[Chinese Medicine] learning experience (37) Essential Prescriptions for Pain Relief

The notes I compiled are based on the textbook "Prescriptions" of the University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and some prescriptions that I think are good. The prescriptions written are all my personal experience, and the analysis methods are mainly based on the six meridians and the viscera. I am not a medical professional, studying medicine is purely a hobby. It is normal if there are mistakes in the text.

(37) Prescription for pain relief
[Source] "Danxi Heart Method"

【Category】Liver and spleen synchronous agent

【Composition】Thirty-two fried Atractylodes macrocephala (9g), two two-liang stir-fried peony (6g), two halves of fried tangerine peel (4.5g), one or two Fangfeng (3g)

[Usage] File up, divide into eight posts, decoct in water or take pills (modern usage: decoct in water).

[Indications] Painful diarrhea due to spleen deficiency and liver depression. Borborygmus, abdominal pain, diarrhea, abdominal pain after diarrhea, pain after diarrhea, thin white tongue coating, irregular pulse, left string and right slow.

The main symptom of this prescription is "abdominal pain and diarrhea". Pain is dominated by the liver, and diarrhea is dominated by the spleen, so the applicable syndrome of this prescription is the syndrome of hyperactivity of the liver and deficiency of the spleen. Liver prosperity doesn’t mean that the liver’s qi and blood are very prosperous. How could such a good thing happen? This "prosperity" means that the evil spirit is very prosperous. The liver wood restrains the soil, and the spleen's solidifying function is limited, so diarrhea.

What is the evil spirit in the liver? It may be due to stagnation of the liver, or it may be due to exogenous wind-cold pathogens affecting the liver function, causing spasm of the small intestinal membrane, so that the intestines are leaked out of the body before they become dross. The ancients summed it up as: "The spleen is responsible for purging, and the liver is responsible for pain; the liver is responsible for the reality, the spleen is responsible for the deficiency; the spleen is deficient and the liver is full, so it causes painful diarrhea."

Therefore, in the prescription, white peony root softens the liver, relieves convulsions and relieves pain, and Atractylodes macrocephala strengthens the spleen. The two medicines combine together, one softens the liver and one strengthens the spleen, one makes wood and the other cultivates soil; tangerine peel regulates qi and strengthens the spleen; windproof has three functions: one is to relieve the exterior and cold, the other is to soothe the liver and relieve stagnation, and the third is to raise yang and lift depression.

Diarrhea in this syndrome is similar to diarrhea caused by interior cold. Doctors can easily differentiate the syndrome as Taiyin disease and use Sini Decoction and Lizhong Decoction. After patients take the medicine, the effect is often only temporary, but it is always easy to repeat. In fact, this syndrome belongs to Shaoyang disease and mild internal cold syndrome (excess and excess can be seen together), and the root cause of the disease must be eradicated only by treating the half surface and half interior.

If the internal cold is severe, and the symptom is watery stool, the syndrome is a combination of Shaoyang and Taiyin, and it is advisable to add psyllium seed, poria cocos, and dried ginger to warm the middle and divide the benefit.