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Fu Yuan Huo Xue Tang复元活血汤

Revive Health by Invigorating the Blood Decoction

Regulating Blood 理血剂Invigorate Blood and Dispel Stasis 活血祛瘀

Ingredients8 herbs

柴Chai Hu柴胡15g君 ChiefSpreads Liver qi and carries the formula into the hypochondrium
瓜瓜蒌根9g佐 Assistant
当Dang Gui当归9g佐 AssistantNourishes blood so that breaking stasis does not deplete it红Hong Hua红花6g臣 DeputyInvigorates the blood and disperses the bruise甘Gan Cao甘草6g使 EnvoyEases the urgency of pain and harmonizes the harsh herbs
穿Chuan Shan Jia穿山甲炮6g臣 DeputyClassically used to break through the collaterals and disperse induration; CITES-protected and omitted from the modern preparation
大Da Huang大黄酒浸30g君 ChiefSweeps congealed blood downward and gives the stasis an exit through the stool桃Tao Ren桃仁酒浸，去皮尖，研如泥15g臣 DeputyBreaks stasis and reduces the swelling of injury

Indications

Invigorates the blood and dispels stasisSpreads Liver qi and frees the collateralsRelieves fixed traumatic painGuides static blood out through the stool

Static blood lodged in the hypochondrium after external injury. Trauma breaks the vessels, blood leaves them and congeals in the Liver's territory, and the qi that ought to move it is itself constrained by the pain.

Clinical Manifestations

  • Hypochondriac pain after a fall or a blow
  • Fixed stabbing chest or rib pain following trauma
  • Bruising with local swelling that will not resolve
  • Post-traumatic pain worse on turning, coughing or deep breath
  • Soft-tissue injury with palpable induration at the site
TongueDark or purplish, sometimes with stasis spots
PulseWiry and choppy

Health Categories

Bone & Joint Health

Modern Applications

Blunt traumaRib contusionSoft tissue injuryHematomaPost-traumatic pain

Common adjustments

  • Severe pain — add Yan Hu Suo 延胡索, or the pair Ru Xiang 乳香 and Mo Yao 没药
  • Once the bowels have moved and the acute stasis has passed — reduce or remove Da Huang 大黄 — it is not intended for continued use
  • Weak constitution or underlying blood deficiency — increase Dang Gui 当归 and add Dan Shen 丹参 so the stasis is moved without draining the patient
  • Injury lower down, in the lumbar region or legs — add Chuan Niu Xi 川牛膝 to draw the action downward
  • Pangolin scale omitted, as in the modern preparation — practitioners substitute other collateral-opening, stasis-breaking herbs according to the pattern rather than sourcing the protected material

Contraindications

Contraindicated in pregnancy. This is a short-course formula: wine-treated rhubarb purges, and continued use injures the middle burner — stop once the static blood has moved. Use cautiously and only with supervision in frail, elderly or blood-deficient patients. It is not a treatment for active internal bleeding, a suspected fracture or organ injury, all of which need urgent conventional assessment. Discuss with the prescriber if the patient takes an anticoagulant or antiplatelet drug such as warfarin.

For licensed practitioners’ reference only — not a self-treatment guide.

Pregnancy

Contraindicated in pregnancy — wine-treated rhubarb, peach kernel and safflower all move blood strongly and are pregnancy-restricted.

Related Formulas

References

Source Yi Xue Fa Ming 《医学发明》 · Jin

「治从高坠下，恶血留于胁下，及疼痛不可忍。」
— 《医学发明》(classical source, public domain)
  1. Classical source (public domain), cited in the source-quote section.
    2. Scheid, Bensky, Ellis & Barolet. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas & Strategies, 2nd ed. — composition & dosage cross-checked.
    3. 《方剂学》（全国中医药行业高等教育规划教材）— pattern analysis cross-checked.

Professional reference notice. Entries are scholarly references for licensed TCM practitioners and students — not medical advice, and not a recommendation to self-prescribe. Chinese herbal formulas should be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Content is an original editorial compilation by Cura x Cura, cross-checked against the cited references.