The information provided here is not a replacement for a doctor. You shouldn't use it for the purpose of self-diagnosing or self-medicating but rather so you can have a more informed discussion with a professional TCM practitioner.
Dang Gui Shao Yao San is a 7-ingredient Chinese Medicine formula with White Peony Roots (Bai Shao) as a principal ingredient.
Invented in 220 AD, it belongs to the category of formulas that invigorate Blood and dispel Blood Stagnation. Its main actions are: 1) nourishes the Liver Blood and 2) spreads the Liver Qi.
In Chinese Medicine health conditions are thought to arise due to "disharmonies" in the body as a system. These disharmonies are called "patterns" and the very purpose of herbal formulas is to fight them in order to restore the body's harmony.
In this case Dang Gui Shao Yao San is used by TCM practitioners to fight patterns like Spleen and Liver Blood Deficiency or Obstruction Of the Spleen By Dampness with Liver Qi Stagnation. From a Western Medicine standpoint, such patterns can give rise to a range of conditions such as perimenstrual migraines, endometritis or polycystic ovaries for instance.
On this page, after a detailed description of each of the seven ingredients in Dang Gui Shao Yao San, we review the patterns and conditions that Dang Gui Shao Yao San helps treat.
The seven ingredients in Dang Gui Shao Yao San
Bai Shao is a king ingredient in Dang Gui Shao Yao San. Like the name indicates, it means it has more power than other ingredients in the formula.
1. White Peony Roots (Bai Shao)
Part used: Dried root
Nature: Neutral
Taste(s): BitterSour
Meridian affinity: LiverSpleen
Category: Tonic herbs for Blood Deficiency
Bai Shao is sour, bitter, and slightly cooling. It enters the Liver and Spleen, nourishes Blood, softens the Liver and moderates spasmodic abdominal pain. It is also able to unblock the Blood vessels and promote water metabolism. The combination of Bai Shao and Bai Zhu is often used in treating concurrent problems of the Liver and Spleen. This is because tonifying the Spleen as the source of postnatal Qi also tonifies the Liver Qi, while softening the Liver prevents its Qi from overacting on the Spleen.
Learn more about White Peony Roots (Bai Shao)
Ze Xie is a deputy ingredient in Dang Gui Shao Yao San. This means it helps the king ingredient(s) treat the main pattern or it serves to treat a coexisting pattern.
2. Water Plantain (Ze Xie)
Part used: Dried tuber
Nature: Cold
Taste(s): Sweet
Meridian affinity: BladderKidney
Category: Herbs that drain Dampness
Ze Xie enters into the Kidneys and Bladder to promote water metabolism and leach out Dampness. It assist the King ingredient in removing Stagnation by dredging the
vessels and collaterals.
Learn more about Water Plantain (Ze Xie)
Chuan Xiong is a deputy ingredient in Dang Gui Shao Yao San. This means it helps the king ingredient(s) treat the main pattern or it serves to treat a coexisting pattern.
3. Szechuan Lovage Roots (Chuan Xiong)
Part used: Dried rhizome
Nature: Warm
Taste(s): Pungent
Meridian affinity: GallbladderLiverPericardium
Category: Herbs that invigorate the Blood
Chuan Xiong is acrid and warming. It gets into the sea of Blood to dispel Stagnation and invigorate the Blood. It assist the King ingredient in removing Stagnation by dredging the
vessels and collaterals.
Learn more about Szechuan Lovage Roots (Chuan Xiong)
Dang Gui is an assistant ingredient in Dang Gui Shao Yao San. This means that it either serves to reinforces the effect of other ingredients or it moderates their toxicity.
4. Dong Quai (Dang Gui)
Part used: Dried root
Nature: Warm
Taste(s): PungentSweet
Meridian affinity: HeartLiverSpleen
Category: Tonic herbs for Blood Deficiency
Dang Gui Is acrid, sweet, and warming. It nourishes and invigorates
the Blood, so as to support Bai Shao in harmonizing the Liver and Chuan Xiong in invigorating the Blood.
Learn more about Dong Quai (Dang Gui)
Fu Ling is an assistant ingredient in Dang Gui Shao Yao San. This means that it either serves to reinforces the effect of other ingredients or it moderates their toxicity.
5. Poria-Cocos Mushrooms (Fu Ling)
Part used: Dried sclerotium
Nature: Neutral
Taste(s): Sweet
Meridian affinity: HeartKidneyLungSpleen
Category: Herbs that drain Dampness
In general Fu Ling's main actions are as follows: "Encourages urination and drains Dampness. Tonic to the Spleen/Stomach. Assists the Heart and calms the Spirit."
In the context of Dang Gui Shao Yao San, it is used because it tonifies the Qi and leach out Dampness.
Learn more about Poria-Cocos Mushrooms (Fu Ling)
Bai Zhu is an assistant ingredient in Dang Gui Shao Yao San. This means that it either serves to reinforces the effect of other ingredients or it moderates their toxicity.
