Duhuo & Loranthus Formula (Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang) is a classical formula for painful obstruction in the lower body with deficiency of the liver and kidney. As described in Chapter 43 of Basic Questions: “Painful obstruction in the bones causes heaviness; in the blood vessels causes coagulations and loss of flow; in the sinews causes contractions with an inability to extend the joints, and in the muscles causes numbness.” This manifests in symptoms such as arthritis, and heavy and painful sensations in the lower back and legs with weakness and stiffness. This formula is based on the strategy of both supporting normal qi and removing obstruction. Safflower (hong hua) was added to augment the pain-relieving properties of the formula
Chinese Medical ActionsExpels wind-dampness, disperses painful obstruction, supplements deficient qi, kidney yang, and liver blood.
Indications
Arthritis
Atrophy, in lower limbs
Bi syndrome
Back pain, lower, chronic
Bone weakness or degeneration
Coldness, in back and knees
Eczema, in children
Joint stiffness
Knee or leg pain or weakness
Pain in lower body
Poliomyelitis
Shortness of breath
Walking difficulty
Duhuo & Loranthus Formula (Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang) individual tablets
Taxilli Herba
(Loranthus, Chinese Mistletoe / Sang Ji Sheng)
Angelicae Pubescentis Radix
(Pubescent Angelica Root / Du Huo)
Carthami Flos
(Safflower, Carthamus Flower / Hong Hua)
Speranskiae Herba
(Speranskia / Tou Gu Cao)
Saposhnikoviae Radix
(Siler / Fang Feng)
Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix
(Large Leaf Gentian Root / Qin Jiao)
Eucommiae Cortex
(Eucommia Bark / Du Zhong)
Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix
(Achyranthes / Huai Niu Xi)
Cinnamomi Cortex
(Cassia Bark, Cinnamon Bark / Rou Gui)
Angelicae Sinensis Radix
(Dong Quai, Tang Kuei / Dang Gui)
Paeoniae Radix, alba
(Chinese White Peony / Bai Shao)
Chuanxiong Rhizoma
(Ligusticum Wallichii Rhizome / Chuan Xiong)
Rehmanniae Radix Preparata
(Cured Rehmannia Root / Shu Di Huang)
Ginseng Radix
(Asian Ginseng Root / Ren Shen)
Poria
(Poria, Hoelen, Tuckahoe / Fu Ling)
Glycyrrhizae Radix Preparata
(Chinese Licorice Root, honey-fried / Zhi Gan Cao)

