Category
Warm
Pin Yin
Latin Name
Saposhnikoviae Radix
English Name
Dosage
4.5-9g
Entering Channels
LV
Flavor
acrid
Temperature
slightly warm
Pregnancy
Image
Chinese Herbal Formulas (Comprehensive List)
Individual Essential Oils
Kampo Name
Kampo Number
Kanji
Katakana
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Key Characteristics:
Cautions & Contraindications:
- Contraindicated with exuberant fire from yin deficiency, spasms from blood deficiency, or in the absence of pathogenic wind, dampness, or cold.
Actions & Indications:
- Releases the exterior and expels wind: for headache, chills, and body aches due to externally-contracted wind- cold.
- Expels wind-dampness and alleviates pain: for exterior wind-damp painful obstruction, especially when wind dominates.
- Expels wind and relieves spasms: as an auxiliary herb to alleviate trembling of the hands and feet and tetany.
- Also for Intestinal wind due to imbalance between the Spleen and Liver manifested in recurrent, painful diarrhea with bright blood in the stool. Also for migraine headaches.
Related Herbal Formulas
Combinations:
- Zi Su Ye: very common combination for external wind.
- Chuan Xiong: spasms and convulsions.
- Mu Xiang: to calm digestion.
Notes:
- This herb is very effective, but is not drying. It disperses more strongly than it warms, and can be used both in conditions of wind-heat and wind-cold, especially with body aches.
- Treats wind and cold in the muscles layer and joints, for conditions of pain, such as arthritis, that are worse with cold, damp weather.
- Fang Feng is hemostatic when charred. Used for excessive menstrual bleeding.
- Can be used to detoxify the body from heavy metal poisoning.