Skip to content
Cura x Cura

Ge Gen Tang葛根汤

Kudzu Decoction (Pueraria Combination)

Releasing the Exterior 解表剂

Ingredients7 herbs

葛Ge Gen葛根12 g君 ChiefReleases the muscle layer and raises fluids to the taut neck and back麻Ma Huang麻黄9 g臣 DeputyOpens the pores and drives the cold out with sweat (omitted from ephedra-free retail versions)桂Gui Zhi桂枝6 g臣 DeputyWarms and frees the channels, assisting the release of cold白Bai Shao白芍6 g佐 AssistantPreserves yin and blood so the sweating does not deplete; softens the sinews生Sheng Jiang生姜9 g佐 AssistantAssists the dispersal of cold and settles the stomach大Da Zao大枣12 pieces佐 AssistantNourishes ying which, paired with ginger, keeps ying and wei in step炙Zhi Gan Cao炙甘草6 g使 EnvoyModerates the acrid herbs and harmonizes the formula

Indications

Releases the exterior and dispels wind-coldRaises fluids to relax the neck and upper back

Wind-cold excess at the exterior with the Taiyang channel obstructed: absent sweating, marked aversion to cold, and the characteristic rigidity running from the occiput down between the shoulder blades. The same formula covers the combined Taiyang–Yangming picture in which that exterior cold drives loose stools.

Clinical Manifestations

  • Wind-cold colds with stiff neck and shoulders
  • Occipital headache with chills and no sweating
  • Cervical and upper-back tension aggravated by cold
  • Early stiff-shoulder and torticollis presentations
  • Diarrhea arising with an unresolved exterior cold
TongueThin white moist coating
PulseFloating and tight

Health Categories

Digestive HealthBone & Joint HealthCold & Flu Relief

Modern Applications

Common coldNeck stiffnessCervical spondylosisTension headacheFrozen shoulderAcute gastroenteritis

Common adjustments

  • Vomiting rather than diarrhea — add Jiang Ban Xia 姜半夏 — Ge Gen Jia Ban Xia Tang
  • Neck and shoulder pain dominant, fever slight — add Qiang Huo 羌活; this is also how the ephedra-free commercial version is built
  • Sweating already present — this is no longer the pattern — use Gui Zhi Tang 桂枝汤, or Gui Zhi Jia Ge Gen Tang 桂枝加葛根汤 if the neck is stiff

Contraindications

Not for exterior patterns that are already sweating, nor for wind-heat. Ma Huang's stimulation makes the classical version unsuitable in hypertension, arrhythmia, hyperthyroidism, glaucoma and insomnia, and it is not combined with stimulant or MAOI medication; ephedra is barred from dietary supplements in the United States, which is why retail versions omit it.

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

Pregnancy

Not used in pregnancy as classically composed — Ma Huang's strong diaphoresis and stimulant action are avoided. An ephedra-free preparation may occasionally be appropriate, but only on a practitioner's judgment.

References

Source Shang Han Lun 《伤寒论》 · Eastern Han

「太阳病，项背强几几，无汗恶风，葛根汤主之。」
— 《伤寒论》(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.