbelliferae plant Chuanxiong (Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort.), primarily produced in Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan, with the best quality from Sichuan. It is cultivated artificially. Harvested in May, cleaned of soil, sun-dried, and then sliced after removing the fibrous roots. It can be used raw or stir-fried with wine.
Properties:
Pungent, warm.
Meridians Entered:
Liver, Gallbladder, Pericardium.
Functions and Applications:
Invigorates blood and promotes Qi circulation, dispels wind, and alleviates pain. This herb is effective in invigorating blood circulation, promoting Qi, and dispelling wind to relieve pain. It is a key herb for regulating menstruation and alleviating pain, and it can also search for liver wind, nourish liver blood, and clear the head and eyes. It is used to treat irregular menstruation, headaches, dizziness, chest and abdominal distension and pain, wind-cold headaches, and painful obstruction syndromes.
Chuanxiong (Processed Slices)
Dosage:
3-9 grams, decocted in water for oral administration.
Precautions:
Use with caution in cases of Yin deficiency with weak Qi, excessive sweating due to labor heat, and Qi counterflow with vomiting. Caution is also advised for women with excessive menstrual bleeding.
Commentary:
Chuanxiong and Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) are both commonly used herbs for invigorating blood and resolving stasis. However, Chuanxiong primarily invigorates blood and promotes Qi while dispelling wind and alleviating pain, whereas Danshen focuses on invigorating blood, regulating menstruation, dispelling stasis, cooling blood, resolving abscesses, and calming the mind. Chuanxiong is considered a Qi-invigorating herb within the blood, while Danshen is more focused on blood stasis resolution.
Related Formula:
Chuanxiong Tea Decoction (from “Taiping Huimin Heji Ju Fang”): Used for treating colds with frontal headaches. Ingredients include Chuanxiong and Jingjie (Schizonepeta) each 12 grams, Baizhi (Angelica dahurica), Gancao (Licorice), and Qianghuo (Notopterygium) each 6 grams, Xixin (Asarum) 3 grams, Fangfeng (Siler) 5 grams, and Bohe (Mint) 24 grams. Grind into a fine powder, take 6 grams each time, twice daily, mixed with clear tea for consumption.