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.
Swollen 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 swollen 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 swollen joints is often associated with joint pain, numbness of the muscles and stiff neck in the pattern “Cold invading the Channels joints and muscles”. As you will see below, we have in record four patterns that can cause swollen joints.
Once identified, patterns are treated using medicinal herbs, acupuncture, and other therapies. In the case of swollen joints we’ve identified four herbal formulas that may help treat patterns behind the symptom.
We’ve also selected below the five medicinal herbs that we think are most likely to help treat swollen joints.
The four "patterns of disharmony" that can cause swollen joints
In Chinese Medicine swollen joints is a symptom for 4 patterns that we have on record. Below is a small explanation for each of them with links for more details.
Prepared Sichuan Aconite (Zhi Chuan Wu) is the king ingredient for Wu Tou Tang, a formula used for Cold invading the Channels joints and muscles
Cold invading the Channels joints and muscles
Pulse type(s): Tight (Jin), Floating (Fu)
In addition to swollen joints, other symptoms associated with Cold invading the Channels joints and muscles include joint pain, numbness of the muscles and stiff neck.
Cold invading the Channels joints and muscles is often treated with Wu Tou Tang, a herbal formula made of 6 herbs (including Prepared Sichuan Aconite - Zhi Chuan Wu - as a key herb). Wu Tou Tang belongs to the category of "formulas that warm the meridians and disperse cold", which might be why it is often recommended for this pattern. Its main action as a formula is: "Warms the channels and remove obstruaction".
Read more about Cold invading the Channels joints and muscles here
Notopterygium Roots (Qiang Huo) is the king ingredient for Qiang Huo Sheng Shi Tang, a formula used for Damp-Wind
Damp-Wind
Pulse type(s): Slippery (Hua), Floating (Fu)
In addition to swollen joints, other symptoms associated with Damp-Wind include fever, aversion to cold and swollen neck glands.
Damp-Wind is often treated with Qiang Huo Sheng Shi Tang, a herbal formula made of 7 herbs (including Notopterygium Roots - Qiang Huo - as a key herb). Qiang Huo Sheng Shi 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: "Expels wind and dampness".
Dong Quai (Dang Gui) is the king ingredient for Shu Jing Huo Xue Tang, a formula used for Dampness invading the Channels joints and muscles
Dampness invading the Channels joints and muscles
Pulse type(s): Slow (Chi), Soggy (Ru)
In addition to swollen joints, other symptoms associated with Dampness invading the Channels joints and muscles include joint pain.
Dampness invading the Channels joints and muscles is often treated with Shu Jing Huo Xue Tang, a herbal formula made of 16 herbs (including Dong Quai - Dang Gui - as a key herb). Shu Jing Huo Xue Tang belongs to the category of "formulas that invigorate blood and dispel blood stagnation", which might be why it is often recommended for this pattern. Its main action as a formula is: "Expels Wind Damp from the Channels".
Read more about Dampness invading the Channels joints and muscles here
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 swollen 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
Four herbal formulas that might help with swollen joints
Wu Tou Tang
Source date: 220 AD
Number of ingredients: 6 herbs
Key actions: Warms the channels and remove obstruaction. Disperse Cold and Dampness. Warms the joints. Relieve joints pain.
Why might Wu Tou Tang help with swollen joints?
Because it is a formula often recommended to treat the pattern 'Cold invading the Channels joints and muscles' of which swollen joints is a symptom.
Other symptoms characteristic of Cold Invading The Channels Joints And Muscles include joint pain, numbness of the muscles and stiff neck.
Qiang Huo Sheng Shi Tang
Why might Qiang Huo Sheng Shi Tang help with swollen joints?
Because it is a formula often recommended to treat the pattern 'Damp-Wind' of which swollen joints is a symptom.
Other symptoms characteristic of Damp-Wind include fever, aversion to cold and swollen neck glands.
Shu Jing Huo Xue Tang
Source date: 1587 AD
Number of ingredients: 16 herbs
Key actions: Expels Wind Damp from the Channels. Invigorates Blood. Unblocks the channels.
Why might Shu Jing Huo Xue Tang help with swollen joints?
Because it is a formula often recommended to treat the pattern 'Dampness invading the Channels joints and muscles' of which swollen joints is a symptom.
Other symptoms characteristic of Dampness Invading The Channels Joints And Muscles include joint pain.
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 swollen joints?
Because it is a formula often recommended to treat the pattern 'Heat invading the Channels joints and muscles' of which swollen joints is a symptom.
Other symptoms characteristic of Heat Invading The Channels Joints And Muscles include fever, anxiety and aversion to wind.
The five Chinese Medicinal herbs most likely to help treat swollen joints
Why might Liquorice (Gan Cao) help with swollen joints?
Because Liquorice is an ingredient in several formulas indicated to treat swollen joints as a symptom, like Wu Tou Tang or Qiang Huo Sheng Shi Tang for instance.
Liquorice is a Neutral herb that tastes Sweet. It targets the Spleen, the Stomach, the Heart and the Lung.
Its main actions are: Tonifies the Basal Qi and nourishes the Spleen Qi. Clears Heat and dispels toxicity. Moistens the Lungsexpel phlegm and stop coughing. Relieves spasms and alleviates pain. Harmonizes and moderates the effects of other herbs.
Why might Stephania Root (Fang Ji) help with swollen joints?
Because Stephania Root is an ingredient in several formulas indicated to treat swollen joints as a symptom, like Shu Jing Huo Xue Tang or Xuan Bi Tang for instance.
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).
Why might Szechuan Lovage Root (Chuan Xiong) help with swollen joints?
Because Szechuan Lovage Root is an ingredient in several formulas indicated to treat swollen joints as a symptom, like Shu Jing Huo Xue Tang or Qiang Huo Sheng Shi Tang for instance.
Szechuan Lovage Roots is a Warm herb that tastes Pungent. It targets the Gallbladder, the Liver and the Pericardium.
Its main actions are: Regulates and moves the Blood. Relieves Wind-Cold and pain. Circulates the Qi in the Upper Burner, relieving headaches.
Why might White Peony Root (Bai Shao) help with swollen joints?
Because White Peony Root is an ingredient in several formulas indicated to treat swollen joints as a symptom, like Wu Tou Tang or Shu Jing Huo Xue Tang for instance.
White Peony Roots is a Neutral herb that tastes Bitter and Sour. It targets the Spleen and the Liver.
Its main actions are: Tonifies the Blood and preserves the Yin. Nourishes the Liver and assists in the smooth flow of Qi. Regulates the meridians and eases the pain.
Why might Saposhnikovia Root (Fang Feng) help with swollen joints?
Because Saposhnikovia Root is an ingredient in several formulas indicated to treat swollen joints as a symptom, like Qiang Huo Sheng Shi Tang or Shu Jing Huo Xue Tang for instance.
Saposhnikovia Roots is a Warm herb that tastes Pungent and Sweet. It targets the Bladder, the Spleen and the Liver.
Its main actions are: Relieves the Exterior and disperses Cold. Relieves Wind-Damp-Cold painful obstruction. Disperses Wind.
Other symptoms often associated with swollen joints
Joint pain Fever Numbness of the muscles Stiff neck Aversion to cold Swollen neck glands Nausea Occipital stiffness Body aches Feeling of heaviness