ChuSauLei.Com Health & Healing - Common herbs for Trauma and a Rx for Trauma Wine by Robert Chu, L.Ac.

Health and Healing

Common herbs for Trauma and a Rx for Trauma Wine

by Robert Chu, L.Ac.

(Originally featured in California Journal of Oriental Medicine, Fall 2001)

What led me to a study of TCM was a lifelong practice of martial arts. In martial arts, aside from the artistic perfection of strikes, kicks, joint locking, throwing and ground fighting, the health giving benefits of opening up the channels and collaterals for qi flow, learning meditation to calm the mind, we specialize in trauma, both healing and inflicting.   My sifu said, "it's easy learn how to injure someone, but is difficult to learn how to heal someone." How correct he was. A punch to Ren 17 can have devastating effects, a kick to UB 40 can bring an attacker to his knees in practice. As a consequence, in order to survive the training, many martial arts teachers specialize in die da shang ke - literally "fall and strike traumatology", which are overlapped by TCM's wai ke (External diseases) and gu shang ke (Orthopedics and Traumatology). I was fortunate to be able to study the rudiments of die da shang ke under my Wing Chun sifu, Kwan Jong Yuen and my Hung Ga sifu, Yee Chi Wai.    Through the years I also met other famous martial artists and TCM doctors like Kenny Gong, Lui Yon Sang, Chan Tai Shan and others. My study of martial arts was interspersed with the study of traditional formulas for traumatology, including powders, wines, pastes, decoctions and pills, their applications, modifications and processing. Many martial artists are also known for their specialty in tui na, as basic exercises to develop the body in the tui na like Shaolin neigong (Internal training) or yi jin jing (Sinew Changing Classic) are part of the traditional martial arts. These exercises develop the limbs so that a martial artist trained in tui na can produce better results and a martial artist would probably know the body better than a non martial artist in movement and cause of injury.

In this article, I would like to introduce how to create a basic die da jiu (fall or strike wine) which can be used as a topical liniment for common contusions and bruises. Here is a list of herbs you will need:

Ru Xiang (Gummi Olibanum) 12 g

Mo Yao (Myrrh) 12 g

Chi Shao (Radix Paeoniae Rubra) 12 g

Mu Xiang (Radix Saussureae seu Vladimiriae) 12 g

Hong Hua (Flos Carthami Tinctorii) 9 g

Tao Ren (Semen Persicae) 9 g

Dang Gui Wei (Radix Angelicae Sinensis)12 g

Pu Huang (Pollen Typhae) 12 g

Da Huang Tan (Rhizoma Rhei - Charred) 9 g

Tian Qi (Radix Pseudoginseng) 12 g

Xue Ji (Sanguois Draconis) 9 g

Ding Xiang (Flos Caryophylli) 9 g

Those of you who know your Bensky Formulas, might recognize this Rx is very similar to qi li san (seven thousandths of a tael powder) from Liang fang ji ye (Small collection of fine Rx) or even the die da wan from Quan guo cheng yao chu fang ji (Collection of Country's Prepared Herbals) but addresses pain, blood movement and stop bleeding more. The measurements of the herbs is also different because this is more of an external use liniment. This Rx is fine for bruises, minor contusions, and sprains, but to make it a better Rx, we should modify the Rx according to our uses. For example, if there are broken bones, we should add Xu Duan (Radix Dipsaci Asperi), Wei Ling Xian (Radix Clematidis), and Tu Bie Chong (Eupolyphaga seu Opisthoplatia). If our focus is pain, add chuan xiong (Radix Ligustici), yan hu suo (Rhizoma Corydalis), yu jin (Curcumae), jiang huang (Rhozoma Curcumae Longae), ji xue teng (Radix et Caulis Jixueteng), san leng (Rhizoma Sparganii Stoloniferi) , mu tong (Caulis Mutong), di long (Lumbricus), su mu (Lignum Sappan), or wu ling zhi (Excrementum Trogopteri seu Pteromi) according to what your needs are. If there is pain in a certain area, we should add in Qiang Huo (Rhizoma et Radix Notopterygii) for the upper back, Du Huo (Radix Angelicae Pubecentis) for lower back, Bai Zhi (Radix Angelicae Dahuricae) for front of head, Tan Xiang (Lignum Sappan) for the chest, Niu Xi (Radix Achyrathis Bidentatae) to guide to the lower extremities, Xuan Fu Hua (Flos Inulae)to guide downwards, and Ma Huang (Herba Ephedrae) to guide upwards to the skin. We can even get more specific to use the guiding herbs enter particular channels by simply choosing herbs that go to that channel. For internal bleeding, add Di Yu (Radix Sanguisorbae Officinalis), Da Ji (Herba seu Radix Cirsii Japonici) and Xiao Ji (Herba Cephalanoploris). To make the Rx more fragrant to stop pain and open the orifices, add bing pian (Borneol) she xiang (Secret

