Clearing as part of Ba Fa (Eight Methods)
Qīng Fǎ (Clearing) is one of TCM's Eight Methods, using cooling herbs and treatments to eliminate heat from the body's interior. It addresses fever, inflammation, infections, and other heat patterns by restoring balance between the body's warming and cooling energies.
Qīng Fǎ
Clearing (Heat-Clearing Method)
Educational content · Consult qualified TCM practitioners for diagnosis and treatment
Overview
Qīng Fǎ (清法), the Clearing Method, is one of the eight fundamental treatment strategies (Bā Fǎ) in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Think of it as TCM's approach to "cooling down" the body when there's too much heat—similar to how you might use ice water to bring down a fever or cool off on a hot day.
In TCM theory, "heat" doesn't just mean a high temperature. It refers to a broad category of conditions where the body shows signs of inflammation, redness, irritation, or overactivity. The Clearing Method uses cooling herbs and therapeutic approaches to eliminate this heat and restore the body's natural balance between warming (Yang) and cooling (Yin) energies.
This method is particularly important in treating what TCM calls "heat syndromes"—conditions where heat has penetrated into the interior of the body, affecting the organs, blood, or various energy levels. Unlike the Sweating Method (Hàn Fǎ), which releases heat through the skin's surface, the Clearing Method addresses heat that has settled more deeply inside.
Historical Context
The Clearing Method has roots in the foundational principle from the Huangdi Neijing (circa 200 BCE): "For heat conditions, use cold treatments" (热者寒之). However, it wasn't formally systematized until the Qing Dynasty when physician Cheng Zhong-Ling organized the Eight Methods (Ba Fa) in his influential work "Yi Xue Xin Wu" (Medical Revelations, 1732).
The method gained particular sophistication during the development of the Warm Disease School (Wen Bing Xue) in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Physicians like Wu Jutong and Ye Tianshi recognized that heat at different levels of the body required different clearing strategies, leading to the Four Levels theory (Wei, Qi, Ying, Blood) which refined how practitioners applied the Clearing Method. Today, the Eight Methods remain the foundational framework from which numerous modern treatment strategies have developed.
Comparison
Clearing vs. Sweating (Han Fa)
清法 vs 汗法Sweating releases heat from the exterior through perspiration (for colds/flu just starting). Clearing addresses heat that has already penetrated the interior and cannot simply be "sweated out."
Clearing vs. Draining (Xia Fa)
清法 vs 下法Draining uses purgatives to expel accumulations through the bowels. Clearing uses cooling herbs to neutralize heat. Sometimes combined when heat has caused constipation.
Clearing vs. Warming (Wen Fa)
清法 vs 温法These are therapeutic opposites: Clearing treats heat patterns with cold herbs; Warming treats cold patterns with warm herbs. Correct differentiation is essential—using the wrong method worsens the condition.
Clearing Excess vs. Deficiency Heat
实热 vs 虚热Excess heat requires strong clearing with bitter-cold herbs. Deficiency heat (from Yin deficiency) requires gentler clearing combined with Yin nourishment to avoid further depleting the body.
Clearing Qi Level Heat
清气分热 (Qīng Qì Fēn Rè)This addresses heat that has penetrated to the Qi level—characterized by high fever, profuse sweating, intense thirst, and a flooding pulse. The classic formula Bai Hu Tang (White Tiger Decoction) uses cold, sweet herbs like Shi Gao (Gypsum) to clear this type of heat.
Clearing Ying/Blood Level Heat
清营凉血 (Qīng Yíng Liáng Xuè)For deeper, more serious heat that has entered the nutritive (Ying) or Blood level—causing symptoms like skin rashes, bleeding, delirium, or a dark red tongue. Formulas like Qing Ying Tang cool the blood and clear heat from these deeper levels.
Clearing Heat and Resolving Toxins
清热解毒 (Qīng Rè Jiě Dú)Used for severe heat with toxic manifestations—infections, abscesses, severe inflammations. Huang Lian Jie Du Tang (Coptis Decoction to Relieve Toxicity) is the classic formula, using bitter-cold herbs to drain fire and eliminate toxins.
Clearing Heat from Specific Organs
清脏腑热 (Qīng Zàng Fǔ Rè)Different organs require different approaches: Huang Lian clears Heart heat, Shi Gao clears Lung and Stomach heat, Long Dan Cao clears Liver heat, and Zhi Mu with Huang Bai clear Kidney fire. Treatment must be tailored to where the heat is located.
