Red and hot joints according to Chinese Medicine
The information provided here is not a replacement for a doctor. You shouldn't use it for the purpose of self-diagnosing or self-medicating but rather so you can have a more informed discussion with a professional TCM practitioner.
Red and hot joints can be the consequence of several so-called “patterns of disharmony” in Chinese Medicine.
Chinese Medicine sees the body as a system, not a sum of isolated parts. A "pattern" is when the system's harmony is disrupted, leading to symptoms or signs that something is wrong (like red and hot joints here). It is similar to the concept of disease in Western Medicine but not quite: a Western disease can often be explained by several Chinese patterns and vice-versa.
A pattern often manifests itself in a combination of symptoms that, at first glance, do not seem necessarily related to each others. For instance here red and hot joints is often associated with fever, anxiety and aversion to wind in the pattern “Heat invading the Channels joints and muscles”.
Once identified, patterns are treated using medicinal herbs, acupuncture, and other therapies. In the case of red and hot joints we’ve identified that a herbal formula called Xuan Bi Tang can help treat the patterns behind the symptom.
Heat invading the Channels joints and muscles, a "pattern of disharmony" that can cause red and hot joints
In Chinese Medicine red and hot joints is a symptom for the pattern "Heat invading the Channels joints and muscles". Below is a small explanation for it with links for more details.
Stephania Roots (Fang Ji) is the king ingredient for Xuan Bi Tang, a formula used for Heat invading the Channels joints and muscles
Heat invading the Channels joints and muscles
Pulse type(s): Rapid (Shu), Slippery (Hua)
In addition to red and hot joints, other symptoms associated with Heat invading the Channels joints and muscles include fever, anxiety and aversion to wind.
Heat invading the Channels joints and muscles is often treated with Xuan Bi Tang, a herbal formula made of 9 herbs (including Stephania Roots - Fang Ji - as a key herb). Xuan Bi Tang belongs to the category of "formulas that dispel wind-damp", which might be why it is often recommended for this pattern. Its main action as a formula is: "Clears and resolves Damp-Heat".
Read more about Heat invading the Channels joints and muscles here
A herbal formula that might help with red and hot joints
Xuan Bi Tang
Source date: 1798 AD
Number of ingredients: 9 herbs
Key actions: Clears and resolves Damp-Heat. Unblocks the meridians. Disbands painful obstruction.
Why might Xuan Bi Tang help with red and hot joints?
Because it is a formula often recommended to treat the pattern 'Heat invading the Channels joints and muscles' of which joints red and hot is a symptom.
Stephania root might help with red and hot joints
Why might Stephania Root (Fang Ji) help with red and hot joints?
Because it is a key herb in Xuan Bi Tang, a herbal formula indicated to treat the pattern 'Heat invading the Channels joints and muscles' (a pattern with red and hot joints as a symptom)
Stephania Roots is a Cold herb that tastes Bitter. It targets the Bladder and the Lung.
Its main actions are: Encourages urination. Allays pain and dispels Wind-Damp painful obstruction (Bi Pain).