About This Herb*
Traditional Chinese Medicine background and properties
Herb Description*
Jiang Xiang is an aromatic heartwood used in Chinese medicine to relieve pain, move stuck blood, and stop bleeding. It is especially valued for chest pain and injuries where blood circulation is blocked, and it appears as a key ingredient in several modern heart-health formulas used in China.
Herb Category*
Main Actions*
- Dispels Stasis and Stops Bleeding
- Moves Qi and Alleviates Pain
- Invigorates Blood and Dispels Stasis
- Descends Qi and Resolves Turbidity
How These Actions Work*
'Resolves stasis and stops bleeding' is the hallmark action of Jiang Xiang. Unlike many herbs that either invigorate blood OR stop bleeding, Jiang Xiang does both simultaneously. It can disperse old, stagnant blood while also controlling active bleeding. This makes it particularly useful for traumatic injuries where there is both bleeding and bruising, as well as for conditions like vomiting blood or nosebleeds caused by blood stasis rather than by excess heat.
'Regulates Qi and relieves pain' means Jiang Xiang helps move stagnant Qi, especially in the chest, flanks, and upper abdomen. Its warm, pungent nature allows it to open channels and unblock Qi flow, which is why it is commonly used for stabbing chest pain (a sign that both Qi and blood are stuck) and pain under the ribs from Liver Qi constraint.
'Invigorates blood and dispels stasis' refers to Jiang Xiang's ability to promote blood circulation and break up accumulations of old blood. This is especially relevant for traumatic injuries with swelling and bruising, as well as for chronic chest pain due to blood stasis in the Heart vessels.
'Descends Qi and dispels turbidity' describes how Jiang Xiang's aromatic nature can clear foul, turbid Qi from the middle burner (the digestive area). When impure or noxious influences cause nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, particularly in hot summer weather, its fragrant warmth can settle the stomach and restore the normal downward flow of Qi.
Patterns Addressed*
In TCM, symptoms cluster into recognizable patterns of disharmony that reveal what's out of balance in the body. Jiang Xiang is traditionally associated with these specific patterns.
The following describes this herb's classification within Traditional Chinese Medicine theory and is provided for educational purposes only.
Why Jiang Xiang addresses this pattern
When blood stasis obstructs the chest, it produces stabbing, fixed pain that worsens at night or with pressure. Jiang Xiang's warm, pungent nature enters the Liver channel to invigorate blood circulation, while its ability to regulate Qi helps restore the smooth flow that prevents blood from pooling. Its dual action of moving stasis and relieving pain makes it particularly well suited for this pattern, where both Qi stagnation and blood stasis contribute to the chest pain.
A practitioner would look for one or more of these signs
Fixed, stabbing chest pain that worsens at night
Chest tightness and oppression with a stifling sensation
Palpitations with a dark or purplish tongue
Why Jiang Xiang addresses this pattern
When Qi stagnation and blood stasis coexist, pain tends to be both distending and stabbing, often in the flanks, chest, or epigastric region. Jiang Xiang addresses both aspects of this pattern: its pungent taste disperses stagnant Qi, while its warm nature enters the Liver and Spleen channels to invigorate blood flow. The simultaneous regulation of Qi and blood prevents a vicious cycle where stagnant Qi leads to more blood stasis and vice versa.
A practitioner would look for one or more of these signs
Pain along the flanks, often from emotional stress
Upper abdominal pain with a sense of fullness
Swelling and pain from physical trauma
Why Jiang Xiang addresses this pattern
In this pattern, blood stasis forces blood out of the vessels, causing bleeding that is dark in colour, often with clots. Jiang Xiang is uniquely suited because it both resolves the underlying stasis and stops the bleeding. Unlike pure hemostatic herbs that may trap more stasis, or pure blood-movers that may worsen bleeding, Jiang Xiang achieves a balanced effect. Its warm, pungent properties disperse old blood while its stasis-resolving action addresses the root cause of the hemorrhage.
A practitioner would look for one or more of these signs
Vomiting dark blood with clots
Nosebleeds with dark-coloured blood
Traumatic bleeding that is slow to stop
TCM Properties*
Warm
Acrid / Pungent (辛 xīn)
Heartwood (心材 xīn cái)
This is partial information on the herb's TCM properties. More detailed information is available on the herb's dedicated page
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.