Warm, Spicy Herbs that Release the Exterior
Fang Feng 防风
Radix Ledebouriellae Divaricatae Ledebouriella Root
✓ CALE Exam ✓ National Exam
Materia Medica Data
- Temperature
- Slightly Warm
- Nature & Flavour
- Spicy, Sweet, Slightly Warm
- Channels Entered
- BL, LIV, SP
- Latin (pharmaceutical)
- Radix Ledebouriellae Divaricatae
- Chinese
- 防风
- Tone Marks
- fáng fēng
- Translation
- Guard Against Wind
Chinese Herb Actions
- Releases the Exterior and Stops Wind For common cold with headache, body aches, and stiff neck.
- Dispels Wind, Cold, and Damp Conditions For exterior Wind-Damp painful obstruction, cold and dampness.
- Stops Spasms Associated with Wind Used with other herbs to stop trembling. Also used for wind due to Liver/Spleen disharmony resulting in recurrent, painful diarrhea with Blood in the stool. Use for migraine headaches.
Chinese Herb Dosage
- 3-9 grams.
- Part used: root.
Chinese Herb Contraindications & Cautions
- Caution in patients with Yin and blood Deficiency causing spasms or heat. Traditionally not used with Rhizoma Zingiberis Officinalis (gan jiang), Rhizoma et Radix Veratri (li lu), and Rhizoma Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae (bei xie).
Chinese Herb Notes
- Use with caution in patient's with internal wind, such as Parkinson's disease.
Sources & References
Compiled and edited by Thomas Dehli, Founder & Editor, Sacred Lotus
The information here is referenced from numerous sources — teachers, practitioners, class notes from Five Branches University, the books below, and the published research literature, with citations given as resolvable PubMed identifiers. Where sources disagree, I have flagged the discrepancies directly. If facts couldn't be verified, I have left them out. How we source our content.
Reference information for students and practitioners — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner. Terms of use.
Chinese Herbs Books & References
https://amzn.to/3WfB3DK
https://amzn.to/3DR1VUh
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