- SHEN FU TANG Panax-Aconitum Decoction
- SI NI TANG Four Rebellious Decoction
- SHENG MAI SAN Generating the Pulse Powder
- REN SHEN Radix Ginseng 30 g
- FU ZI Radix Aconiti carmichaeli praeparata 12 g
- GAN JIANG Rhizoma Zingiberis officianalis 6 g
- ZHI GAN CAO Radix Glycyrrhizae uralensis praeparata 6 g
- WU WEI ZI Fructus Schisandrae chinensis 9 g
- MAI MEN DONG Tuber Ophiopogonis japonici 12 g
The two combinations of formulae suggested above are compared in Table 13.6Table 13.6.
Prognosis and Prevention
Acupuncture and Chinese herbs are effective for Chest Painful Obstruction but the treatment will
necessarily take several months if not longer. The most difficult types to treat are those from
Phlegm and stasis of Blood. The tongue-body colour gives a good indication for prognosis: the
more purple it is, the more difficult it will be to treat.
The prognosis necessarily depends also on the Western differentiation: ischaemic heart disease
from an atheroma obstructing a coronary vessel and carcinoma of the lung are obviously the
most difficult to treat.
As for prevention, it is essential that the patient takes regular exercise which is not too strenous.
Chest Painful Obstruction is caused by stagnation of Qi-Blood-Cold or by Phlegm and all such
conditions improve with moderate exercise. Brisk walking is an excellent exercise and, for those
who have access to a teacher, Tai Ji Chuan or Qi Gong are ideal.
As for diet, it is extremely important not to eat dairy products or greasy-fried foods which lead to
the production of Phlegm: this obstructs the chest and interacts with stasis of Blood.
If the patient is a smoker it is absolutely vital that he or she stops. Smoking is detrimental to
Chest Painful Obstruction not only from a Western but also from a Chinese point of view. From
a Western perspective nicotine contracts the blood vessels and would therefore aggravate stasis
of Blood. From a Chinese viewpoint, tobacco is a toxic substance which is hot and drying: it
dries up Blood in the vessels, which will contribute to the development of stasis of Blood.