🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Hematopoietic herbs: These are drugs primarily aimed at promoting blood circulation, enhancing blood flow, regulating organ functions, and treating blood stasis syndromes. They are adept at dispersing and possess effects such as moving blood, resolving stasis, unblocking meridians, relieving arthralgia, reducing swelling, and alleviating pain. Qi-regulating herbs: These are drugs primarily aimed at smoothing qi movement, relieving depression, lowering qi, regulating organ functions, and treating qi stagnation and qi reversal syndromes. Most of these herbs are aromatic and warm in nature, effective in dispersing or descending, but may deplete qi and injure yin; thus, they should not be used by individuals with qi deficiency or yin deficiency.① Sanqi: Sanqi comes from the root of Panax notoginseng (Araliaceae). It contains abundant ginsenosides—over 12 types of saponin mixtures, some similar to those found in ginseng. Experiments show that Sanqi powder or infusion can shorten animal blood coagulation time and effectively stop bleeding in internal organs such as liver and spleen. For various hemorrhagic conditions like hemoptysis, hematuria, and ocular bleeding, Sanqi treatment yields significant results. Additionally, Sanqi can dilate coronary arteries, increase coronary blood flow, reduce blood pressure, lower myocardial oxygen consumption, and enhance animals’ tolerance to hypoxia, thus exhibiting anti-myocardial ischemia effects. Traditional Chinese medicine considers it warm in nature, sweet and slightly bitter in taste, with functions of resolving blood stasis and stopping bleeding. It is suitable for bruises from falls, external injuries with bleeding, and abscess pain. Cooked Sanqi also has blood-nourishing and blood-regulating properties, used for blood loss and anemia. Dosage: Usually taken as powder with warm water or added to decoctions; 0.5–3g per dose, twice daily.② Chuanxiong: Chuanxiong is the rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong (Umbelliferae), containing essential oils, alkaloids, phenolic compounds, lactones, organic acids, etc. It inhibits platelet aggregation, reduces surface activity of platelets, prevents thrombus formation, and can dissolve existing clots. It dilates coronary arteries, increases coronary blood flow, and reduces myocardial oxygen consumption. It improves microcirculation, provides analgesic, sedative, and antihypertensive effects, and exhibits anti-vitamin E deficiency action. It also shows inhibitory effects on leukemia cells. Traditional Chinese medicine considers it warm in nature, pungent in taste, with functions of activating blood circulation, moving qi, dispelling wind, and relieving pain. It is used for headaches due to external wind invasion, rheumatic body pain, joint pain, and various conditions caused by blood stasis, such as coronary heart disease, vascular inflammation, hypertension. Dosage: 1.5–9g; avoid use in cases of yin deficiency with fire exuberance.③ Dan Shen: Dan Shen is the root of Salvia miltiorrhiza (Lamiaceae), containing phenanthraquinone components such as tanshinone, isotanshinone, cryptotanshinone, etc. It improves microcirculation and enhances the body’s resistance to hypoxia. It dilates coronary arteries, increases coronary blood flow, and slows heart rate. It promotes tissue repair and regeneration. It has anticoagulant effects and certain antibacterial actions. It can be applied to any acute or chronic condition showing signs of blood stasis or poor blood flow. Traditional Chinese medicine considers it slightly cold in nature, bitter in taste, with functions of activating blood circulation, generating new blood, cooling blood, and calming the spirit. It is used for angina, menstrual irregularities, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, excessive uterine bleeding, masses, accumulations, abdominal pain due to blood stasis, joint pain, palpitations, insomnia, and painful sores. Dosage: Generally 9–30g; use with caution in cases of excessive menstruation, hemoptysis, or hematuria.④ Hong Hua: Hong Hua is the flower of Carthamus tinctorius (Asteraceae), containing dihydroflavonoids such as carthamin, carthamone, and new carthamin, along with safflower oil and xylan. Safflower preparations increase blood flow in coronary and femoral arteries, lower blood pressure, exhibit anticoagulant effects, inhibit thrombosis formation, restore heart rhythm rapidly without fibrillation, and demonstrate significant anti-hypoxic effects. It excites uterine smooth muscle, significantly increasing the rhythmicity of contractions. Traditional Chinese medicine considers it warm in nature, pungent in taste, with functions of activating blood circulation, unblocking meridians, removing stasis, and relieving pain. It is used for amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, retained lochia, abdominal masses, and injuries from falls or blows. Dosage: generally 2–9g; avoid use in cases without blood stasis or during pregnancy.⑤ Yi Mu Cao: Yi Mu Cao is the whole herb of Leonurus artemisia (Lamiaceae), containing leonurine, plant sterols, and large amounts of potassium chloride. Yi Mu Cao has a clear excitatory effect on intestinal and uterine smooth muscles. It lowers blood pressure, increases coronary blood flow, improves microcirculation, slows heart rate, and inhibits platelet aggregation. Clinical trials confirm that Yi Mu Cao decoction is highly effective in treating menstrual disorders, postpartum uterine bleeding, incomplete uterine recovery, and excessive menstruation. Traditional Chinese medicine considers it cool in nature, pungent and bitter in taste, with functions of regulating menstruation, activating blood circulation, removing stasis, promoting new blood formation, promoting urination, and reducing edema. It is used for menstrual irregularities, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, retained lochia, acute nephritis edema. Dosage: generally 6–9g.⑥ Xiang Fu: Xiang Fu is the rhizome of Cyperus rotundus (Cyperaceae), a perennial herb. It contains essential oils, phenolic substances, glucose, fructose, starch, etc. It inhibits uterine smooth muscle contraction and moderates its tone. Water extract reduces intestinal tension and antagonizes acetylcholine. It inhibits certain fungi and has analgesic effects. Traditional Chinese medicine considers it neutral in nature, pungent and sweet in taste, with functions of soothing the liver, regulating qi, regulating menstruation, and relieving pain. It is used for liver-stomach disharmony, qi stagnation, chest and flank distension, abdominal pain, dysmenorrhea, menstrual irregularities, and liver qi stagnation with indigestion. Dosage: 6–12g.<Activating Blood and Regulating Qi>