- Region
- Asia
- Origin
- China
Asia · Herb · № 658
Notopterygium incisum
Herb · Asia
Notopterygium root (qiang huo)
Notopterygium incisum
Traditionally attributed effects: expels wind, cold and dampness in colds and rheumatic pain in head, neck and shoulders.
Safety notes
Not with yin or blood deficiency or joint pain from blood stagnation. Traditional use is no proof of effectiveness; if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or have a medical condition, consult a doctor or pharmacist.
Preparation
Root and rhizome. Usually as a decoction, together with other herbs.
Use in traditions
Described in the classical Chinese materia medica, in the group 'herbs that open the surface'. Qiang huo dispels wind, cold and damp from the upper body, for headache, a stiff neck and painful shoulders; it is part of Jiu Wei Qiang Huo Tang. The plant grows at high altitude in western China and has become scarce through overharvesting.
Applications
Use by tradition
How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.
Chinese materia medica
- Nature and taste
- pungent, bitter, warm, aromatic
- Meridians
- kidney, bladder
Attributed effects
Opens the surface in colds with chills and headache, expels wind, cold and dampness from the joints, especially of back and shoulders, and directs the action of a formula to the back and the 'greater yang' meridian.
Preparation and amount
Traditional dosage: 6–12 g a day, usually in a decoction. Related to angelica, lovage and oshá: all herbs that get the circulation going.
Combinations
- With fang feng and turmeric for pain in upper back and shoulders
- With fang feng, bai zhi and cang zhu for a cold with an aching body
- Ways to prepare herbs
- Decoction