TCM Herbs for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

(Scroll down toward the bottom if you just wanna see which three formulas are available for this week only!)

Chronic pain can often be caused by lack of blood flow and energy stagnation in the body as well as congestion/obstruction, inflammation and malnourishment according to Chinese Medicine. Internal and external Dit Da Jow formulas can help to create free flow of blood, energy (Qi) and nutrition in the body, especially at the site of an injury, and thereby treat pain.

These Dit Da Jow formulas will commonly use herbs that move the blood, regulate Qi, extinguish Wind and that are warm, spicy, damp resolving and exterior releasing.

In part one of this series, we will discuss herbs that regulate Qi and spicy/pungent herbs Exterior releasing herbs and how they work to help relieve pain.
 
When a person suffers from many life stresses and pain, Qi is often stagnant. If this person can help the Qi to flow more freely, they can experience relief of pain and increase in energy.

Common Qi-moving herbs used in PlumDragon formulas are:

• Qing Pi – Helpful for swelling (Bak Fu Pai Sacred Qi Conditioner, Iron Lotus, Si Jun Zi Tang)
• Wu Yao – Enters the Bladder, Kidney, Lung and Spleen and is warming in action. It is helpful for trunk pain and pain referred to the groin or abdomen from ligamentous or myofacial triggers. (Wu Yao Pain-Relieving Plasters)
• Chen Xiang – enters the Kidney, Spleen in Stomach, is aromatic and warm in action and useful for patients with back pain who also suffer from asthma or shortness of breath. (Iron Lotus)
• Yu Jin (Bruise Dit Da Jow, JKD, Iron Lotus, Plum Dragon Dit Da Wan)
• Yan Hu Suo - Read more about using Yan Hu Suo for low-level chronic pain, HERE. (JKD, Bruise Juice, Wing Chun Anti-Contusion, Plum Dragon Dit Da Wan)
• Mei Gui Hua – Enters the Liver and Spleen channels and is not commonly used to treat musculoskeletal disorders. But, because of its warming action and its ability to promote the movement of Blood and Qi, it can relieve pain and is sometimes added to formulas that treat blood stasis secondary to trauma.

Commonly used Spicy/Pungent Warm Exterior releasing herbs for musculoskeletal pain are:

• Gui Zhi – enters Heart, Lung and Bladder channels and is a very important herb for relieving pain because it can enter the Blood to warm and promote circulation as well as travel within the superficial layers of the body to warm the muscles and open the channels and collaterals/network vessels. Because of its pungent warming and vasodialative effects, it has been used to treat many conditions with cold extremities. Gui Zhi has an analgesic effect. (Ho Family, Feeman Ong Big Hand Iron Palm, Leung Jan Wing Chun, Iron Godess Hand Training Liniment, Chow Gar Southern Praying Mantis, Fung Doe Duk Bak Mei Coconut Break, Golden Lotus)
• Fang Feng – enters the Bladder, Liver and Spleen Channels and is often used to expel Cold and Dampness from tbe flesh/muscles and subcutaneous regions. It is also used for muscle spasms, cramps and joint pain. (Ho Family, JKD, Hung Gar Level 1 and 2, Ku Yu Cheong, Black Hand, Bak Fu Pai, Bak Fu Pai Sacred Qi Conditioner, Fung Doe Duk Bak Mei Coconut Break, Golden Lotus, Hua Tuo 8 Immortal Bruise Liniment, Comprehensive Iron Palm Tonic)
• Qiang Huo – enters the Bladder and Kidney channels and is warm, pungent and bitter. This herb is often used for pain in the back of the neck and head (occipital) and for pain in the upper extremities that is characterized by a feeling of heaviness, sleepiness, or lack of desire to move. It is also used for joint pain that is characterized by painful cramping of the affected area. It has analgesic effects. (White Dragon, Hung Gr Level 1, Ku Yu Cheong, Ark Y Wong #2, Bak Fu Pai, Bak Fu Pai Sacred Qi Conditioner, Golden Lotus, Iron Lotus, Hua Tuo 8 Immortal Bruise Liniment, Comprehensive Iron Palm Tonic)
• Bai Zhi - enters the Lung, Stomach and Spleen channels and is used for pain in the upper-frontal body areas, especially forehead and TMJ pain. It is also helpful to resolve ganglion cysts. It has analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. (Ku Yu Cheong, Feeman Ong Big Hand Iron Palm, Ark Y Wong #2, Wing Chun Anti-Contusion, Chow Gar Southern Praying Mantis, Fung Doe Duk Bak Mei Coconut Break, Golden Lotus)
• Xi Xin – enters the Lung and Kidney channel, is very pungent and hot, and is very important in the treatment of pain. This herb enters the kidney channel and, therefore, penetrates deeply so that it is useful for bone and sinew/soft tissue pain. It has anti-inflammatory effects and should be used with care as it can damage Yin and can be nephrotoxic to those with Kidney disease. (Bak Fu Pai, Black Hand, Hua Tuo 8 Immortal Bruise Liniment)

Pungent cool Exterior releasing herbs for musculoskeletal pain are:

• Ge Gen – enters the Spleen and Stomach channels and is said to have an affinity for the neck (shoulder). It is often used for muscular weakness and wasting as well as TMJ pain and pain in the back of the neck and/or shoulder. It has been shown to prevent bone loss in ovariectomized mice. (Wing Chun Anti-Contusion)
• Chai Hu – enters the Gallbladder, Liver, Pericardium, and Triple Warmer Channels and is pungent and slightly cool. This herb is useful for those who experience high stress and/or irritability and for those with pain in the chest, subcostal and trunk areas. This herb has analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. (Chan Ning Tong Iron Palm, Black Hand, Iron Goddess Hand Training Liniment)

Three New Formulas Available this Week!

In building this listing of herbs for you, we realized that three formulas we have not previously made available incorporate several of these herbs mentioned here in considerable quantities, so we have decided to allow you to purchase them for this next week only and at a discounted price!

• Bak Fu Pai Sacred Qi Conditioner - Contains a balance of Qi-moving and Exterior releasing herbs.
• Iron Lotus - Contains a considerable amount of Qi-moving herbs.
• Hua Tuo 8 Immortal Bruise Liniment - Contains a large amount of Xi Xin for bone/sinew and soft tissue healing.

We have added these three formulas to the Dit Da Jow section of the Quick Buy page and you will find them listed in alphabetical order. Once you select Dit Da Jow from from the drop-down menu and click "search" simply scroll down to the product you wish to purchase and add to cart.
Plum Dragon Herbs also provides 2 internal formulas that can help address Qi regulation.  Si Jun Zi Tang and Plum Dragon Dit Da Wan are both fantastic tonic formulas for this purpose.
*The above post has been adapted from Foundations for Integrative Musculoskeletal Medicine: An East-West Approach by Alon Marcus, pgs. 381-383