Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang

Functions

According to traditional Chinese medicine, this formula cures rheumatism, alleviates arthralgia, tonifies the liver and the kidneys, and reinvigorates qi and blood. It is primarily used to treat arthralgia due to a deficiency in both the liver and the kidneys, and an insufficiency in qi and blood, which typically manifests in the following symptoms: cold and pain in the loins and knees, limited movement, soreness, weakness or numbness in the joints, preference for warmth and aversion to cold, pale tongue with white coating, and deep and feeble pulses.

Dosage Info

Decoction: decoct with water, one dose a day, taken in 2 administrations. Honeyed bolus: each bolus weigh 9g, orally taken, 1 bolus each time for adults, 2 times a day. Children older than 7 years old take half of adult dosage. 5:1 concentrated extract: 9-12 grams/day.

Ingredients

Precautions

Maximum tolerance dosage for mice: 50g/kg

Pharmacology

Anti-inflammatory: Inhibiting tissue inflammatory reaction: oral feeding mice this formula (10g/kg and 20g/kg daily for 7 consecutive days) or applying the formula externally to their left ears (0.1ml/mouse), can significantly inhibit the auricular inflammatory reaction caused by dimethylbenzene or croton oil.

Decreasing capillary permeability: oral feeding mice this formula at the dosages of 10g/kg, 15g/kg, 20g/kg once daily for 7 consecutive days, all three dosages have a significant inhibitive effect on the increase in abdominal capillary permeability caused by 0.5 acetic acid. (1) , (2)

Analgesic: Oral feeding mice this formula at the dosage of 0.13g/kg, the analgesic effect can be gauged as follows: 30 minutes into treatment, a significant increase in the mice’s “hot plate” pain threshold value is detected; 90 minutes into treatment, the increase becomes extremely steep; and 180 minutes into treatment, the formula’s analgesic effect remains significant. (3)

Enhancing immunity: Increasing the weight of immunity organs: Oral feeding hamsters this formula, 8g/kg daily for 7 consecutive days, can significantly increase the weight of their thymus gland and spleen; (4)

Enhancing macrophage’s phagocytic function: Oral feeding mice this formula, 10g/kg daily for 7 consecutive days, can significantly enhance monocytic macrophage’s phagocytic function. (5)

Vasodilative: This formula has been known to increase cerebral vascular resistance and cerebral blood flow in anesthetized cats and dogs. For cats, administration of this formula at the dosage of 1.4g/kg and 2.8g/kg leads the cerebral blood flow to peak at 188+/-86ml/100g/min and 175+/-78ml/100g/min, respectively per dose, with the effect lasting over 30 minutes. The peak cerebral blood flow values represent a 18.23% and 18.29% increase, respectively per dose, from its pre-treatment level. Likewise, peak cerebral vascular resistance values decrease by 26.7% and 25.8%, respectively, from its pre-treatment level. For dogs, the results are very similar. (6)

Improving microcirculation: Administering Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang to mice by abdominal injection at the dosage of 10g/kg can significantly increase the caliber of collecting capillaries, increase the number of open capillaries, lengthen the latent period of adrenaline-caused vasoconstriction, and counteract adrenaline-caused vascular occlusion. (7)

Clinical Applications

Arthritis: Indications include both rheumatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. A study treated 93 cases of arthritis with variations of this formula, and reported results as follows:

  1. Group One (41 cases, one dose daily for a treatment period ranging from 3 months to 21 years): 7 cases resolved (symptoms disappeared & joint functions restored), 21 cases significantly improved (symptoms/main symptoms disappeared & joint functions essentially restored), 10 cases improved (main symptoms disappeared and main joint functions essentially restored or significantly improved), and 3 cases with no response.

  2. Group Two (52 cases, three dosages daily for a treatment period ranging from 60 to 90 days): 35 cases significantly improved, 15 cases improved, and 2 cases had no response. (8) , (9)

Osseous arthritis: One study treated 24 cases of osseous arthritis with a variation of this formula for a period ranging from one week to three months and reported these results: 14 cases resolved (symptoms disappeared, free movement and no relapse during a half-year follow-up), 4 cases significantly improved (symptoms significantly alleviated and free movement), 3 cases improved (symptoms alleviated and limb functions improved to varying degrees), and 3 cases with no response, tallying an overall effectiveness rate of 87.5%. (10)

Sciatica: A study used this formula as the basic treatment for 95 cases of sciatica:

    Group One (80 cases treated with one dose daily): 65 cases resolved (numbness and pain disappeared, free movement, no dysfunctions), 10 cases improved (numbness and pain more or less disappeared), and 5 cases with no response. (11)

    Group Two (15 cases of sciatica in pregnancy treated with one dose daily): 11 cases resolved and 4 cases improved. (12)

Scapulohumeral periarthritis: Combining with massage therapy, one study used this formula to treat 31 cases of scapulohumeral periarthritis (one dose daily for one to two 15-day treatment cycles): 25 cases resolved (shoulder joint movement, function and myoatrophy returned to normal; pain disappeared; no relapse during a half-year follow-up), 3 cases significantly improved, 2 cases improved, and 2 cases with no response. (13)

Dysfunction of temporomandibular joint: In one study, all but 2 of 40 cases treated with this formula resolved. The 2 other cases experienced significant improvement. (14)

Poliomyelitis: One study treated 20 cases of poliomyelitis for 12 to 52 days and reported that 15 cases resolved (paralysis disappeared, free movement), 4 cases improved, 1 case with no response. (15)

References

  1. Duan Jing Yun. Journal of Chinese Patent Medicine. 1988;(5):28.
  2. Mo Xin Min, et al. Journal of Chinese Medicinal Herbs. 1992;23(3):133.
  3. Mo Xin Min, et al. Journal of Chinese Medicinal Herbs. 1992;23(3):133.
  4. Duan Jing Yun. Journal of Chinese Patent Medicine. 1988;(5):28.
  5. Duan Jing Yun. Journal of Chinese Patent Medicine. 1988;(5):28.
  6. Xu Qing Yuan, Xie Ren Ming, et al. Shaanxi Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine. 1989;10(9):425.
  7. Zhu Zi Ping. Journal of Chinese Patent Medicine. 1991;13(3):26.
  8. Li He Lin, et al. Harbin Journal of Medicine. 1994;14(4):55.
  9. Tan Ji Sheng. Shaanxi Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine. 1989;10(3):110.
  10. Shan Wen Long. Jiangsu Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine. 1993;14(3):11.
  11. Liu Ji Chun. Guizhou College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. 1987;(4):31.
  12. Shi Xiao Yuan. Sichuan Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine. 1990;(10):48.
  13. Lin Zhong. Journal of New Chinese Medicine. 1985;(10):367.
  14. Zhang Lin Qing. Zhejiang Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine. 1981;(3):115.
  15. Su Ru Lin, et al. Zhejiang Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine. 1983;(3):125.