Dang Gui Si Ni Tang – warms meridians, expel Cold, nourish blood, moves Blood Stasis (unblocks blood vessels)

Dang Gui Si Ni Tang- Dang Gui for improper flow of Qi to the four limbs (frigid extremities) soup

Shang Han Lun

Dang Gui (radix angelicae sinensis)…9g

Bai Shao Yao (Radix paeoniae)…9g

Gui Zhi (ramulus cinnamomi cassiae)…9g

Xi Xin (herba cum radice asari)…6g

Zhi Gan Cao (honey fried radix glycyrrhizae uralensis)…6g

Da Zao (fructus zizyphi jujubae)…5 pieces

Mu Tong (caulis mutong)…6g

Indications: chronic cold hands and feet (to the touch and patient) due to a lack of Yang warming action.  It is said that this is Cold in the meridians in people who are Blood deficient.  T- pale with white coat, P- deep weak thin.

Gui Zhi is special as it guides herbs to the upper limbs and opens the blood vessels.  With Bai Shao, Gui Zhi warms the meridians and expels Cold, and harmonizes the Ying and Wei levels thus regulating Yin and Yang. 

Mu Tong strengthens the effects by encouraging the flow in the meridians and blood vessels. 

This formula can also be used in cases of joint pain, irregular menses, abdominal cold pain, and lower back cold pain. 

*Note: the way this formula differs from Si Ni Tang is that there is Cold in the meridians with an underlying Blood deficiency, this results in Cold hands and feet only, not the whole limb.  Si Ni Tang is used when there is pathogenic Yin Cold generated from Yang deficiency causing cold limbs, tiredness, & watery diarrhea.

It should also be compared to Si Ni San which is used in a Hot type collapse disorder where the fingers and toes are cold, there is aversion to heat, irritability, insomnia, constipation, dark urine, and other internal heat signs.

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Reference:

Benskey & Gamble 1993, Chinese Herbal Medicine Formulas and Strategies, Seattle Washington, Eastland Press Inc.

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