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Shen Tong Zhu Yu Tang: A classic Chinese medicine prescription for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis

Writer's picture: Hongji MedicalHongji Medical

Shen Tong Zhu Yu Tang comes from the book "Yi Lin Gaicuo" written by Wang Qingren, a Qing Dynasty physician. This book was compiled by Wang Qingren based on his clinical experience, and contains many prescriptions for treating various diseases. Shen Tong Zhu Yu Tang is one of them, which is mainly used to treat pain caused by blood stasis.


Body pain and blood stasis soup recipe


Shen Tong Zhu Yu Tang is made up of a variety of Chinese herbal medicines, including licorice, chuanxiong, angelica, earthworm, safflower, myrrh, cyperus, notopterygium, gentiana macrophylla, peach kernel, aconite, cyperus rotundus, etc. These medicines each perform their own functions and work together.


Body Pain Relieving Soup
身痛逐瘀湯
  • Licorice : It has the function of harmonizing various medicines and relieving pain.

  • Chuanxiong : promotes blood circulation and qi, dispels wind and relieves pain.

  • Angelica : replenishes blood, promotes blood circulation, regulates menstruation and relieves pain.

  • Earthworm : clears away heat and calms nerves, relieves constipation and relieves pain.

  • Safflower : promotes blood circulation and relieves menstruation, removes blood stasis and relieves pain.

  • Myrrh : promotes blood circulation, relieves pain, reduces swelling and promotes tissue regeneration.

  • Rhizoma Cynoglossi : promotes blood circulation and unblocks menstruation, promotes diuresis and relieves stranguria.

  • Qianghuo : Relieve exterior symptoms, dispel cold, remove wind and dampness.

  • Gentiana macrophylla : dispels wind and dampness, and relieves pain.

  • Peach kernel : promotes blood circulation, removes blood stasis, moistens the intestines and promotes bowel movements.

  • Wulingzhi : promotes blood circulation and relieves pain, removes blood stasis and stops bleeding.

  • Cyperus rotundus : Soothes the liver and relieves depression, regulates qi and relieves pain.


Main efficacy of Shen Tong Zhu Yu Tang


The main effects of Shen Tong Zhu Yu Tang are promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, relieving pain from menstruation, and regulating menstruation and relieving pain. This prescription is often used to treat symptoms such as heat arthralgia, blood stasis pain, irregular menstruation, and dysmenorrhea, and has significant clinical efficacy.


Body Pain Relieving Soup
身痛逐瘀湯

Indications


Shen Tong Zhu Yu Tang is mainly used to treat pain caused by blood stasis, which is what we often call "arthritis". In traditional Chinese medicine theory, when the blood circulation in the body is not smooth, it causes local blood accumulation, which will cause symptoms such as pain, stiffness or difficulty in joint movement. This is the so-called "blood stasis".


The prescription is indicated for:

  • Heat Bi : due to blood stasis blocking the meridians, it causes redness, swelling, heat and pain in the joints.

  • Blood stasis pain : Blood stasis causes pain in various parts of the body, such as headache, chest pain, abdominal pain, etc.

  • Menstrual disorders : due to blood stasis, irregular menstrual cycles and abnormal menstrual flow.

  • Dysmenorrhea : due to blood stasis, it causes abdominal pain, back pain, etc. during menstruation.




The concept of cold and humidity barrier


Cold-dampness obstruction is a commonly used concept in traditional Chinese medicine. It refers to the invasion of cold-dampness into the human body, blocking the meridians, leading to symptoms such as heaviness, cold pain, numbness, or swelling in the limbs or affected area, fear of coldness throughout the body and cold limbs, and slippery white tongue coating.


There are two main causes of cold and dampness obstruction:

  1. Exogenous cold and dampness: Most cold and dampness are caused by the external seasons and weather temperature. Staying in a cold and damp environment for too long, or getting caught in the rain, will cause the cold and dampness to invade the human body. The cold and dampness are cold and sticky in nature, and can easily invade the body's yang. When the cold blocks the circulation of qi and blood in the meridians, symptoms of cold and dampness blocking the meridians will appear.

