Blood stagnation herb selection

Mu Dan Pi is bitter, pungent and slightly cold Chi Shao Yao is bitter and cold. They can clear heat and cool the blood. The strong points of these herbs are that they can also dissolve congealed blood and promote blood circulation. Blood stasis often occurs when heat consumes the blood and makes blood thick. In addition, heat makes blood move erratically ( like a river in a storm ) and also leads to blood stagnation. The cold herbs, which are used in the formula to cool the blood and stop bleeding, may also cause blood stagnation directly. Mu Dan Pi and Chi Shao Yao are particularly selected to treat these conditions. 

Ji Xue Teng is bitter, slightly sweet and warm, and enters the Kidney and Liver meridians. It is a special herb for tonifying the blood as it is also able to promote the blood circulation and relax the tendons. It is therefore selected in formulas to relieve stiffness, tingling, numbness, pain and an uneasy feeling in the body, such as in Bi syndrome and in restless leg disorder due to blood deficiency with Qi and blood stagnation. 

These herbs are selected to promote blood circulation. Mei Gui Hua has the function of harmonizing the Qi of the Liver and Stomach, and treating the syndrome of Liver-Qi attacking the Spleen and Stomach. Its function is quite similar to that of Xiang Yuan (Citri fructus) and Fo Shou [Citri sarcodactylis fructus). However, this herb can promote both Qi and blood circulation and is an appropriate herb to treat disorders due to both Qi and blood stagnation, such as in irregular menstruation and dysmenorrhea. 

Chuan Xiong, Yu Jin and Yan Hu Suo are herbs that promote blood circulation. As they are able to move the Qi in the blood, they are considered as the Qi-moving herbs in the blood. In formulas that regulate the Liver-Qi, they may be selected in conditions of Qi and blood stagnation, or for the purpose of activating the blood in order to accelerate the Qi movement. As Chuan Xiong and Yan Hu Suo are warm in temperature and Yu Jin is cold, they should be selected according to the nature of the syndrome. 

Select appropriate herbs from the strength scale to compose a formula for treating a specific syndrome of blood stagnation ... 

If there is heat in the blood with blood stagnation, the first priority is to select pungent, bitter and slightly cold herbs that enter the Heart, Pericardium, Liver and Gall Bladder meridians, and can circulate the blood and clear heat. 

The herbs in this group can be selected as chief and deputies to dissolve congealed blood they can also stimulate blood circulation. They are mainly used to treat the more severe or chronic syndromes of blood stagnation where the blood becomes thicker and blood clots are formed, such as in atherosclerosis, hyperlipemia, thrombosis, endometriosis, adhesions in chronic infection and after surgical operations. 

As well as the above-mentioned functions, this herb has other functions that can be used as a reference in selecting herbs in a formula. It is an aromatic herb, and is able to penetrate damp-heat, clear damp-heat and promote bile secretion. It can be used as deputy in a formula when there is damp-heat in the Upper- and Middle-Jiao, the symptoms of which are fullness in the chest and epigastric region, jaundice and reduced appetite, such as in malaria and hepatitis. In addition, Yu Jin can spread the Liver-Qi, clear the Liver-heat and eliminate irritability. It can be selected to treat headache and a tight sensation in the chest caused by Qi and blood stagnation and damp-heat obstruction. 

These herbs are particularly selected if the blood stagnation manifests in the chest. 

These herbs are particularly selected if the blood stagnation manifests in the abdomen. They are often used for irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea, endometriosis, infection and inflammation in the pelvis. 

In his book Correcting the Errors in the Forest of Medicine (Yi Lin Gai Cuo), he created these formulas to drive out congealed blood and promote blood circulation. In his formulas, he selected herbs to treat blood stagnation in different regions. In addition, he paid attention to the relationship between Qi and blood, and selected herbs to move and tonify Qi and to stimulate Yang respectively. 

In the composition, in addition to using the blood-moving herbs in general, Wu Ling Zhi and Yan Hu Suo are selected. They enter the Liver meridian and are particularly used to treat blood stagnation in the hypochondriac region. 

These three cold herbs all enter the Liver meridian, and have the functions of clearing heat in the blood, promoting blood circulation and removing congealed blood. They are selected in the formula to treat disturbance of blood circulation and blood stagnation. 

Dan Shen and Chi Shao Yao are bitter and cold herbs. They can cool the blood, reduce the heat from the Liver and the Heart, prevent generation of congealed blood and remove the congealed blood that has already been formed. They can be selected as assistants in the formula to treat a condition where the heat enters the blood, consumes the blood and leads to blood stagnation. 

Herbs that tonify the Spleen-Qi and nourish the Liver-blood and Liver-Yin are selected when deficiency of these organs leads to stagnation of the Liver-Qi. 

Since each of the three factors - Liver-Qi stagnation, Uver blood deficiency and Spleen-Qi deficiency - can be a causative factor as well as a consequence of the others, the chief is used to treat the direct cause and the deputies treat the developed conditions and the consequences. Thus, the chief and the deputies can be selected from the following three groups of herbs. 

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