Liver-blood deficiency herb selection

Suan Zao Ren is sweet, sour and neutral, and enters the Liver, Gall Bladder and Heart meridians. Since sweet and sour may generate the Yin and stabilize the body fluids, it is also able to nourish the Liver blood. It is a perfect herb to calm the mind and improve sleep. It is often selected in the formula to treat anxiety, sweating, restless sleep and dream-disturbed sleep due to Liver-blood deficiency. 

Generally speaking, blood, Yin and essence all belong to the Yin because of their substantial form. In a syndrome of Liver-Yin deficiency, liver-blood deficiency is often the initial stage of Liver-Yin deficiency liquid-Yin deficiency is the second stage, and essence deficiency of the Liver and Kidney is the last stage. Thus, to tonify the Liver-Yin, herbs that tonify the blood and nourish the liquid-Yin and the essence are all selected. 

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. 

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. 

When patients suffer from chronic liver or kidney disease, the selection of the herbs and their dosages should be determined carefully to avoid placing an unnecessary workload on these weakened organs. At the same time, herbs that protect these organs and promote their function should also be included. For instance, acute or chronic liver diseases are mainly differentiated into a syndrome consisting of Spleen-Qi deficiency, damp-heat and heat-toxin accumulation, and herbs that treat this syndrome can be used. Chronic kidney diseases are mainly differentiated as Kidney-Yang and Spleen-Yang deficiency, dampness accumulation and heat-toxin in the blood. Herbs that treat this syndrome should be used in appropriate doses to help restore kidney function. 

Herbs that strengthen the Spleen are often selected, first to provide a blood supply so as to maintain the proper function of the Liver, second to allow the Spleen to resist attack by the Liver-Qi, and third to treat Spleen-Qi deficiency. 

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