四物汤 / Si Wu Tang
Treats the following symptoms:
Angelic Four first appeared in Lin Taoren’s “Secret Recipe of Treatment of Injure and bone fracture” of the Tang Dynasty and was later included in China’s first national pharmacopoeia “Tai Ping Formulas of welfare dispensary” in the Song Dynasty. Because Angelic Four has the effect of regulating Blood and nourishing Blood, it has the characteristics of “nourish without Stagnation, warm without Dryness, nourish Blood without leaving Stasis, and move Blood without hurting Blood“. It is widely used in Blood Deficiency and Blood Stasis Syndromes. Especially commonly used in gynaecology, as a common method of regulating menstruation, it is also known as “the first formula for women to nourish Blood“. It can be successfully used for the treatment of postnatal uterine bleeding, infertility, dysmenorrhoea, amenorrhoea and delayed menstruation, as well as chronic headache and migraine.
Modern research has an anti-anaemic effect, which can improve hematopoietic function, enhance immune function, improve the body’s ability to resist hypoxia, resist free radical damage and delay ageing. It can inhibit platelet aggregation and is anti-thrombosis. It can resist radiation damage and inhibit granulation proliferation. Angelic Four is also a traditional herbal diet, used to enhance physical fitness, especially women postpartum physical fitness.
Because Angelic Four ingredients have a relatively warm nature, pregnant women should use it with caution and only after evaluation by a practitioner. Yin Deficiency, Blood Heat, excessive menstruation and foetal movement and redness are not suitable for this formula.
Contra-indicated in pregnancy.
ABSENCE OF MENSTRUATION (AMENORRHOEA)
Typical symptoms:
absence of Menstruation (amenorrhoea)Disease description:
Menstruation refers to the days when the menstrual blood flows from the vagina. A cycle is the time from the first day of menstruation to the last day before the next menstruation. This is different for every woman but normally takes happens about every 21 to 35 days. Usually, menstrual bleeding occurs 28 days after the last period. Normally menstruation starts with heavier bleeding, which becomes lighter over the next few days. The light red blood becomes darker and darker. The menstrual period lasts three to six days and at the end, there may well be spotting with old, brownish blood. As a rule, women lose a total of about 50-60 millilitres of blood during menstruation.
Cycle disturbances or irregularities in the female cycle can occur, which relate to the frequency, duration and strength/heaviness of menstruation. They are normal immediately after the first menstrual period, as menstruation and hormonal changes must first settle down.
There are many causes of cycle disturbances. Since the cycle is hormonally controlled, hormonal disorders, as well as diseases of the female sexual organs, are most often the cause of changes. Moreover, medication, genetic disposition, physical or psychological stress can also be the cause of cycle problems.
Explanation according to the Traditional Chinese Medicine:
Amenorrhoea is a reflection of the overall dysfunction of the body. It involves the functions of the organs and the prosperity and weakness of Chong Ren Qi. There are many types of complex syndromes. But it can be summarized as Deficiency and Excess. Those with Deficiency are mostly due to lack of Liver and Kidney, Deficiency of Essence and Blood; or due to Weakness of Qi and Blood, and Blood Empty of the uterus.
An Excess pattern, mostly due to Stagnation of Qi and Blood Stasis, Phlegm and Dampness, blockades Chong and Ren, therefore menstrual blood can’t go down and causes amenorrhoea.
Possible syndromes causing these problems:
Qi, Blood and Kidney Deficiency
Recommended formulas to use:
Liver and Kidney Yin Deficiency
Recommended formulas to use:
Qi and Blood Stagnation
Recommended formulas to use:
Damp Retention
Recommended formulas to use:
CHRONIC HEADACHE AND MIGRAINE
Disease description:
A migraine attack can cause pulsating and throbbing headaches, lasting between a few hours and up to three days. They are usually on one side of the head and accompanying symptoms are nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, as well as sensitivity to light, noise and smell. Migraines can occur with or without the so-called “aura”. This precedes the headaches and is usually caused by visual disturbances. A combination of factors such as lifestyle, diet and family predisposition can lead to a migraine attack with intense headaches.