6. Atractylodes Rhizomes (Bai Zhu)
Part used: Dried rhizome
Nature: Warm
Taste(s): BitterSweet
Meridian affinity: SpleenStomach
Category: Tonic herbs for Qi Deficiency
In general Bai Zhu's main actions are as follows: "Tonifies the Spleen Qi. Fortifies the Spleen Yang and dispels Damp through urination. Tonifies Qi and stops sweating. Calms restless fetus when due to Deficiency of Spleen Qi."
In the context of Dang Gui Shao Yao San, it is used because it tonifies the Qi and leach out Dampness.
Learn more about Atractylodes Rhizomes (Bai Zhu)
Mi Jiu is an envoy ingredient in Dang Gui Shao Yao San. This means that it directs the formula towards certain area of the body and/or harmonizes the actions of other ingredients.
7. Rice Wine (Mi Jiu)
Part used: Fermented rice
Nature: Hot
Taste(s): BitterPungentSweet
Meridian affinity: Liver
Category: Herbs that invigorate the Blood
Mi Jiu is warm and acrid. A small amount of wine encourages the free flow of Liver Qi and promotes urination, thereby reinforcing both of the formula's functions.
Learn more about Rice Wine (Mi Jiu)
Conditions and patterns for which Dang Gui Shao Yao San may be prescribed
It's important to remember that herbal formulas are meant to treat patterns, not "diseases" as understood in Western Medicine. According to Chinese Medicine patterns, which are disruptions to the body as a system, are the underlying root cause for diseases and conditions.
As such Dang Gui Shao Yao San is used by TCM practitioners to treat two different patterns which we describe below.
But before we delve into these patterns here is an overview of the Western conditions they're commonly associated with:
Perimenstrual migraines Endometritis Polycystic ovaries Threatened miscarriage Habitual miscarriage Pre-eclampsia Postpartum depression Uterine leiomyoma Breast hyperplasia Infertility Chronic gastritis Peptic ulcers Cholecystitis Urinary tract stones Gout Intestinal obstruction Vascular Headaches Trigeminal neuralgia Sciatica Rheumatoid arthritis Acne Chilblains Eczema Urticaria Varicose veins Psoriasis Congestive heart disease
Again it wouldn't be correct to say "Dang Gui Shao Yao San treats perimenstrual migraines" for instance. Rather, Dang Gui Shao Yao San is used to treat patterns that are sometimes the root cause behind perimenstrual migraines.
Now let's look at the two patterns commonly treated with Dang Gui Shao Yao San.
The Liver is a so-called "Zang" Organ. Learn more about the Liver in Chinese Medicine
Spleen and Liver Blood Deficiency
Pulse type(s): Choppy (Se), Fine (Xi)
Symptoms: Cramps Insomnia Dry hair Dry skin Tiredness Lassitude Thin body Dizziness Pale lips Weak Limbs Amenorrhea Depression Loose stools Poor appetite Scanty periods Blurred vision Muscle weakness Floaters in eyes Dull-pale complexion Numbness in the limbs Feeling of aimlessness Diminished night vision Withered and brittle nails Slight abdominal distention after eating
Dang Gui Shao Yao San is sometimes prescribed by TCM practitioners to treat Spleen and Liver Blood Deficiency. This pattern leads to symptoms such as poor appetite, slight abdominal distention after eating, tiredness and lassitude. Patients with Spleen and Liver Blood Deficiency typically exhibit choppy (Se) or fine (Xi) pulses.
The Spleen is the origin of Blood because Grain Qi (Gu Qi) produced by the Spleen is Blood's key component. As a result if Spleen Qi is Deficient (an indispensable precondition for Spleen Blood Deficiency), not enough Blood is produced which is what leads to the Blood Deficiency.
Quite a few of... read more about Spleen and Liver Blood Deficiency
The Liver is a so-called "Zang" Organ. Learn more about the Liver in Chinese Medicine
Obstruction Of the Spleen By Dampness with Liver Qi Stagnation
Pulse type(s): Slippery (Hua), Wiry (Xian)
Symptoms: Nausea No appetite Loose stools Irritability Sallow complexion Hypochondrial pain Feeling of heaviness Epigastric distension Hypochondrial distention Dry mouth with no desire to drink Feeling of oppression and fullness of the epigastrium
Dang Gui Shao Yao San is sometimes prescribed by TCM practitioners to treat Obstruction Of the Spleen By Dampness with Liver Qi Stagnation. This pattern leads to symptoms such as feeling of oppression and fullness of the epigastrium, nausea, no appetite and loose stools. Patients with Obstruction Of the Spleen By Dampness with Liver Qi Stagnation typically exhibit slippery (Hua) or wiry (Xian) pulses.
When the Spleen is deficient and fails in its function of transformation and transportation, Fluids accumulate into Dampness.
Dampness then obstructs the Middle Burner which hampers the proper flow of Qi and results in Liver Qi Stagnation.
The relationship is also described in the Five Phases... read more about Obstruction Of the Spleen By Dampness with Liver Qi Stagnation
