Si Wu Tang was first recorded in the book "Secret Prescriptions for Treating Injuries and Suspension" written by a Taoist priest in the Tang Dynasty. At that time, it was used to treat blood stasis caused by falls and contusions. According to the description of Chinese medicine expert Zhang Shanlei, Si Wu Tang actually originated from "Xiong Gui Jiao Ai Tang" in "Treatise on Treating Cold and Miscellaneous Diseases". The donkey hide gelatin, mugwort and licorice were removed, raw rehmannia was replaced with cooked rehmannia, white peony was retained, and angelica and Chuan xiong were added to form today's Si Wu Tang .
Over the past thousand years, Siwu Tang has been the most widely used prescription for gynecological diseases and is known as the "holy prescription for gynecology." Whether it is pregnancy, postpartum, or menstrual disorders, as long as the disease is confirmed to be caused by blood deficiency or poor blood circulation (blood stagnation), Siwu Tang can be considered. In fact, not only women, but anyone with blood deficiency can take it.
Explanation of the recipe of Si Wu Tang
Si Wu Tang is made up of four Chinese herbs: Rehmannia root, Chinese angelica root, white peony root and Ligusticum chuanxiong.
Sovereign Drug: Rehmannia glutinosa Rehmannia glutinosa has a sweet taste and a slightly warm nature. It belongs to the liver and kidney meridians and has a thick and moist texture. It is the main drug for nourishing yin and blood. Rehmannia glutinosa plays a major role in Siwu Decoction, responsible for nourishing yin and blood and replenishing blood.
Assistant medicine: Angelica Root Angelica Root enters the liver and heart meridians, and has the function of nourishing blood and promoting blood circulation. Ancient medical books call it "nourishing while moving, moving while nourishing", which means that it can nourish blood and activate blood circulation at the same time. In the Four Substances Decoction, Angelica Root can enhance the blood nourishing effect of Rehmannia glutinosa on the one hand, and help dredge the meridians on the other.
Adjuvant: White Peony Root White Peony Root tastes sweet and sour, has a soft texture, enters the liver and spleen meridians, and is good at nourishing blood and concentrating yin. White Peony Root is combined with Rehmannia glutinosa and Angelica sinensis to enhance the effect of nourishing yin and blood, and can also relieve abdominal spasms and abdominal pain.
Assistant drug: Chuanxiong Chuanxiong is pungent and heat-dispersing. It belongs to the liver and gallbladder meridians. It can reach the head and go down to the sea of blood (i.e. the uterus) to unclog the blood vessels. Chuanxiong is a "qi-moving" drug in the blood. It is good at activating blood circulation and qi. When combined with Angelica, it can dredge the blood vessels more effectively.
The combination of Si Wu Tang is characterized by the fact that Rehmannia glutinosa and White Peony Root tend to nourish Yin and blood, while Angelica Root and Chuan xiong tend to activate blood circulation and promote Qi. Rehmannia glutinosa and White Peony Root have strong blood-tonifying effects, but their nature is relatively yin and soft, which can easily lead to blood stagnation; while Angelica Root and Chuanxiong have weaker blood-tonifying effects, but have a warming property and can promote blood circulation.
The combination of these four herbs forms an effect that combines both movement and stillness, and both hardness and softness. It can replenish blood for people with blood deficiency, and promote blood circulation for people with poor blood circulation (blood stagnation). It is a very good blood-replenishing and blood-regulating prescription.
The efficacy of Si Wu Tang
The main "effect" of Siwu Tang is to "replenish blood and regulate blood", and it is mainly used to treat "deficiency of blood" and regulate blood circulation . Common symptoms include: palpitations, insomnia, dizziness, dull complexion, weakness, blurred vision, weight loss, chronic fatigue, pale tongue, stringy or thin pulse. Women often experience irregular menstruation, scanty menstruation or amenorrhea, lower abdominal pain, etc.
Si Wu Tang is well-known to everyone in Chinese society. It is generally believed that this is a traditional Chinese medicine for women. But in fact, not only women, but anyone with blood deficiency can take it .
Over the past thousand years, Si Wu Tang has been the most widely used prescription for gynecological diseases. It is known as the "holy prescription for gynecology". It has been frequently used by Chinese medicine practitioners of all generations. There are many kinds of "Flavored Si Wu Tang " and many prescriptions derived from Siwu Decoction. Whether it is pregnancy, postpartum, or gynecological problems such as irregular menstruation, as long as the disease is confirmed to be caused by blood deficiency or poor blood circulation (blood stagnation), Si Wu Tang can be considered. It is suitable for "all symptoms of blood deficiency".
For women, Siwu Tang is particularly useful as it can help regulate menstruation and relieve problems such as irregular menstruation, scanty menstruation or amenorrhea. It can also relieve menstrual pain and other related symptoms such as dizziness, insomnia and pale complexion.
