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Chuan Xiong (川芎), the rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong, invigorates the blood and promotes the movement of qi (it is ‘the qi within the blood’), expels wind and relieves pain; a principal herb for headache and for gynaecological blood disorders.
Latin / Pharmaceutical Name
Ligusticum chuanxiong (Rhizoma Chuanxiong)
Common English Name
Sichuan lovage rhizome
Taste
Acrid
Temperature
Warm
Channels Entered
Liver, Gall Bladder, Pericardium
Actions & Functions
- Invigorates the blood and promotes the movement of qi
- Expels wind and relieves pain (headache)
- Regulates menstruation
Indications
Headache of many kinds; irregular and painful menstruation, amenorrhoea and difficult labour from blood stasis; and painful obstruction and traumatic injury.
Dosage
3-9 g in decoction.
Common Combinations
In Si Wu Tang to move blood; with Bai Zhi for headache.
Cautions & Contraindications
Acrid and ascending; use with caution in yin deficiency with heat, headache from Liver yang rising, heavy menstruation and during pregnancy.
