San Bi Tang: a classic prescription for replenishing qi and blood, dispelling wind and dampness, and warming the meridians and dredges
- Hongji Medical
- Feb 22
- 7 min read
San Bi Tang is a prescription from the classics of traditional Chinese medicine. It was first seen in Shiyi Dexiao Fang and further elaborated and applied in Furen Liangfang. The book was written in the Yuan Dynasty and is a medical work that integrates medical theory and clinical experience.
This prescription is mainly used to treat arthralgia caused by stagnation of qi and blood, stiffness of hands and feet, and invasion of wind, cold and dampness . It has the effects of replenishing qi and blood, dispelling wind and dampness, and warming the meridians and unblocking the meridians. The following will introduce San Bi Tang in detail from the origin and background, prescription explanation, indications, efficacy, modern application and precautions.
San Bi Tang Recipe Explanation
The composition of San Bi Tang includes a variety of Chinese medicinal materials, which are grouped according to the principle of monarch, minister, assistant and envoy:
Main medicine : Ginseng, Astragalus
Ginseng: Greatly replenishes vital energy, strengthens qi and consolidates the exterior, enhances the body's disease resistance, and strengthens the body's resistance and eliminates evil.
Astragalus: Greatly replenishes vital energy, strengthens qi and consolidates the exterior, enhances the body's disease resistance, and strengthens the body's resistance and eliminates evil.
Assistant medicine : Poria cocos, licorice
Poria: Strengthens the spleen and replenishes Qi, promotes diuresis and moisture absorption. When used together with ginseng and astragalus, it can enhance the effect of replenishing Qi and strengthening the spleen.
Licorice: Strengthens the spleen and replenishes Qi, promotes diuresis and moisture absorption. When used together with ginseng and astragalus, it can enhance the effect of replenishing Qi and strengthening the spleen.
Adjuvants : Angelica sinensis, Chuanxiong, White Peony Root, Rehmannia glutinosa
Angelica dahurica: nourishes blood, invigorates blood circulation, promotes menstruation and activates blood circulation.
Ligusticum chuanxiong: promotes qi and blood circulation, dredges the menstruation and activates blood circulation.
White Peony Root: nourishes blood, strengthens yin, relieves pain.
Raw Rehmannia root: nourishes yin, cools blood, nourishes blood and activates blood circulation.
Adjuvant drugs : Eucommia ulmoides, Rhizoma Cynoglossi, Rhizoma Cynoglossi
Eucommia ulmoides: nourishes the liver and kidneys, strengthens tendons and bones.
Sichuan Achyranthes bidentata: promotes blood circulation, unblocks menstruation, and guides drugs downward.
Continue to strengthen: nourish the liver and kidneys, strengthen the tendons and bones.
Auxiliary drugs : cinnamon bark, cinnamon bark
Cinnamon Heart: warms the meridians and promotes Yang, dispels cold and relieves pain.
Xixin: dispels cold and relieves pain, warms the meridians and dredges the collaterals.
Expelling evil spirits : Angelica dahurica, Saposhnikovia divaricata, Gentiana macrophylla
Duhuo: removes dampness from the lower body, clears the meridians and relieves pain.
Fangfeng: dispels wind and relieves exterior symptoms, clears the meridians and relieves pain.
Gentiana macrophylla: dispels wind and dampness, relaxes muscles and tendons, clears the meridians and relieves pain.
Blending medicine : ginger, jujube
Ginger: harmonizes the nutrient and defensive systems, strengthens the spleen and harmonizes the middle.
Jujube: harmonizes the Ying and Wei, strengthens the spleen and harmonizes the middle.
Pathogenesis of San Bi Tang
The pathogenesis of San Bi Tang mainly involves insufficient Qi and blood and invasion of wind, cold and dampness. When the body is deficient in Qi and blood, the positive Qi is weak and vulnerable to the invasion of the three external evil Qis of wind, cold and dampness. These evil Qis invade the meridians, causing blockage of the meridians and poor circulation of Qi and blood, thus causing Bi syndrome .
Bi syndrome refers to the invasion of wind, cold and dampness into the human body, which leads to blockage of meridians and poor circulation of qi and blood, thus causing symptoms such as pain, numbness and swelling in the limbs and joints.
San Bi Tang is used arthralgia caused by stagnation of qi and blood, stiffness of hands and feet, and invasion of wind, cold and dampness . San Bi Tang is particularly suitable for patients with long-term arthralgia, joint pain, soreness of waist and knees, and numbness of limbs, such as rheumatic arthritis.
Effects of San Bi Tang
The main effects of San Bi Tang are to nourish qi and blood, dispel wind and dampness, and warm the meridians and dredge the channels . This prescription replenishes the body's qi and blood, enhances the body's resistance, and thus achieves the effect of strengthening the body and eliminating evil. Ingredients such as ginseng and astragalus in the prescription play a great role in replenishing the body's vitality and helping the body recover its vitality.
In addition, San Bi Tang also has a strong ability to dispel wind and dampness. Sanbi Tang achieves the effect of strengthening the body and dispelling evil by replenishing qi and blood, dispelling wind and dampness, warming the meridians and unblocking the channels, and treating both the symptoms and the root causes. The drugs in the prescription, such as ginseng and astragalus, greatly replenish the vital energy and enhance the body's disease resistance; drugs such as angelica and Chuanxiong nourish the blood and promote blood circulation, unblock the channels and activate the channels; drugs such as duhuo and fangfeng dispel wind and dampness, unblock the channels and relieve pain. The drugs in the prescription, such as duhuo, fangfeng and qinjiao, can effectively dispel the evil wind and dampness in the body and relieve joint pain and swelling. These drugs directly target the cause of arthralgia through the effect of unblocking the channels and relieving pain, and fundamentally solve the problem.