Io Moschus Moschiferi) su he xiang (Styrax Liquidis), and to address wind, cold or damp Bi, you can also modify it with expel wind damp herbs, such as fang feng, gui zhi (Ramulus Cinnamoni) bai hua she (Agkistrodon seu Bungarus), hu gu (os tigris), lou shi teng (Caulis Trachelospermi Jasminoidis), hai feng teng (Caulis Piperis Futokadsurae), wu jia pi (Cortex Acanthopanacis Gracilistyli Radicis), and kuan jin teng (Flos Tussilaginis Farfarae). For more traumatic swellings, add Ban Xia (Rhizoma Pinelliae Ternatae), Chuan Wu (Radix Aconiti Carmichaeli), Cao Wu ( Radix Aconiti Kusnezoffii) and Tian Nan Xing (Rhizoma Arisaematis).

I caution the person who is not knowledgeable in herbology to not put all the ingredients together to form one "super die da jiu"! I'm not sure what he or she would create!   Look up the proper dosage of the herbs to use, and choose what you need and for what specific use in mind. Just for some background information, sometimes herbs are substituted for one another based on local availability and for financial reasons. Be wise in choosing what you need. For example, Hu Gu (Os tigris) may not be available because it is illegal. Wu Shao She (Zaocys Dhumnades) and Bai Hua She make fine substitutes (and no, you don't need both) and whichever is less expensive will work fine. Pregnant women should not touch or use this medicine.

All in all, one small Rx can turn into literally thousands of variations from one functional base of herbs in a Rx. When others boast their secret die da recipe is the original or more secret, they're simply blowing smoke and trying to say they're the best. It depends on what the function of the formula is for. I have a saying, "Let application be your guide; let function rule over form." It is applicable to medicine or martial arts.

You will also need a clean glass gallon bottle or jar and enough gin or vodka to fill a gallon.   If you prefer a more traditional approach, of equal parts alcohol and water, you may use 50% spring water and 50% Everclear grain alcohol to make one gallon.   Traditionally, mi jiu tou (rice wine head) is used - again, a gallon's worth, but the alcohol content is weaker than vodka or gin. One prepares the herbs by parching them through pan frying (no oil) in a wok or simply toasting all the herbs in a toaster oven to enhance the blood moving effect. No need to char them excessively, lest you lose all the active ingredients. Place the herbs in the container and pour the alcohol over the herbs. The alcohol used is always of a good drinking quality (ethyl alcohol), in cases where traumatic injury may be also internal. (Of course, if your die da jiu has poisonous ingredients, it would not do well to ingest it internally.) Beware of going the cheap route with isopropyl alcohol, you are simply making a poison batch of die da jiu. Traditionally, we never use isopropyl alcohol.   Seal the container so that it is air tight and date and mark the bottle, and store in a dark place. Shake the bottle occasionally. In about 3 - 4 months, your die da jiu will be ready and will be superior to any on the market because you made it and you know specifically what you designed it for.

The herbal wine you created can be used simply by massaging it in to the affected area, or for use with tui na. You can also use the wine in the technique of fire cupping (hou guan), by placing a small amount in a cup, just enough to wet the bottom, spread it evenly and ignite it, then apply to the affected area. In doing this, I would caution that practice and common sense be your guide - lest you burn and scar your patient and have a nice liability lawsuit on your hands.

This is a brief introduction to die da shang ke and the common herbs used. In future articles, I will focus on plasters, pills, decoctions, their applications and modifications and how to create them.

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