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Jiu Wei Qiang Huo Tang: A classic Chinese medicine prescription for treating exogenous wind, cold and dampness

Writer's picture: Hongji MedicalHongji Medical

Jiu Wei Qiang Huo Tang, is a traditional Chinese medicine prescription derived from Zhang Yuansu Fang, which is mainly used to treat symptoms of exogenous wind-cold-dampness evil with internal heat. This prescription occupies an important position in traditional Chinese medicine antipyretics, and has the effects of sweating and removing dampness, and clearing internal heat. This article will introduce in detail the composition, efficacy, indications and application of Jiu Wei Qiang Huo Tang in modern medicine.


Composition and usage of Jiu Wei Qiang Huo Tang


Nine-flavor Qianghuo Soup is composed of the following nine herbs:

  1. 1.5 liang of Notopterygium wilfordii (9g)

  2. 1.5 liang of Saposhnikovia divaricata (9g)

  3. 1.5 liang of Atractylodes macrocephala (9g)

  4. 5 fen (3 g)

  5. 1 liang (6g) of Chuanxiong

  6. 1 liang (6g) of Angelica dahurica

  7. 1 liang (6g) of raw Rehmannia root

  8. Scutellaria baicalensis 1 liang (6g)

  9. Licorice root 1 liang (6g)


usage

Boil the above herbs in water and drink it warm. If you need to sweat quickly, drink it hot and supplement it with soup or porridge; if you need to slow down sweating, drink it warm without soup.


Jiu Wei Qiang Huo Tang is made up of nine herbs. According to the theory of "monarch, minister, assistant and envoy" in traditional Chinese medicine, these herbs can be divided into four groups:


Nine-flavor Qianghuo Soup
九味羌活湯

Sovereign drug: Dominant effect: Notopterygium wilfordii

  • Qianghuo is the main drug in this prescription. It can dispel wind, cold and dampness, especially for headaches, limb pain and joint pain. Qianghuo is like a general, leading other drugs to fight against external wind, cold and dampness.


Minister medicine: assisting the monarch medicine

  • Fangfeng: The main function of Fangfeng is to help Qianghuo dispel wind and cold. It can enhance the effect of dispelling cold and relieving symptoms, especially for headaches, nasal congestion and limb soreness. Fangfeng is like Qianghuo's deputy, helping it to complete its tasks better.

  • Atractylodes: Atractylodes' main function is to remove dampness and help the spleen and stomach function better. It can effectively remove wind and dampness, and improve the function of the spleen and stomach, so that the medicine can be better absorbed and exert its effect. Atractylodes is like a logistics officer, ensuring the smooth operation of the entire team.


Adjuvant: assisting treatment

  • Xixin: The main function of Xixin is to dispel cold and relieve pain, and help other drugs to work better. It can warm and dispel cold evil, relieve pain, especially for limb pain. Xixin is like an assistant, helping Qianghuo and Fangfeng to complete their tasks better.

  • Chuanxiong: The main function of Chuanxiong is to promote blood circulation and dissipate blood stasis. It can dispel wind and cold, eliminate external pathogens, and improve limb pain caused by cold pathogens blocking the meridians. Chuanxiong is like an engineer, ensuring smooth blood circulation and reducing pain.

  • Angelica dahurica: Angelica dahurica's main function is to dispel wind and relieve symptoms, dispel cold and relieve pain. It can work synergistically with Notopterygium and Saposhnikovia divaricata to dispel wind and cold, and relieve symptoms such as headache, nasal congestion, runny nose, and limb soreness caused by exogenous wind and cold. Angelica dahurica is like a coordinator, helping the entire team to complete the task better.




Drug: harmonize the drugs

  • Raw Rehmannia root: The main function of raw Rehmannia root is to clear away heat and cool blood, nourish yin and moisten dryness. It can balance the medicinal properties, prevent other medicines from being too pungent, warm and dry, nourish yin and reduce fire, and prevent dryness and heat from damaging yin.

  • Scutellaria: The main function of Scutellaria is to clear away heat and dampness, and to purge fire and detoxify. It can effectively control fever, pain and other symptoms caused by wind-cold dampness or summer heat dampness. Scutellaria is like a firefighter, extinguishing the internal heat evil.

  • Licorice: Licorice's main function is to harmonize the properties of medicines, relieve drug toxicity, and enhance efficacy. It can harmonize various medicines, avoid dryness and damage to the yin, and make the efficacy of the medicine more peaceful and stable. Licorice is like a peacemaker, ensuring the harmony of the entire team.


Effects and indications of Jiu Wei Qiang Huo Tang


effect


The main effect of Jiu Wei Qiang Huo Tang is to induce sweating and remove dampness, and clear internal heat. Its main function is to dispel wind, cold and dampness to achieve the purpose of removing cold and dampness in the body, while also taking care of clearing heat to balance the inside and outside.


