Formulas that release the exterior
Ge gen tang
Kudzu Decoction
- Chinese name
- 葛根汤
- Group
- Formulas that release the exterior
- English name
- Pueraria Combination
- Basic formula
- ✓
Diaphoretic in wind, cold and damp and antispasmodic for stiff, painful shoulders and neck.
Indications
For 'greater yang' complaints: colds, cough, acute bronchitis, flu, emphysema, asthma and respiratory allergies, with a stiff neck and shoulders, aversion to wind and cold and no sweating. For people with an average constitution, for whom ma huang tang is too strong and gui zhi tang too weak. Also for sensitivity around the navel with sugar cravings.
Ingredients
| Ingredients | Amount |
|---|---|
| Kudzu root (ge gen) | 6–9 g |
| Ma huang (ephedra) | 6–9 g |
| Cinnamon twig (gui zhi) | 6–9 g |
| White peony root (bai shao) | 3 g |
| Roasted ginger (zhi gan jiang) | 3 g |
| Licorice root (gan cao) | 3 g |
| Jujube (da zao) | 3–5 stuks |
- Tongue
- pink with a white coating
- Pulse
- superficial and tight
Note
A stiff neck and shoulders in particular point to this formula; chiropractors sometimes use it for that alone. Kudzu (Japanese: kuzu) is a complex carbohydrate that is broken down slowly and is said to counter sugar cravings and the effects of too much sugar. In the south-eastern US kudzu was planted against erosion and is now a persistent invasive plant.