Adventures in Chinese Medicine

It's a cold, snowy day today.  The weather made me think of a friend of mine who has complained that our winter never really arrived this year.  On the few occasions that I have made it out skiing with him I discovered that while he loves being out in the snow his hands and feet get extremely cold.  It sounds like he suffers from more severe Raynaud's syndrome than I do. Ran across the following article about Si Ni San (Frigid Extremities Powder). Si Ni San (Counterflow Cold Powder) Chai Hu (Bupleuri Radix) Zhi Shi (Aurantii Fructus Immaturus) Bai Shao (Paeoniae Radix Alba) Zhi Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae Radix Praeparata) Si Ni San was originally created to treat cold extremities due to depression of yang qi, but later generations expanded its use to treat disharmony of the liver and spleen. As such, Si Ni San is one of the most important base formulas for coursing the liver and supplementing the spleen. Si Ni San is a simple formula because it contains few ...

5th point of Hand Shao Yang Meridian Nature: Luo-connecting; Confluent with YangWei Location: On the posterior aspect of the forearm, midpoint of the interosseous space between the radius and the ulna, 2 cun proximal to the dorsal wrist crease. Functions: 1. Dispel Heat and release exterior for fever, headache, red eyes and thirst due to exterior Wind-Heat combine with DU14, LI11, LI4 2. Regulate SanJiao, clear internal Heat and stop pain for migraine, hypochonriac pain, painful ears, red eyes, deafness, tinnitus due to Wind-Heat, XS Heat or Damp-Heat in LR & GB meridians headache/migraine due to LR Qi stagnation (temporal) also dispel pathogens from exterior for common-cold and seasonal allergies combine with GB41(Confluent with Dai) for ShaoYang disorders 3. Activate the collaterals and open meridians for paralysis, limited movement of arm, pain & swelling of wrist/elbow/shoulder Migraine! combine with GB8 for fast relief of migraine pain...

The 3rd point of the Hand Tai Yang meridian Nature: Shu- Stream; Wood; Mother; Confluent with Du Location: on the ulnar side of the hand, proximal of the metacarpophalangeal joint, at the junction between palm and dorsum of hand Functions: 1. clear heat and release the exterior for heat due to external pathogen (fever, febrile diseases, malaria) and internal heat combine with DU14 2. regulate the Du meridian, restore consciousness SI3 (Confluent with Du) is part of confluent pair with BL62 (Confluent with Yang Qiao) - used together to balance Yin/Yang in body combine with BL62 for illness of inner canthus, neck, ear, shoulder, back        3. activate collaterals and stop pain headaches!   especially those in the occiput/neck region; treats Du meridian on the neck therefore good for acute neck problems (stiffness, pain, spasm/torticollis); weaker but works on the lower back as well; also arm pain and finger numbness   c...