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Cura x Cura

Du Zhong杜仲

Eucommiae Cortex · Eucommia Bark

Herbs that Tonify the Yang 补阳药《神农本草经》

Overview

Sweet and warm, entering the Liver and Kidney, Du Zhong is the standard herb for a low back and knees that ache, give way or stiffen after standing — it tonifies the yang while genuinely strengthening sinew and bone, not merely warming. It is equally established for calming a restless fetus in pregnancy. Snapping a piece shows the rubbery white threads that give it its character, and that dictate how it is prepared.

Nature & Flavor

Sweet · Warm

Channels

Liver · Kidney

Typical Dosage

10–15 g in decoction
杜仲Photography for this entry is on its way.

Actions

4 core actions

  • Tonifies Liver and Kidney, strengthens sinew and boneSore, weak low back and knees, legs that tire quickly, stiffness after exertion, weakness in the elderly and slow recovery from bone injury.
  • Calms the fetusRestless fetus, lumbar ache and threatened miscarriage in pregnancy on a Kidney-deficient background — classically with Xu Duan 续断 and Sang Ji Sheng 桑寄生.
  • Anchors rising yang from its deficient rootDizziness, headache and tinnitus where Liver–Kidney depletion underlies the upward movement; modern practice keeps it in formulas for that presentation.
  • Dry-fried Eucommia Du ZhongThe raw bark is laced with rubbery gutta-percha strands that lock its actives in place. Dry-frying — or salt-frying — until those threads break,, gives a far better decoction and points the herb more firmly at the Kidney; the fried bark is what most low-back and knee prescriptions use. Raw bark is reserved for the less common cases where a lighter, less concentrated effect is wanted.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Du Zhong

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Aching, weak low back and knees; legs that give way
    - Threatened miscarriage with lumbar ache in Kidney deficiency
    - Dizziness and tinnitus rooted in Liver–Kidney depletion
    - Slow recovery from bone and sinew injury

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

Low back painOsteoporosisThreatened miscarriageHypertension

Contraindications

Cautions

Warm and consolidating: not suitable on its own where yin deficiency has produced heat — night sweats, flushing, a red tongue with little coating. Use the fried bark unless there is a specific reason not to; raw bark simply gives up less.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: Classically used during pregnancy to calm a restless fetus — practitioner supervision required.

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing《神农本草经》(classical source, public domain).
    2. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
    3. 《中华人民共和国药典》.

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.