Chinese Herbal Medicine Formulas and Strategies. “Anti-inflammatory activities of the triterpene acids from the resin of Boswellia carteri”. “Boswellic acids in chronic inflammatory diseases” Planta Med. “Triterpene alcohols from the flowers of compositae and their anti-inflammatory effects”.

Cold and cooling herbs will have CNS, endocrine, and metabolism inhibitory effects.Īkihisa T, Yasukawa K, Oinuma H etal.

Warming herbs tend to have stimulant effects, increase metabolism and increase cAMP.

Herbs that transform phlegm and stop cough have anti-tussive, expectorant and anti-asthmatic properties.

Herbs that extinguish wind have anti-convulsive, sedative, and hypotensive effects.

Herbs that stop bleeding reduce coagulation times, inhibit fibrinolysis, contract local vessels and increase capillary resistance.Herbs that relieve food stagnation contain digestive enzymes, vitamins, promote peristalsis and increase digestive fluids.The pharmacologic effects of herbs that calm shen are sedative, hypnotic and anti-convulsive. TCVM will treat this disturbance using two different principles: herbs either anchor, settle and calm the shen or nourish the heart and calm the shen. They just use different terminology.įear, insomnia and anxiety are all signs of heart shen disturbance. Heat clearing or anti-inflammatory…damp draining or diuretic…traditional Chinese veterinary medicine and allopathic veterinary medicine many times utilize the same principles. They mediate their anti-inflammatory actions via inhibition of cyclooygenase -1, cyclooygenase -2, and 5-lipooxygenase activity. Ru xiang, frankincense/boswellia and Mo yao, myrrh are frequently-used blood moving herbs with anti-inflammatory properties. Du hou is seen in formulas such as du hou ji sheng san, a traditional herbal formula used to move Qi and blood as well as tonify liver and kidney yin seen in chronic bi pain. For example, du hou, angelica pubescent has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-spasmodic, hypotensive and antibacterial effects. Almost all herbs in this category have anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. Painful bi patterns in TCVM are often seen in patients with a medical diagnosis of various forms of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lumbar back pain and sciatica. The speed of resolving pain makes this category of herbs very popular in modern practice. Some of the most commonly used and quick-acting herbs are blood and Qi moving herbs. Note that damp clearing herbs can have an additive effect to concurrent administration of pharmaceutical diuretics. Damp clearing herbs are gentle diuretics and have their place in clinical practice. Both also have diuretic, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, antineoplastic and immuno-regulating effects.

Both drain dampness, promote urination, strengthen spleen function and facilitate fluid metabolism. Two commonly used damp clearing herbs are fu ling, poria and zhu ling, polyporus. Edema is commonly seen in allopathic veterinary medicine, such as phlegm retention in the patient with bronchitis, hydrothorax, ascites or limb edema.Īlmost all herbs in the damp clearing category have diuretic effects and many have antibacterial benefits. The congestion of fluids could be anywhere in the body, especially the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts, and the lower limbs. Congestion is the abnormal or diminished transformation and/or transportation of fluid. The TCVM concept of dampness is associated with edema and congestion of fluids within the body.

Dampness and damp-related disorders include edema, stranguria, difficult urination, jaundice, moist dermatitis, diarrhea and obesity. Therefore, huang lian and huang qin both clear heat and have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.Īnother example of similar principles using different terminology is damp clearing herbs. The pharmacologic properties of these herbs include antibacterial, antiviral, anti-endotoxin, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, immuno-regulating and anti-neoplasm effects. Huang lian, coptis is commonly used to treat excess heat dysentery, while huang qin, scutellaria may be used in cases of excess heat in the lungs.

Lian yu herbs