  2. Endogenous cold and dampness : When a person's spleen and kidney yang are deficient, or if they have an unhealthy diet or overwork, endogenous cold and dampness will occur in the body. Because the spleen is responsible for transporting and transforming water and dampness, and the kidney is responsible for storing essence, if the spleen and kidney yang are deficient, the function of transporting and transforming water and dampness will be abnormal, and water and dampness will stagnate, generating cold and dampness, which will block the circulation of qi and blood in the meridians, leading to symptoms of cold and dampness blocking the meridians.


Symptoms of cold and dampness obstruction


After cold and dampness block the circulation, the following common symptoms will appear:

  • Heaviness, coldness, pain, and numbness in the limbs or body : Cold and dampness block the meridians, causing poor circulation of Qi and blood, resulting in heaviness, coldness, pain, and numbness in the limbs or specific affected parts.

  • Muscle and bone aches, heaviness, stiffness, and difficulty in moving : Cold and dampness block the meridians, causing the muscles and bones to lose their normal smoothness, resulting in symptoms such as aches, heaviness, and stiffness.

  • Joint pain : pain in bones and joints, coldness, heaviness or swelling in the affected area, chills and cold limbs.

  • Swelling : Cold and dampness block the meridians, causing poor circulation of qi and blood and impaired metabolism of body fluids, leading to swelling.

  • Fear of cold and cold limbs : Cold and dampness invade the human body, causing insufficient Yang energy, fear of cold, and cold limbs.

  • The tongue coating is white and slippery, and the pulse is tight and stringy : When the external wind, cold and dampness enter the bones, the meridians in the body are blocked, so the blocked parts will feel cold and painful, especially the whole body is afraid of cold and the limbs are cold, the tongue coating is white and slippery, the pulse is tight and other symptoms of cold and dampness obstruction.


Modern application of body pain and blood stasis soup


In modern medicine, Shen Tong Zhu Yu Tang is widely used to treat various pain problems caused by blood stasis. Studies have shown that the various ingredients in this prescription have the effects of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, promoting menstruation and relieving pain. It can effectively improve blood circulation, eliminate blood stasis in the body, and thus reduce the pain and discomfort caused by blood stasis.


When modern people encounter external pathogens such as wind, cold and dampness, they often only take antibiotics or painkillers, which results in the body becoming colder and colder, and eventually the meridians throughout the body are blocked, resulting in various wind, cold, dampness, numbness and pain. However, the correct method should be to "remove cold and dampness" and "clear meridians and relieve pain", which can avoid various pains and diseases.


  • Arthritis : Shentong Zhuyu Decoction can effectively improve the pain and stiffness symptoms of arthritis patients and promote joint movement.

  • Dysmenorrhea : This prescription can effectively relieve abdominal pain and back pain in patients with dysmenorrhea and improve irregular menstruation.

  • Headache : Shentong Zhuyu Soup can effectively relieve headaches caused by blood stasis and improve blood circulation in the head.

  • Angina : This prescription can effectively relieve chest pain in patients with angina and improve heart blood circulation.


Notes


Although Shen Tong Zhu Yu Tang has many benefits, there are still some things to note when using it. First, some ingredients in the prescription may cause allergic reactions, and allergy testing should be performed before use.


Secondly, pregnant women and breastfeeding women should use this prescription with caution to avoid affecting the health of the fetus or infant. In addition, when using this prescription, you should follow the doctor's instructions and avoid overdose.


Conclusion


Shen Tong Zhu Yu Tang is a traditional prescription with multiple effects that can effectively treat pain problems caused by blood stasis. In modern medicine, this prescription is widely used to treat various pain problems caused by blood stasis and has significant therapeutic effects. However, when using this prescription, you still need to pay attention to some matters to ensure safety and effectiveness. I hope this article can help readers better understand the composition, indications, effects and application of Shentong Zhuyu Decoction in modern medicine, and provide some useful references for everyone's healthy life.

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