Chronic headaches due to excessive muscle tension can be caused by persistent incorrect strain or psychological factors. Tension headaches are more likely to cause pulling pain or pressure pain, severe restrictions in everyday life and high psychological stress, as well as high internal tension.
Explanation according to the Traditional Chinese Medicine:
Chinese medicine says that “head is the meeting place of all Yang meridians”, “the brain is the sea of the marrow”, it means that all Internal Organs send Essence and Blood to the head. Because of this close relationship, factors that imbalance organs can be the cause of headaches. Although the symptoms are in the head, it is closely related to Liver, Spleen and Kidney. Headache can also be a cause of External Wind or Invading Cold. To be summarized there are two types of headache, the External caused and Internal caused.
Possible syndromes causing these problems:
Wind-Cold Headache
For headaches with an unclear cause, Wind-Cold can be the reason with signs of headaches and stiffness on the occiput, stiff back and neck, body aches, aversion to cold, runny nose, headache worse when exposed to wind or when the season/ weather changes.
Recommended formulas to use:
Liver Yang Rising
Intense, severe, throbbing, expanding pain; pulsating and pounding in the Gallbladder Meridian, temples, eyebrows or behind one or both eyes; better sitting up, nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances, ‘flashing lights’, dizziness, dry throat, insomnia, irritability.
Clear Hyperyang alternatively Relieve Interior Wind
Recommended formulas to use:
Blood Stagnation
Recommended formulas to use:
Damp Retention
Damp prevents Clear Yang from rising to brighten the sense orifices, turbid Yin fails to descend: head feels ‘wrapped in a towel’; dull, heavy, difficulty thinking, affecting whole head or forehead, sinusitis, nausea, chest fullness.
Recommended formulas to use:
Qi and Blood Deficiency
Deficient Qi fails to ascend, Blood fails to nourish brain and patient feels a dull headache on whole head or forehead, better for rest, worse for overwork, better lying down, poor appetite, tired, loose stools, poor concentration.
Recommended formulas to use:
INFERTILITY
Disease description:
If a woman does not become pregnant for at least a year, despite the desire for children and unprotected sexual intercourse, medicine uses the term infertility. The causes of infertility are various. Because becoming pregnant is influenced by several factors, a disturbance to a single factor can lead to sterility in a woman. The most common reasons for infertility are either from disturbances in the interplay of hormones, the lifestyle one lives or organic diseases. For example, male hormones are produced in the fatty tissue of the female body, being overweight can thus lead to an imbalance of hormones. The consumption of alcohol, nicotine and drugs can harm fertility. Organic causes include adhesions and knots, myomas and endometriosis.
Explanation according to the Traditional Chinese Medicine:
Chinese medicine believes that the mechanism of conception is depending on a strong Kidney Qi, sufficient Blood and Essence and a smooth flow of Ren and Chong Meridians for the monthly period to be on schedule and the good connection of the two Essences (sperm and egg) to conceive. With genetic insufficiency, injury from emotions, life imbalance or External Pathogens, the organs can become dysfunctional and Qi and Blood become disharmonized. They won’t be able to lead to pregnancy in the female body. The pathogenesis is mainly manifested in Kidney Deficiency, Liver Depression, Phlegm Dampness, Blood Stasis and Blood Deficiency.
Possible syndromes causing these problems:
Treatment Plan (for 2-3 Months)
Step 1: During Period (clearing up stagnation and letting the blood flow)
Angelic Four + Expel Uterus Stagnation
Step 2: After Period (preparing and strengthening the body for ovulation)
Angelic Four + Nourish Root Yin
Step 3: Ovulation Time (increasing blood flow)
Angelic Four + Merry Life or Smooth Liver
Step 4: After Ovulation Time (warming up the body)
Angelic Four + Yu Lin Zhu or Tonic Yang
Repeat and start again with Step 1.