Pathogenesis of Si Wu Tang
The pathogenesis of Si Wu Tang is mainly related to insufficient blood and poor blood circulation. When the body lacks blood, various organs and tissues cannot get enough nourishment, and a series of uncomfortable symptoms will appear, such as dizziness, pale complexion, palpitations and insomnia.
Poor blood circulation will cause blood to accumulate in the body, resulting in blocked meridians, which in turn causes various pains and discomforts, such as menstrual pain, shoulder and neck pain, and numbness in the limbs. These problems are particularly prone to occur in women, because women's physiological characteristics make them more susceptible to blood deficiency and blood stagnation.
Si Wu Tang solves these problems by replenishing blood and promoting blood circulation. The four Chinese medicinal materials it contains have different effects, some nourishing blood, some promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. Together, they can effectively improve the problems of insufficient blood and poor blood circulation, thereby relieving related symptoms.
Modern Research and Application of Si Wu Tang
Si Wu Tang has been found to have a variety of health benefits in modern medical research. Studies have shown that Siwu Tang can help replenish blood volume and improve blood circulation, which is especially useful for those who often feel tired and have a pale complexion. Not only women, anyone with symptoms of blood deficiency or poor blood circulation can benefit from Siwu Tang.
Modern medical research has also found that Siwu Tang is also effective in treating skin diseases, allergic rhinitis and neurotic headaches. In addition, Si Wu Tang has also been found to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
In modern applications, Siwu Tang is not limited to the traditional treatment of gynecological diseases, but is also used for a variety of other health problems. For example, it has shown some effects in treating skin diseases such as urticaria, psoriasis and acne. In addition, Siwu Tang has also been used to relieve diseases such as allergic rhinitis, neuralgic headaches and diabetic foot ulcers, showing its wide application potential.
Modern research on Siwu Tang has also revealed its role in improving women’s reproductive health. Studies have found that Siwu Tang can regulate a woman’s menstrual cycle, improve menstrual pain, and even help improve fertility in some cases. These findings have made Siwu Tang a go-to supplement for many women during their post-menstrual and postpartum recovery.
In modern clinical practice, Si Wu Tang is more widely used. Whether it is internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, pediatrics, dermatology or ENT, as long as the symptoms are caused by blood deficiency and accompanied by blood stagnation, Si Wu Tang can be added or subtracted according to the symptoms, with significant effects.
According to modern medical research, Si Wu Tang is not only used to treat gynecological diseases, but is also used for various skin diseases, urticaria, psoriasis, acne, alcoholic rhinitis, lichen planus, senile pruritus, allergic rhinitis, sciatica, frozen shoulder, orthopedic diseases, allergic purpura, neurogenic headache, diabetic foot ulcer, postpartum depression, etc.
Notes
Although Siwu Tang is a good recipe for replenishing blood and regulating blood, you still need to pay attention to the following points when using it:
Constitution differentiation : Siwu Decoction is mainly aimed at the symptoms of blood deficiency and blood stagnation, so before using it, you should first differentiate your own constitution to confirm whether it is suitable for use.
Dosage adjustment : The dosage of the Chinese medicinal materials in Siwu Tang is generally divided equally, but it can be adjusted flexibly according to individual circumstances. For example, "Pu Fuzhou's Medical Experience" suggests that the dosage of Chuanxiong can be reduced, usually half of that of Angelica dahurica, while the dosage of Rehmannia glutinosa can be increased to twice that of Angelica dahurica.
Add flavors and adjust : If there are symptoms of qi deficiency, add ginseng, astragalus and other drugs to replenish qi and help blood production. If blood stasis is more serious, add peach kernel and safflower, and change white peony root to red peony root to enhance the effect of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. If blood deficiency is accompanied by fear of cold or cold hands and feet, add cinnamon, roasted ginger and dogwood to warm the blood. If blood deficiency is accompanied by internal heat, add scutellaria and moutan bark, and change cooked rehmannia to raw rehmannia to clear heat and cool blood. If used for fetal movement or bleeding during pregnancy, add donkey-hide gelatin and wormwood to stop bleeding and stabilize the fetus.
Contraindications : Pregnant women, women during menstruation, and people with hot constitutions should use Siwu Decoction with caution, and it is best to use it under the guidance of a doctor.
Conclusion
As a classic Chinese medicine prescription, Siwu Tang has the effect of nourishing blood and regulating blood, and is suitable for various symptoms of blood deficiency and blood stagnation. Whether in traditional Chinese medicine or modern medicine, Siwu Tang has been widely used to treat a variety of diseases, especially in gynecological diseases. However, when using Siwu Tang, it is still necessary to pay attention to physical constitution differentiation and dosage adjustment to achieve the best therapeutic effect. I hope this article can help everyone better understand Siwu Tang and use this classic prescription correctly when needed.