SHAO YAO GAN CAO TANG (BP090) Peony & Licorice Combination Complex

Indication

This formula was originally recorded in the ‘Treatise on Cold-induced Diseases’ (shang han lun), by Zhang Zhong-jing (circa 150 – 219 C.E.). It was originally devised for use during the course of a Cold-induced disorder, in cases where the patient had been given diaphoretic medicines inappropriately. The sweating thus induced, instead of releasing and expelling the exogenous pathogen, had caused the patient’s Yin (i.e. Fluids) and/or Blood to become depleted.

This would give rise to the characteristic symptoms of irritability, slight chills, and lack of tongue coat. Contemporary use of this formula centers on its use in alleviating spasmodic muscular pain due to Liver Blood deficiency and Liver-Spleen disharmony. Therefore the above symptoms, which are generally found in text-book descriptions of this formula, are not so relevant.

The synergistic actions of the herbs are as follows:

Paeonia root (bai shao): nourishes the Blood, astringes the Liver Yin, soothes the Liver and alleviates pain.

Glycyrrhiza root (zhi gan cao): strengthens the Spleen and tonifies the Qi, regulates the middle Jiao.

Indications:

Spasms or cramps of smooth or skeletal muscle

Signs & Symptoms:

Abdominal pain (cramping, spasmodic)

Muscular spasms or cramps

Tongue is pale and may also have very little coating

Pulse is thready and wiry

Combinations –

Abdominal cramping pain (non-IBS):

CHAI HU SHU GAN WAN

Acute wry neck:

XUE FU ZHU YU TANG

HUO LUO XIAO LING DAN

Blepharospasm:

SHU GAN WAN

Bronchitis, asthma:

YU PING FENG SAN

Calf muscle twitch or spasm:

SI MIAO YONG AN WAN (Jia Wei)

Endometriosis:

JIA WEI XIAO YAO SAN

XUE FU ZHU YU TANG

HUO LUO XIAO LING DAN

GUI ZHI FU LING WAN

TAO HONG SI WU WAN

STRESS RELIEF 1 Formula

MENSTRUAL RELIEF Formula

PAIN-LESS Formula

Facial muscle twitching:

CHAI HU SHU GAN WAN

Fibromyalgia, trigeminal neuralgia or sciatica:

HUO LUO XIAO LING DAN

Gout:

HUO LUO XIAO LING DAN

TAO HONG SI WU WAN

TCM Syndromes: Kidney Yin deficiency,Blood stasis, Heat or Damp-Heat (residual).

TCM Actions: Nourishes the Kidney Yin and enriches the Kidney Essence, activates the Blood and resolves stasis, clears Heat and relieves stranguria.