Herbs That Dispel Wind Dampness

Herbs That Dispel Wind Dampness:

  • For wind-dampness from the muscle, sinews, joints, and bones; bi-syndromes.
    1. Wind-Predominant bi (xing bi) - pain moves from joint to joint.
    2. Cold-Predominant bi (tong bi) - severe, fixed pain that is made worse by cold.
    3. Damp-Predominant bi (zhuo bi) - fixed pain with swelling and numbness.
    4. Hot-Painful bi (re bi) - heat signs; acute, painful, swelling present.

Section Herbal Summary:

Chinese Herbsort icon Functions and Usage
Bai Hua She (Agkistrodon, Bungarus Snake with Inner Organs Removed)
  • Powerfully unblocks the channels and dispels wind - chronic wind-damp with numbness and weakness of the limbs and cramping of the sinews, tinea, numbness of the skin, any type of rash, spasms, facial paralysis or hemiplegia due to wind-stroke.
Can Sha (Silkworm Feces)
  • Expels wind-damp - bi syndromes, itchy rashes due to wind-damp.
  • Harmonizes the stomach, transforms turbid dampness - vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, abdominal pain, borborygmus.
Cang Er Zi (Cocklebur Fruit, Xanthium)
  • Expels wind and damp - bi syndromes, skin disorders with itching.
  • Nasal passage obstruction - thick nasal discharge, sinus headache; often combined with Xin Yi Hua and Bai Zhi.
Du Huo (Angelica Root)
  • Dispels wind-cold-damp - bi syndromes, especially lower back and legs (acute/chronic).
  • Shao yin stage headache and toothache.
Hai Feng Teng (Kadsura Stem, Futokadsura Stem)
  • Dispels wind-cold-damp bi such as stiff joints, lower back pain, sore knees, cramping of muscles and sinews.
  • Disperses cold and alleviates pain - epigastric and abdominal pain and diarrhea due to cold in the spleen and stomach.
Hai Tong Pi (Coral Bean Bark)
  • Dispels wind-damp (hot or cold), unblocks the channels - bi syndromes, especially in the lower back and/or knees or spasms of the extremities.
  • Promotes urination, reduces edema - superficial edema due to dampness.
  • Itchy skin - lesions, scabies.
Luo Shi Teng (Star Jasmine Stem)
  • Dispels wind-hot-damp bi and spasms of the sinews.
  • Cools the blood and reduces swellings - toxic sores, sore throat.
Mu Gua (Quince Fruit)
  • Relaxes the sinews and muscles - bi syndromes in the lower back and/or lower extremities, calf cramps.
  • Harmonizes the stomach, transforms dampness, reduces food stagnation - abdominal pain and spasms.
Qin Jiao (Gentiana Macrophylla Root)
  • Dispels wind-damp bi and cramping, especially in the extremities, for acute/chronic, cold/hot conditions.
  • Clears deficient heat - fever, steaming bone disorder.
  • Jaundice due to acute damp-heat.
  • Counteracts drying action of other herbs that dispel wind-damp - moistens intestines for dry constipation.
Sang Zhi (Mulberry Twig)
  • Wind-damp bi especially in the upper extremities.
  • Reduces edema.
Wei Ling Xian (Clematis Root)
  • Dispels wind-damp and unblocks the channels, relieves pain.
  • Fish bone lodged in the throat.
  • Focal distention and accumulation in the middle burner.
Wu Jia Pi (Acanthopanax Root Bark)
  • Dispels wind-cold-damp, strengthens the sinews and bones, chronic bi due to liver and kidney deficiency generating weak sinews (motor function development delays in children, elderly).
  • Transforms damp, reduces swelling - urinary difficulty, edema, damp-cold leg qi.
Wu Shao She (Black Striped Snake)
  • Same as Bai Hua but less powerful, not toxic.
Xi Xian Cao (Siegesbeckia Plant)
  • Dispels wind-heat-damp bi - facial paralysis, hemiplegia.
  • Calms the spirit, pacifies the liver - irritability, insomnia, liver yang rising, headache, dizziness.