Nine-flavor Qianghuo Soup
九味羌活湯

Indications


Jiuwei Qianghuo Tang is mainly used to treat diseases caused by exogenous wind, cold and dampness, accompanied by internal heat. It is mainly used to treat diseases caused by exogenous wind, cold and dampness , accompanied by internal heat. In this case, patients usually feel the following discomfort:


First, patients experience alternating feelings of chills and fever , like the early stages of a cold. Then, they find themselves not sweating, even in warm environments. This lack of sweating can make a person feel even more uncomfortable.


Patients also experience headaches , especially in the back of the head and neck, which can sometimes cause a stiff neck. The limbs may also feel sore and heavy, like the feeling after a strenuous workout.


Nine-flavor Qianghuo Soup
外感風寒 - 九味羌活湯

The patient may also experience a bitter taste in the mouth and be slightly thirsty . These symptoms indicate that there is heat in the body.


When observing the tongue coating, you will find that it is white or slightly yellow , which is the result of the combined effects of wind, cold, dampness and internal heat. In terms of pulse, patients usually have floating pulse or floating and tight pulse , which indicates that there is evil qi on the body surface and accompanied by internal heat.


Pathogenesis Analysis


This disease is caused by the invasion of wind, cold and dampness into the skin surface, which blocks the movement of Wei Yang, resulting in blocked pores, blocked meridians, and poor movement of Qi and blood . This is why patients feel cold, fever, no sweat, headache and body aches. The internal heat causes bitter taste in the mouth and slight thirst.




The main method of treating this disease is to dispel wind, cold and dampness, while clearing away heat.


The various herbs in the Jiu Wei Qiang Huo Tang work together through the reasonable combination of monarch, minister, assistant and envoy to achieve the effect of sweating, removing dampness and clearing internal heat. This can not only effectively relieve symptoms, but also reconcile the medicinal properties, avoid side effects, and ensure the safety and effectiveness of treatment.



Modern Applications


Jiu Wei Qiang Huo Tang is a traditional Chinese medicine prescription, mainly used to treat exogenous wind, cold and dampness, accompanied by internal heat. Modern research and clinical application show that Jiuwei Qianghuo Decoction also has significant effects in the treatment of many modern diseases and symptoms. The following are some specific examples and research results of Jiuwei Qianghuo Decoction in modern applications:


First, it is commonly used to treat colds and flu, especially those with symptoms such as aversion to cold and fever, headache without sweating, limb aches, bitter mouth and slight thirst. Modern research shows that Jiuwei Qianghuo Decoction can effectively relieve these symptoms and has a significant effect in treating colds caused by wind and cold1.


Secondly, Jiu Wei Qiang Huo Tang is also used to treat migraine and rheumatoid arthritis. Migraine is a common type of headache, and the ingredients in Jiuwei Qianghuo Decoction can relieve migraine symptoms by regulating the nervous system and improving blood circulation. Rheumatoid arthritis is a type of joint pain and inflammation caused by wind, cold and dampness, and the ingredients in Jiu Wei Qiang Huo Tang can relieve these symptoms by dispelling wind and cold, promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis.


These diseases are all caused by exogenous wind, cold and dampness, and internal heat. Jiu Wei Qiang Huo Tang can effectively relieve the symptoms of these diseases by dispersing wind, cold and dampness, and clearing internal heat.




Diet therapy combined with adjunctive therapy


While taking Nine-Ingredient Jiu Wei Qiang Huo Tang, proper diet therapy can enhance the efficacy. Here are some suggestions:

  1. Ginger soup : Ginger has the effect of dispelling cold and relieving exterior symptoms. It can be used together with Nine-Ingredient Qianghuo Soup to enhance the effect of sweating and removing dampness.

  2. Red Date Porridge : Red dates have the effects of nourishing the middle and replenishing Qi, nourishing blood and calming the mind. They can help reconcile the properties of medicines and alleviate the pungent, warm and dry nature of the medicines.

  3. Barley porridge : Barley has the function of strengthening the spleen and removing dampness, and can assist the Nine-flavor Qianghuo Soup to enhance the effect of removing dampness.


Notes


Although Jiuwei Qianghuo Tang contains relatively cold ingredients such as Radix Rehmanniae and Radix Scutellariae, it is still a relatively spicy and warm prescription overall. Therefore, if you have a wind-heat cold or have internal fire, this prescription is not suitable.


After taking this medicine, it is best to drink some porridge to help the medicine work, so that you can better dispel the external evil through sweating. But if your cold is not very serious and the symptoms are relatively mild, you don’t need to drink porridge specifically. Just drink this prescription warmly, you can also sweat a little and achieve the therapeutic effect.


Conclusion


As a classic prescription in traditional Chinese medicine, Jiuwei Qianghuo Tang has the effects of sweating, removing dampness and clearing internal heat. It is mainly used to treat symptoms of exogenous wind-cold and dampness with internal heat. Its constituent herbs have their own characteristics and achieve therapeutic effects through synergistic effects.


In modern medicine, Jiu Wei Qiang Huo Tang is widely used to treat a variety of diseases, showing its wide applicability and effectiveness. Appropriate dietary therapy can enhance the efficacy, but attention should be paid to its contraindications and precautions. I hope this article can provide readers with valuable information to help better understand and apply Nine-flavor Qianghuo Soup.

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