Si Wu Tang Wan - Four Substances Pills - TCM Herbal Formula

Chinese Name: Si Wu Tang Wan
English Name: Four Substances Pills

Formula Category


  • Sedate and Calm the Spirit
  • Tonify

Clinical Usage and Indications

Coming Soon...

Related TCM Diagnostic Patterns


Clinical Formula Combinations and Modifications:

Staff Clinician Notes:

There are no staff notes at this time.

Cautions and Contraindications:

None at this time.  As always consult with an acupuncturist/herbalist before use.

Related Western Medical Conditions:


Individual Chinese Herbs In This Formula:


  • Ai Ye
  • Herb Functions
    • Warms the womb and stops bleeding - useful in cases of prolonged menstrual bleeding and uterine bleeding due to cold from deficiency patterns.
    • Warms the womb and pacifies the fetus - restless fetus syndrome, lower abdominal pain (menstrual), vaginal bleeding as in threatened miscarriage, infertility due to cold womb.

  • Bai Shao
  • Herb Functions
    • Nourishes the blood and regulates menstrual problems due to blood deficiency (pale, lusterless complexion and nails) - menstrual dysfunction, vaginal discharge, uterine bleeding - very common herb for gynecological disorders (Si Wu Tang).
    • Calms liver yang, alleviates pain from constrained liver qi or disharmony between the liver and the spleen due to liver yang rising - cramping and spasms (limbs and abdomen), abdominal pain from dysentery, headache and dizziness.
    • Preserves yin, adjusts ying and wei levels - vaginal discharge and spermatorrhea, exterior wind-cold from deficiency with continuous sweating, spontaneous sweating, night sweats.

  • Contraindications
    • Incompatible with Li Lu
    • Avoid in cases of yang deficiency and cold in the middle jiao - diarrhea, cold sensation in the stomach.

  • Chuan Xiong
  • Herb Functions
    • Invigorate blood, promote movement of Qi - any blood stasis pattern, important for gynecological issues (amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, difficult labor, lochioschesis).
    • Expels wind and alleviates pain - headache (temporal, vertex), dizziness, painful obstructions, skin issues.
    • Headache - moves qi upward and alleviates pain; headaches due to wind, heat, cold, blood deficiency.

  • Dang Gui
  • Herb Functions
    • Tonifies the blood, regulates menses - pallid, ashen complexion, tinnitus, blurred vision, palpitations, irregular menses, amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea.
    • Invigorates/harmonizes the blood, disperses cold - important herb to stop pain due to blood stasis - abdominal pain, trauma, carbuncles due to blood stasis, chronic bi.
    • Moistens dry intestines due to blood deficiency.
    • Reduces swellings, expels pus, generates flesh - sores.

  • Ji Xue Teng
  • Herb Functions
    • Promotes the movement of blood, tonify the blood - blood deficiency patterns such as irregular menses, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, accompanied with abdominal pain.
    • Invigorate the channels, relax the sinews - numbness of the extremities, lower back pain, knee pain, damp bi-syndrome, w/blood deficiency or stasis.

  • Shu Di Huang
  • Herb Functions
    • This is the root of Sheng Di Huang (steamed and dried, or soaked in red wine and dried).
    • Tonify blood for blood deficiency with dizziness, pallid complexion, palpitations, insomnia, irregular menses, uterine bleeding, post partum bleeding.
    • Nourish yin - kidney yin deficiency with nightsweats, xiao ke, steaming bone disorder, nocturnal emissions.

  • Xiang Fu
  • Herb Functions
    • Spreads and regulates the Qi, soothes the liver - hypochondriac pain, epigastric distention, disharmony between the liver and the spleen.
    • Regulates menses, alleviates pain (by resolving liver qi stagnation) - dysmenorrhea, irregular menses.

  • Xu Duan
  • Herb Functions
    • Tonify liver and kidney, strengthen sinews and bones - lower back and/or knee weakness and pain, stiff joints.
    • Tonify without causing stagnation.
    • Stops uterine bleeding, calms the fetus - bleeding during pregnancy, threatened miscarriage.
    • Promote blood circulation, alleviate pain, generate flesh - traumatic injuries in the lower back and legs, external conditions such as sores.