After Becoming Pregnant
Once become pregnant, keep taking immediately double to triple dosage of An Tai Bao until beginning of 4. Month of pregnancy to avoid miscarriage.
Recommended formulas to use:
LATE OR DELAYED MENSTRUATION (CYCLE LONGER THAN 35 DAYS)
Typical symptoms:
late menstruationDisease description:
Menstruation refers to the days when the menstrual blood flows from the vagina. A cycle is the time from the first day of menstruation to the last day before the next menstruation. This is different for every woman but normally takes happens about every 21 to 35 days. Usually, menstrual bleeding occurs 28 days after the last period. Normally menstruation starts with heavier bleeding, which becomes lighter over the next few days. The light red blood becomes darker and darker. The menstrual period lasts three to six days and at the end, there may well be spotting with old, brownish blood. As a rule, women lose a total of about 50-60 millilitres of blood during menstruation.
Cycle disturbances or irregularities in the female cycle can occur, which relate to the frequency, duration and strength/heaviness of menstruation. They are normal immediately after the first menstrual period, as menstruation and hormonal changes must first settle down.
There are many causes of cycle disturbances. Since the cycle is hormonally controlled, hormonal disorders, as well as diseases of the female sexual organs, are most often the cause of changes. Moreover, medication, genetic disposition, physical or psychological stress can also be the cause of cycle problems.
Explanation according to the Traditional Chinese Medicine:
Late or delayed Menstruation may be a Deficiency Syndrome or Excess Syndrome. The Deficiency Syndrome is due to insufficient Qi and Blood and menstrual blood can’t flow on time. Excess Syndrome means that the Meridians are impassable due to Stagnation or Cold and the Qi Blood are not running smoothly.
Possible syndromes causing these problems:
Blood and Yin Deficiency
Recommended formulas to use:
Liver Qi Stagnation
Recommended formulas to use:
Kidney Yang Deficiency
Late periods, scanty pale blood, back pain, nocturia, dizziness, a feeling of cold, fatigue, low libido.
generally: Tonic Yang
if very tired or very cold feeling: Way to Right
Recommended formulas to use:
PERIOD PAIN (DYSMENORRHOEA)
Typical symptoms:
period pain (dysmenorrhoea)Disease description:
Menstruation refers to the days when the menstrual blood flows from the vagina. A cycle is the time from the first day of menstruation to the last day before the next menstruation. This is different for every woman but normally takes happens about every 21 to 35 days. Usually, menstrual bleeding occurs 28 days after the last period. Normally menstruation starts with heavier bleeding, which becomes lighter over the next few days. The light red blood becomes darker and darker. The menstrual period lasts three to six days and at the end, there may well be spotting with old, brownish blood. As a rule, women lose a total of about 50-60 millilitres of blood during menstruation.
Cycle disturbances or irregularities in the female cycle can occur, which relate to the frequency, duration and strength/heaviness of menstruation. They are normal immediately after the first menstrual period, as menstruation and hormonal changes must first settle down.
There are many causes of cycle disturbances. Since the cycle is hormonally controlled, hormonal disorders, as well as diseases of the female sexual organs, are most often the cause of changes. Moreover, medication, genetic disposition, physical or psychological stress can also be the cause of cycle problems.
Explanation according to the Traditional Chinese Medicine:
Chinese medicine summarizes the pathological mechanism of period pain into two sentences: “Stagnation is pain” and “lost in Nourishment is pain”. “Stagnation is pain” means that the Qi and Blood of Chong and RenMeridians and Uterine are not running smoothly, or the Cold Evil further causes Stagnation.
“Lost in Nourishment is pain” refers to the weakness of Qi and Blood, which results in the failure to Nourish the Qi and Blood of Chong and Ren Meridians and Uterine.
Possible syndromes causing these problems:
Qi Stagnation
Recommended formulas to use:
Blood Stagnation
Stabbing pain, dark blood with large clots, pain better after passing clots, restlessness.