About This Herb*
Traditional Chinese Medicine background and properties
Herb Description*
Qú Mài (fringed pink herb) is a cooling herb primarily used for urinary tract problems, including painful or difficult urination, urinary infections, and urinary stones. It works by clearing Heat and promoting urine flow. It also has a secondary ability to promote menstruation by moving stagnant Blood, but should be strictly avoided during pregnancy.
Herb Category*
Main Actions*
- Promotes Urination and Relieves Stranguria
- Clears Heat from the Heart and Small Intestine
- Invigorates Blood and Regulates Menstruation
- Clears Damp-Heat from the Lower Burner
How These Actions Work*
'Promotes urination and relieves stranguria' is the primary action of Qú Mài. Stranguria (lin syndrome) refers to painful, difficult, or dribbling urination, often with a burning sensation. Qú Mài's bitter and cold nature allows it to descend and drain, directing Heat downward and out through the urine. This makes it particularly effective for what TCM calls 'hot stranguria' (painful urination caused by Heat in the Bladder), 'blood stranguria' (blood in the urine from Heat forcing Blood out of the vessels), and 'stone stranguria' (urinary stones with painful blockage).
'Clears Heat from the Heart and Small Intestine' refers to the herb's ability to drain fire from the Heart channel downward via the Small Intestine to the Bladder. In TCM, the Heart and Small Intestine are paired organs connected by an interior-exterior relationship. When Heart Fire flares, it can transfer Heat to the Small Intestine and Bladder, causing dark scanty urine, mouth sores, and irritability. Qú Mài enters the Heart and Small Intestine channels and guides this Heat out through urination.
'Invigorates Blood and unblocks menstruation' is a secondary but clinically important action. Qú Mài can break through Blood stagnation in the lower body, making it useful for amenorrhea (missed periods) due to Blood stasis combined with Heat. Because of this Blood-moving action, it is strictly avoided during pregnancy, as it can stimulate uterine contractions and has historically been noted for its ability to cause miscarriage.
Patterns Addressed*
In TCM, symptoms cluster into recognizable patterns of disharmony that reveal what's out of balance in the body. Qu Mai 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 Qu Mai addresses this pattern
Qú Mài is one of the most direct herbs for Damp-Heat accumulating in the Bladder. Its bitter taste drains and dries Dampness, while its cold temperature clears Heat. It enters the Heart, Small Intestine, and Bladder channels, allowing it to clear Heat from the entire Heart-Small Intestine-Bladder axis and guide it downward and out through urination. This directly addresses the core pathomechanism of this pattern, where Damp-Heat obstructs the Bladder's function of transforming and excreting fluids, leading to painful, frequent, and turbid urination.
A practitioner would look for one or more of these signs
Burning, dribbling, or difficult urination (hot stranguria)
Frequent, urgent urination with turbid or dark urine
Blood in the urine due to Heat forcing Blood from the vessels
Lower abdominal fullness and urgency
Why Qu Mai addresses this pattern
Qú Mài's secondary action of invigorating Blood and unblocking menstruation addresses Blood Stasis in the lower body. Its bitter and cold nature allows it to break through stagnant Blood while simultaneously clearing any Heat that may accompany the stagnation. This makes it especially suitable when Blood Stasis is combined with Heat, as in cases of amenorrhea with signs of Heat (dark complexion, irritability, dark clotted menstrual blood). Classical texts describe it as being able to 'break Blood and move the menses' (破血通经).
A practitioner would look for one or more of these signs
Absence of menstruation due to Blood stasis with Heat
Irregular periods with dark, clotted blood
TCM Properties*
Cold
Bitter (苦 kǔ)
Whole plant / Aerial parts (全草 quán cǎo)
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.