Hong Zao Fructus Ziziphi jujubae 3 dates

Explanation Dang Shen, Huang Qi and Bai Zhu tonify Qi.

Dang Gui, Shu Di Huang, Bai Shao and Chuan Xiong, the Si Wu

Tang Four Substances Decoction, nourish and harmonize Blood.

Xu Duan and Gou Ji tonify Kidney-Yang.

Gui Zhu expels Wind and affects the upper limbs.

Cang Zhu and Yi Yi Ren drain Dampness.

Qin Jiao, Can Sha, Hai Feng Teng and Sang Zhi expel

Wind-Dampness. Hai Feng Teng and Sang Zhi affect the limbs.

Hong Zao harmonizes.

This patient was treated for over a year with fortnightly acupuncture

sessions and daily decoctions, after which she was free of pain and the

swelling of her joints subsided.

Treatment of Specific Parts of the Body

Having dealt with the acupuncture and herbal treatment of the various Painful Obstruction
Syndrome types according to pathogenic factor (Wind, Cold, Dampness and Heat), we can now
discuss the treatment of Painful Obstruction Syndrome according to specific parts of the body.
The discussion will concentrate mostly on the acupuncture treatment as this is much more
specific than herbal treatment in targeting a specific area of the body. Whilst there are certain
herbs that have an affinity for a certain part of the body (e.g. Qiang Huo Radix et Rhizoma
Notopterygii for the neck and top of the shoulders, Gao Ben Radix Ligustici sinensis for the
spine, etc.), acupuncture is certainly much more specific and direct to treat individual areas.
Quite simply, if a joint is affected, the acupuncture treatment is applied mostly to that joint and
can eliminate pathogenic factors directly. For example, if the left wrist is affected, the
acupuncture treatment will be applied to that wrist, directly eliminating Wind-Cold-Damp from
that joint. No herbal treatment could be as specific as that, unless, of course, external herbal
treatment is applied.

Herbal Treatment

Thus the herbal treatment is based more on the type of pattern (Wind, Cold, Damp or Heat) and
underlying condition (Qi-Blood deficiency, deficiency of Liver-Kidneys, Phlegm, stasis of
Blood), rather than the part of the body affected. The acupuncture treatment, by its very nature,
is very much based on the part of the body affected. However, there are herbs that direct