(286) Xiang Fu (Cyperi Rhizome) - 1

[HB KIM]

XIANG FU (Cyperi Rhizome)
English name: Nut Grass Rhizome
Nature: acrid, sly bitter, sly sweet / neutral
Channel: LV, SJ, GB
Dosage: 4-6g (chronic); 8-12g (acute)


Introduction
If your clinic has a large number of female patients, as many do, you may find that the herb, Xiang Fu, will be very useful to you in practice. 

The classic book, "Treasury classic of Oriental Medicine," says "Male belongs to Yang, Qi disperses easily; female belongs to Yin, Qi stagnates easily."  According to this, we can assume that men have a propensity for Qi deficiency, while Women tend to get Qi stagnation instead.  Due to the menstrual cycle, a basic treatment principle for many female diseases is to "Regulate Blood and Soothe Qi."  The best herb for this is Xiang Fu.

Indications
The indications of Xiang Fu can be categorized into two groups. The first group relates to the function of soothing the Qi for conditions of Qi stagnation, while the other relates to the function of regulating blood and menstruation for Gynecological disorders.

Dui-Yao
For Qi stagnation, the most popular Dui-Yao is <Xiang Fu + Chen Pi> or <Xiang Fu + Zi Su Ye>.  For gynecological disorders, the most popular Dui-Yao is <Xiang Fu + Chuan Xiong>.  Xiang Fu moves Qi in the Blood level, while Chuan Xiong or Yi Mu Cao moves Blood in the Qi level.

Dosage
Xiang Fu can soothe Qi stagnation strongly, though it consumes Qi in the process, and can lead to Qi deficiency. Therefore, if Qi stagnation has been present for 6 months or less, you can use Xiang Fu up to 8-12g. However, if Qi stagnation becomes chronic, use only 4-6g.



1. QI STAGNATION (esp. for females)

There is a saying "In the treatment of men, start from the Essence and finish with the Essence, while in the treatment of women, start from the Qi and finish with the Qi."  From this quote, we can tell how important Qi is for women as a group.

If you see Qi stagnation in women, Xiang Fu should be your first choice of herbs, especially when treating headache, plum-pit sensation, chest discomfort, indigestion, numbness of the hands/feet, coldness of the hands/feet, various pains, and other related symptoms.  For all kinds of Qi stagnation manifestations, think about Xiang Fu 4-6g.

Liver or Chong/Ren
For women, Qi stagnation starts from either the Liver or Chong/Ren meridians.  If it starts from the Liver there will be symptoms of depression, indigestion, abdominal bloating, or epigastric discomfort. If the stagnation starts from the Chong/Ren, there will be symptoms of dysmenorrhea, irregular menstruation, and PMS. In more severe cases there may even be thyroid disorders, infertility, or uterine fibroids.

Dui-Yao
If Qi stagnation starts from the Liver, <Xiang Fu + Chai Hu> are used; while if Qi stagnation starts from the Chong/Ren, <Xiang Fu + Chuan Xiong> are used.

If Liver Qi stagnation affects the Upper burner, add <Jie Geng + Zhi Ke> or <Huang Lian + Zhi Zi> together; if it affects the Middle Jiao, add  <Hou Po + Cang Zhu> or <Huo Xiang + Zi Su Ye> together; if it affects the Lower Jiao <Mu Xiang + Bing Lang> are added; if it affects the Blood level with blood stasis, <Chuan Xiong + Chi Shao> or <Su Mu + Hong Hua> can be used together.

Use in a Formula
If you want to treat Qi stagnation in a female with many symptoms, you can use <Si Wu Tang - Shu Di + Xiang Fu, Chen Pi>. This combination: Xiang Fu, Chen Pi, Chuan Xiong, Dang Gui, and Bai Shao, is especially helpful for female patients that are sensitive to stress, nervousness, and anger.

Combination: Xiang Fu / Chen Pi / Chuan Xiong / Dang Gui / Bai Shao



2. GYNECOLOGICAL DISORDERS
... To be continued in the next article