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Cura x Cura

Sang Zhi桑枝

Mori Ramulus · Mulberry Twig

Herbs that Dispel Wind-Dampness 祛风湿药《本草图经》

Overview

The young twigs of the white mulberry, cut in late spring while still tender and sliced across into discs. Slightly bitter and neutral, entering the Liver, it is the mildest herb in the wind-damp group and the one chosen for the upper body — shoulders, arms, elbows and hands, where its branch-like form has long been read as matching the limbs it treats. Being neutral, it can be added to a hot painful obstruction or a cold one without pulling the prescription in either direction, which is why it appears so often as a supporting herb. Dry-frying makes it gentler still; wine-frying warms it and sharpens the channel-freeing action for fixed, cold pain.

Nature & Flavor

slightly bitter · Neutral

Channels

Liver

Typical Dosage

9–15 g in decoction
桑枝Photography for this entry is on its way.

Actions

4 core actions

  • Dispels wind-damp, frees the jointsAching, stiff or swollen joints, especially of the shoulders, arms and hands; stiffness that is worse on waking and eases with movement.
  • Frees the channels of the limbsNumbness, pins and needles, and a heavy, poorly moving arm — including the shoulder that has stiffened after an injury or a long period of disuse.
  • Mildly promotes urinationA secondary action, used for slight puffiness of the limbs accompanying joint complaints rather than for oedema in its own right.
  • Processed formsThe dry-fried twig is gentler on a weak stomach; the wine-fried twig is warmer and moves more freely, and is preferred when the pain is fixed and worse in the cold.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Sang Zhi

No published formula lists this herb yet — the library is growing.

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Wind-damp painful obstruction of the shoulders, arms and hands
    - Joint stiffness and swelling, worse in damp weather
    - Numbness and heaviness of the upper limbs
    - Slight puffiness of the limbs with joint complaints

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

Frozen shoulderRheumatoid arthritisOsteoarthritisUpper limb pain

Contraindications

Cautions

A mild herb with no recorded toxicity and no allergy flag in our dispensary data, which is also its limitation: on its own it rarely resolves an established joint disease, and it is normally one component of a prescription rather than the treatment. A hot, red, acutely swollen joint, a joint that will not bear weight, or joint pain with fever needs a medical diagnosis — infection, gout and inflammatory arthritis are treated very differently. Because it is bland and near-neutral it is often given in large amounts; even so, stay inside the range the practitioner has dispensed.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: No specific restriction — practitioner judgment applies

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
    2. 《中华人民共和国药典》.
    3. Cura x Cura dispensary monograph record.

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.