dang gui si ni tang • tangkuei decoction for frigid extremities • 當歸四逆湯

👉 the chinese herbal prescription dang gui si ni tang is used for

cold in the channels and blood deficiency, poor circulation of qi and blood, jue yin cold

🤕 symptoms indicating the use of dang gui si ni tang

long standing cold hands and feet cold to the touch and patient himself, cold pain in the joints, legs, lower back and abdomen, lumbago, menstrual pain, uterine pain, diarrhea, increased sweating especially of the feet, increased salivation.

🤠 western interpretation of dang gui si ni tang

raynaud’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, sciatica, peptic ulcer, chronic urticaria, frostbite,  thromboangiitis obliterans, vertex headache, chronic cold hands and feet, anemia, cold  hernia, dysmenorrhea.

tcm pocketguide - dang gui si ni tang • tangkuei decoction for frigid extremities • 當歸四逆湯 - prescription

💡 explanation of the mechanism

the long-standing cold hands and feet are both cold to the touch and feel very cold to the patient self. the tongue is pale with a white coating, and the pulse is submerged, thin or so very thin that it is almost imperceptible.

the extremities are rooted in the yang. the hands and feet become cold when they are deprived of the warmth and nourishment of the yang qi. because there are no other indications of yang deficiency or ascendant yin, and the pulse is so thin that it is almost imperceptible due to blood deficiency and the congealiing effects of cold, this condition is regarded as being one of cold in the channels in a patient with underlying blood deficiency.

the pale tongue is further evidence of blood deficiency, and the thin, white coating is indicative of cold.

(bensky & barolet)

tcm pocketguide - dang gui si ni tang • tangkuei decoction for frigid extremities • 當歸四逆湯 - modifications
tcm pocketguide - dang gui si ni tang • tangkuei decoction for frigid extremities • 當歸四逆湯 - explanation
tcm pocketguide - dang gui si ni tang • tangkuei decoction for frigid extremities • 當歸四逆湯 - explanation
tcm pocketguide - dang gui si ni tang • tangkuei decoction for frigid extremities • 當歸四逆湯 - western interpretation

⚠️ important note: these prescriptions are not meant for self-medication and should only be prescribed by a licensed tcm practitioner upon a proper diagnosis.

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