Xuan Bi Tang宣痹汤

Disband Painful Obstruction Decoction

Expelling Dampness 祛湿剂Clear Heat and Expel Damp 清热祛湿

Ingredients9 herbs

HerbDosageWhat it does in this formula

防Fang Ji防己Stephaniae Tetrandrae Radix15gDrains damp-heat out of the channels and relieves painful obstruction — Stephania tetrandra only 杏Xing Ren杏仁Armeniacae Amarum Semen15gOpens Lung qi so the whole qi dynamic, and the damp with it, can move 滑Hua Shi滑石Talcum15gLeads damp-heat out through the urine 连Lian Qiao连翘Forsythiae Fructus9gClears heat toxin and disperses swelling

山Zhi Zi山栀Gardeniae Fructus9gDrains the heat downward and out through the urine

薏薏苡15g

半Zhi Ban Xia半夏醋炒Pinelliae Rhizoma praeparatum9gVinegar-fried here — dries damp and helps free the channels

晚晚蚕砂9g

赤赤小豆皮乃五谷中之赤小豆，味酸肉赤，凉水浸取皮用9g

Indications

Clears heat and drains dampFrees the channels and collateralsRelieves joint pain and swellingDisperses damp-heat painful obstruction

Damp-heat painful obstruction: damp and heat steam together and lodge in the channels and joints, so the pain is hot and swollen rather than cold and contracted.

Clinical Manifestations

Hot, swollen, painful joints
Damp-heat painful obstruction with fever and shivering
Joint pain worse in humid heat
Aching with a sallow complexion and dark scanty urine
Gouty or inflammatory arthritis presenting as damp-heat

TongueGrey-sallow or yellow greasy coating

PulseSoggy and rapid

Health Categories

Bone & Joint HealthCold & Flu Relief

Modern Applications

Rheumatoid arthritis Gout Reactive arthritis Joint effusion Rheumatic fever

Common adjustments

Pain is severe — add Jiang Huang 姜黄 and Hai Tong Pi 海桐皮
Heat is marked with high fever — add Shi Gao 石膏 and Zhi Mu 知母
Swelling is marked — increase Yi Yi Ren 薏苡仁 and add Che Qian Zi 车前子
The lower limbs are chiefly affected — add Huai Niu Xi 怀牛膝 and Huang Bai 黄柏

Contraindications

Only for the hot, swollen kind of painful obstruction. Cold painful obstruction — pain relieved by warmth, worse in cold, with a white coating — is made worse by this cooling formula. Fang Ji caution: the herb used must be Han Fang Ji / Fen Fang Ji (Stephania tetrandra). Guang Fang Ji (Aristolochia fangchi) contains aristolochic acid and causes irreversible kidney failure and urinary tract cancer; it is banned and must never be substituted, and any product whose label does not specify the species should be refused. Persistent hot swollen joints need a medical diagnosis — septic arthritis and gout both present this way.

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

Pregnancy

Use with caution in pregnancy — the formula is cold and draining and contains Fang Ji and a large dose of Yi Yi Ren. Prescribe only on a practitioner's assessment.

Related Formulas

Dang Gui Nian Tong Tang当归拈痛汤

References

Source Wen Bing Tiao Bian 《温病条辨》 · Qing

「湿聚热蒸，蕴于经络，寒战热炽，骨骱烦疼，舌色灰滞，面目痿黄，病名湿痹，宣痹汤主之。」
— 《温病条辨》(classical source, public domain)

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）— 附方 note and 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.