Use of notopterygium roots (Qiang Huo) in TCM
Please note that you should never self-prescribe TCM ingredients. A TCM ingredient is almost never eaten on its own but as part of a formula containing several ingredients that act together. Please consult a professional TCM practitioner, they will be best able to guide you.
Preparation: Removes impurities, soak in water, cut into sections and dry
Dosage: 6 - 12 grams
Main actions according to TCM*: Relieves the Exterior and disperses Cold and Dampness. Relieves Wind-Damp-Cold painful obstruction. Directs Qi to the Greater Yang (Tai Yang) channel and the Governing Vessel.
Primary conditions or symptoms for which notopterygium roots may be prescribed by TCM doctors*: Common cold Headache Rheumatism Arthralgia Rheumatoid arthritis Back pain
Contraindications*: This herb should not be used by those with Yin or Blood Deficiency conditions or arthritis caused by Blood Stagnation.
Common TCM formulas in which notopterygium roots (Qiang Huo) are used*
Juan Bi Tang
Source date: 1178 AD
Number of ingredients: 9 herbs
Formula key actions: Tonifies and harmonizes the Protective and Nutritive Qi. Dispels Wind. Eliminates Dampness.
Conditions targeted*: Periarthritis of the shoulderRheumatoid arthritis and others
Qiang Huo is a king ingredient in Juan Bi Tang. Like the name indicates, it means it has more power than other ingredients in the formula.
In Juan Bi Tang, Qiang Huo is known to be the best herb in the Chinese Materia Medica for dispelling Wind-Dampness from the upper body.
Key TCM concepts behind notopterygium roots (Qiang Huo)'s properties
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), notopterygium roots are plants that belong to the 'Warm/Acrid herbs that release the Exterior' category. Herbs that release the Exterior aim to to treat the early stages of diseases that affect the upper respiratory tract, the eyes, the ears, the nose, the throat or the skin. TCM believes that External diseases such as colds or allergies can only invade the body if the External environment overwhelms our Wei Qi (the TCM version of the immune system). In order to counteract this invasion Warm/Acrid herbs aim to induce sweating by increasing the flow of sweat to our capillary pores. The belief is that this will expel the disease from the body and stop it from invading further.
As suggested by its category notopterygium roots are plants that are Warm in nature. This means that notopterygium roots tend to help people who have too much 'Cold' in their body, although with less effect than a plant that would be Hot in nature. Balance between Yin and Yang is a key health concept in TCM. Those who have too much Cold in their body are said to either have a Yin Excess(because Yin is Cold in nature) or a Yang Deficiency (Yang is Hot in Nature). Depending on your condition notopterygium roots can help restore a harmonious balance between Yin and Yang.
Notopterygium roots also taste Bitter and Pungent. The so-called 'Five Phases' theory in Chinese Medicine states that the taste of TCM ingredients is a key determinant of their action in the body. Bitter ingredients like notopterygium roots tend to have a cleansing action on the body by clearing Heat, drying Dampness and promoting elimination via urination or bowel movements. On the other hand Pungent ingredients tend to promote the circulations of Qi and Body Fluids. That's why for instance someone tends to sweat a lot when they eat spicy/pungent food.
The tastes of ingredients in TCM also determine what Organs and Meridians they target. As such notopterygium roots are thought to target the Bladder and the Kidney. In TCM the impure water collected by the Kidneys that cannot be used by the body is sent to the Bladder for storage and excretion as urine. The Kidneys do not only regulate the urinary system but also play a key role in the reproductive system and the growth and aging process of the body.
Research on notopterygium roots (Qiang Huo)
Notopterygium roots contain phenethyl ferulate, which is a cyclooxygenase inhibitor in vitro and therefore provides relief from the symptoms of inflammation and pain.1
Notopterygium roots contain furanocoumarins such as notopterol which have anti-proliferative (anti-cell growth), and apoptotic (cell death) effects on certain cancer cells in vitro.2
Sources:
1. Zschocke, S; Lehner, M; Bauer, R (1997). "5-Lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase inhibitory active constituents from Qianghuo (Notopterygium incisum)". Planta Medica. 63 (3): 203–6. doi:10.1055/s-2006-957653
2. Wu, SB; Pang, F; Wen, Y; Zhang, HF; Zhao, Z; Hu, JF (2010). "Antiproliferative and apoptotic activities of linear furocoumarins from Notopterygium incisum on cancer cell lines". Planta Medica. 76 (1): 82–5. doi:10.1055/s-0029-1185971.