Finally, San Bi Tang can also improve blood circulation. Medicinal herbs such as Guixin and Xixin have the effect of warming the meridians and dispersing cold, which can dispel the cold evil in the meridians and relieve pain. At the same time, herbs such as Chuanxiong and Achyranthes bidentata can promote blood circulation and dredge the meridians, leading the herbs downward, further enhancing the efficacy of the prescription. These combined effects make San Bi Tang have a significant effect in treating Bi syndrome.
The efficacy of San Bi Tang is mainly reflected in the following aspects:
Invigorate Qi and nourish blood, strengthen the foundation and invigorate the essence : The prescription is mainly composed of ginseng, astragalus, angelica, white peony root and other drugs, which can greatly replenish Qi and blood, enhance the body's positive Qi, make the positive Qi abundant, and then it will be difficult for evil Qi to invade, or even if there is an invasion, it will be easy to eliminate. This is the method of "strengthening the body's positive Qi and eliminating evil".
Dispel wind and dampness, dispel cold and dredge the meridians : Combined with drugs such as Duhuo, Saposhnikovia divaricata, Gentiana macrophylla, Cinnamomum cassia, and Xixin, it can dispel wind and dampness, dispel cold and dredge the meridians, directly reach the affected area, and eliminate the pathogenic factors of arthralgia.
Nourishes the liver and kidneys, strengthens the tendons and bones : Herbs such as Eucommia ulmoides, Rhizoma Cynoglossi, and Herba Sesamiferae can nourish the liver and kidneys, strengthen the tendons and bones, increase the strength of the lower limbs, and improve joint function.
Promote blood circulation and unblock the menstruation, relieve acute pain : Chinese chuanxiong, Achyranthes bidentata and other drugs can promote blood circulation and unblock the menstruation, guide the drugs downward, and combined with the acute analgesic effect of white peony root, can effectively relieve the painful symptoms of arthralgia.
Modern Application of Sanma Decoction (Sanbi Decoction)
In modern medical research, Sanbi Tang has demonstrated a variety of pharmacological effects. Studies have shown that Sanbi Tang has anti-inflammatory, analgesic and immunomodulatory effects, which make it excellent in the treatment of rheumatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases. By regulating the immune system, Sanbi Tang can reduce inflammatory reactions and relieve joint pain and swelling.
In modern medicine, Sanbi Decoction is still widely used to treat various arthralgias, especially rheumatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, etc. Modern research shows that Sanbi Decoction has multiple pharmacological effects such as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and immunomodulatory, and can effectively relieve symptoms such as joint pain, swelling, and stiffness.
In terms of clinical application, San Bi Tang is not only used to treat traditional Bi syndrome, but also has been extended to other diseases related to insufficient Qi and blood, and invasion of wind, cold and dampness. For example, San Bi Tang is used to treat lumbar disc herniation, scapulohumeral periarthritis, etc., showing its wide range of indications. Modern medicine has continuously verified and expanded the application scope of San Bi Tang through clinical trials and case studies, providing patients with more treatment options.
In addition, the modern application of San Bi Tang also includes comprehensive treatment in combination with other therapies. For example, traditional Chinese medicine combined with physical therapy, acupuncture and other methods can further enhance the efficacy. This comprehensive treatment model not only improves the treatment effect, but also reduces side effects and improves the quality of life of patients. San Bi Tang has demonstrated its unique value and potential in the process of modernization of traditional Chinese medicine.
Notes
San Bi Tang is warm in nature, so it should be used with caution by those with yin deficiency and excessive fire. Since it contains many tonic drugs, it should not be used by those with unresolved external symptoms.
In addition, when using San Bi Tang, the patient's specific condition should be used for syndrome differentiation and treatment, and the drugs can be appropriately added or subtracted to improve the efficacy. For example, for patients with cold and dampness arthralgia, Radix Rehmanniae, Rhizoma Angelicae Sinensis, Rhizoma Chuanxiong, etc. can be added, and for patients with combined arthralgia, Radix Ginseng, Rhizoma Poriae, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, etc. can be added.
Conclusion
As a classic prescription with a long history, San Bi Tang occupies an important position in the treatment of Bi syndrome in traditional Chinese medicine with its unique formula principle and remarkable efficacy. Through the comprehensive effects of replenishing qi and blood, dispelling wind and dampness, and warming the meridians and unblocking the channels, San Bi Tang can not only effectively relieve the patient's symptoms, but also fundamentally enhance the body's resistance and achieve the effect of strengthening the body and eliminating evil. In modern medicine, San Bi Tang is still widely used to treat various Bi syndromes, especially rheumatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases, showing its lasting vitality and broad application prospects. However, when using San Bi Tang, it is necessary to conduct syndrome differentiation and treatment according to the specific situation of the patient, and pay attention to the addition and subtraction of drugs to ensure efficacy and safety. The classic feature of Sanbi Decoction lies in its treatment concept of treating both the symptoms and the root cause, which provides valuable experience and inspiration for the application of traditional Chinese medicine in modern medicine.
