Qiang Huo Sheng Shi Tang
Star羌活胜湿汤 (Notopterygium Decoction to Overcome Dampness)
Source: Nei Wai Shang Bian Huo Lun (1247)
Last updated October 1, 2026
Description
Qiang Huo Sheng Shi Tang (Notopterygium Decoction to Overcome Dampness), from the Nei Wai Shang Bian Huo Lun, is used to expel wind and eliminate dampness from the superficial and subcutaneous regions.
Presentation: stiffness and pain of the neck, back and shoulders; headache; heaviness of the body; aversion to cold with mild fever; tongue: white, slightly sticky coating; pulse: superficial.
Syndrome: Damp-cold syndrome.
Composition strategy:
- Headache herbs chosen by meridian: Qiang Huo (occiput), Gao Ben (vertex), Chuan Xiong (lateral head)
- Small doses of pungent, warm, aromatic herbs give a gentle dispersal; heavy, lingering superficial dampness is not expelled by fast-moving herbs
Source: Yang Y. Chinese Herbal Formulas: Treatment Principles and Composition Strategies. Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2010, p. 207, 341.
Composition
| Herb | Amount | % | Role | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Qiang Huo
as printed: Qiang Huo (Notopterygii rhizoma)
|
6g | 23.08% | Jun (Chief) | expel wind-cold-dampness from the upper body; occipital headache, stiff neck |
|
Du Huo
as printed: Du Huo (Angelicae pubescentis radix)
|
6g | 23.08% | Jun (Chief) | expel wind-cold-dampness from the lower body |
|
Fang Feng
as printed: Fang Feng (Saposhnikoviae radix)
|
3g | 11.54% | Chen (Deputy) | expel superficial wind-dampness, reduce heavy head |
|
Gao Ben
as printed: Gao Ben (Ligustici sinensis radix)
|
3g | 11.54% | Chen (Deputy) | expel wind-cold, relieve vertex headache |
|
Chuan Xiong
as printed: Chuan Xiong (Chuanxiong rhizoma)
|
3g | 11.54% | Zuo (Assistant) | activate Qi and blood, relieve lateral headache |
|
Man Jing Zi
helping assistant; as printed: Man Jing Zi (Viticis fructus)
|
2g | 7.69% | Zuo (Assistant) | expel wind-dampness, relieve headache with blurred vision |
|
Gan Cao
as printed: Zhi Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae radix preparata)
|
3g | 11.54% | Shi (Envoy) | harmonize the formula |
Dui Yao — Core Herb Pairs
The classical two-herb combinations at the heart of this formula, as recorded on the herbs' own pages — each pair has an action neither herb has alone.
Together they dispel wind-damp from the whole body: one acts mainly on the upper body and exterior, the other on the lower back and legs, so the pair treats generalized painful obstruction.
Classic for wind-damp in the exterior with headache, stiff neck and generalized body aches.
Energetics dose-weighted
The formula's overall nature, taste balance and channel reach, weighted by each herb's dose. Classical formulas often pair warm and cool herbs on purpose, so a net figure summarises the mix — it doesn't describe every herb in it.
Nature
Net slightly warm (+0.73)
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Grams by band: cool 8%, neutral 12%, warm 81%.
Taste
- pungent 56%
- sweet 17%
- bitter 27%
From 100% of the weighed grams.
Channels reached
- Liver 54%
- Kidney 46%
- Spleen 23%
- Stomach 19%
- Lung 12%
- Heart 12%
Share of the grams entering each channel, from 100% of the weighed grams.
Dose-weighted from each herb's recorded nature, taste and channels (missing values are left out, never counted as neutral). It describes the composition — it is not a recommendation.
Preparation
Coarse powder taken as a draft, ideally before meals, to produce mild sweating; now usually decocted at 2-3 times the listed dose.
Source: Scheid V, Bensky D, Ellis A, Barolet R. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. Eastland Press, 2009, p. 755.
Relationships
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Formula Network
Formulas that share herbs with this one — the closer to the centre, the stronger the match. Click a node to explore.
Similar Formulas by composition
Match score combines dosage-weighted composition (cosine, 70%) with shared-herb overlap (Jaccard, 30%).
Traditional formula information is for educational purposes only. Herbal formulas should be prescribed by a qualified practitioner — dosages and combinations are individualized and can interact with medications.
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