Clearing Deficiency Heat
清虚热 (Qīng Xū Rè)Addresses heat arising from Yin deficiency—symptoms include afternoon fevers, night sweats, and a sensation of heat in the palms and soles. Unlike excess heat, this requires gentle clearing combined with Yin nourishment, as in Qing Hao Bie Jia Tang.
Practical Application
Clinical Assessment: Before applying the Clearing Method, practitioners must determine: Is the heat excess (full) or deficiency (empty)? Where is the heat located—at the surface, in the Qi level, Ying level, or Blood level? Which organs are affected? Answering these questions determines which specific clearing approach to use.
Herbal Application: For Qi level heat (high fever, big thirst), formulas like Bai Hu Tang with its cooling Shi Gao are appropriate. For deeper Ying/Blood level heat with rashes or bleeding, Qing Ying Tang or Xi Jiao Di Huang Tang are indicated. For organ-specific heat, choose herbs targeting that organ—Huang Lian for Heart fire, Long Dan Cao for Liver fire, Zhi Mu/Huang Bai for Kidney fire.
Acupuncture Application: Points like LI-11 (Quchi) are considered among the most important for clearing heat throughout the body. Combined with LI-4 (Hegu), these points address fever and inflammatory conditions. Ying-Spring points (second points on meridians) are classically indicated for clearing heat from their respective channels.
Important Cautions: The Clearing Method must be applied with precision—excessive use of cold herbs can damage Yang Qi, especially in constitutionally weak patients. In pregnancy, postpartum, or Yang deficiency conditions, cold-natured herbs should be used cautiously or avoided.
Clinical Relevance
Primary Indications: The Clearing Method treats various heat syndromes including febrile diseases, inflammatory conditions, infections, and Yin-deficiency heat. Common presentations include high fever, red face, thirst, irritability, skin eruptions, rashes, bleeding disorders, and a red tongue with yellow coating.
Modern Clinical Applications: In contemporary practice, the Clearing Method addresses conditions involving infectious diseases, autoimmune inflammation, menopausal hot flashes, hypertension with Liver Yang rising, skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis with heat signs, and various acute infections. The method is often combined with other approaches—for example, with Tonifying (Bu Fa) when treating deficiency heat, as in the classic formula Qing Hao Bie Jia Tang which simultaneously nourishes Yin and clears heat.
Contraindications: This method should not be used for cold patterns, Yang deficiency, or when the patient has a weak constitution with no true heat signs. Practitioners must distinguish true heat from false heat (cold with heat-like symptoms).
Common Misconceptions
"Clearing is just for fevers": While fever is one indication, the Clearing Method addresses a much broader range of "heat" presentations—including inflammation, irritability, skin rashes, bleeding, and even certain emotional states characterized by agitation. Heat in TCM is a pattern, not just a temperature reading.
"More cold herbs = better results": This is a dangerous misconception. Excessive use of cold, bitter herbs can severely damage the Spleen and Stomach, harm digestive function, and deplete Yang Qi. The classical saying "cold but not to the point of congealing" (寒而勿凝) emphasizes that clearing must be done appropriately, stopping when the heat is resolved.
"Clearing and Purging are the same": While both address excess conditions, the Clearing Method (Qing Fa) uses cooling herbs to eliminate heat, whereas the Draining Downward Method (Xia Fa) uses purgative herbs to expel accumulated matter through the bowels. They address different aspects of disease.
"All heat requires the same treatment": Heat at different levels (Wei, Qi, Ying, Blood) and in different organs requires distinctly different clearing approaches. Using a strong heat-clearing formula for mild surface heat, or vice versa, can worsen the condition.
Classical Sources
Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor's Classic)
Su Wen热者寒之 (rè zhě hán zhī)
For heat conditions, use cold [treatments]
Yi Xue Xin Wu (Medical Revelations)
Yi Men Ba Fa (Eight Methods in Therapy)清法论热证治则
Cheng Zhong-Ling's systematic categorization of the Clearing Method as one of the Eight Methods for treating heat conditions
Wen Bing Tiao Bian (Systematic Differentiation of Warm Diseases)
Wei Qi Ying Xue chapters四分辨证清热法
Wu Jutong's elaboration on clearing heat at different levels (Wei, Qi, Ying, Blood) in febrile diseases
Modern References
Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies
Comprehensive English text on formula composition with extensive coverage of heat-clearing formulas
Fangji Xue (方剂学)
Authoritative Chinese textbook on formula study published by People's Health Publishing House
The Eight Strategies (Ba Fa) of TCM from the Aspect of Herbal Formulary
Modern analysis of the Eight Methods with clinical case applications