Chinese Herbalism
Sichuan teasel
Dipsacus asper
Also known as Himalayan teasel, Japanese teasel, teasel root, xu duan, xù duàn, chuān xù duàn.
Xu duan is the root of a tall teasel native to southwest China and the eastern Himalaya, cultivated mainly in Sichuan, Hubei and Yunnan. The name means 'restore what is broken', which states its reputation plainly: it is a warming tonic for the liver and kidney that is reached for whenever bones, sinews or the lower back need strengthening or mending. It sits among the yang tonics in the Chinese materia medica and is a standard component of formulas for injury, back pain and the securing of pregnancy.
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Indications what the tradition reached for it in
- Chronic low back and knee weakness and pain
- Fractures and slow bone healing
- Sprains, torn ligaments and tendon injury
- Osteoporosis (supportive)
- Wind-damp joint pain with underlying deficiency
- Threatened miscarriage with kidney deficiency (within TCM practice)
- Uterine bleeding and heavy menses from deficiency
- Spermatorrhea and urinary frequency from kidney deficiency
- Leg weakness in the elderly
Specific indications
A dull, weak, aching low back that worsens with standing and improves with rest and warmth, in a person who feels cold and tired
A fracture or ligament tear that is healing slowly in someone past middle age
Habitual miscarriage or a sore, heavy lower back in early pregnancy with a kidney deficiency picture, managed by an experienced TCM practitioner
Safety
The record lists 4 contraindications; open the plate in the library to read them in full.
In practice
Xu duan is one of the gentler kidney tonics: it warms without being hot and tonifies while still moving, so it suits old injuries, chronic low back pain and weak knees without the congestion heavier tonics can cause.
In Chinese medicine
Temperature: slightly warm. Taste: bitter, sweet, acrid. Channels: Liver, Kidney. Actions: Tonifies the Liver and Kidney and strengthens the sinews and bones; Promotes the mending of fractures and healing of traumatic injury; Moves the blood gently while stopping bleeding; Secures the Chong and Ren vessels and calms the fetus; Dispels wind-damp from the lower body.
Dosing as the sources wrote it
| Preparation | As written | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Decoction | 9-15 g dried root daily | 9000-15000 mg |
| Powder or granules | 2-4 g daily in divided doses | 2000-4000 mg |
| Tincture (1:5, 45%) | 2-4 mL three times daily | 2-4 mL |
Doses are reproduced from the sources for practitioners and are not a recommendation for any person.
From the sources
Overview. Xu duan is the root of a tall teasel native to southwest China and the eastern Himalaya, cultivated mainly in Sichuan, Hubei and Yunnan. The name means 'restore what is broken', which states its reputation plainly: it is a warming tonic for the liver and kidney that is reached for whenever bones, sinews or the lower back need strengthening or mending. It sits among the yang tonics in the Chinese materia medica and is a standard component of formulas for injury, back pain and the securing of pregnancy.
Clinical Notes. Xu duan is one of the gentler kidney tonics: it warms without being hot and tonifies while still moving, so it suits old injuries, chronic low back pain and weak knees without the congestion heavier tonics can cause.
Chinese Medicine Profile. Temperature: slightly warm. Taste: bitter, sweet, acrid. Channels: Liver, Kidney. Actions: Tonifies the Liver and Kidney and strengthens the sinews and bones; Promotes the mending of fractures and healing of traumatic injury; Moves the blood gently while stopping bleeding; Secures the Chong and Ren vessels and calms the fetus; Dispels wind-damp from the lower body.
In formulas
Sichuan teasel stands in 11 documented formulas in the library, among them shòu tài wán, sãn bì tāng, cháng ning tàng.
Often paired with
Chinese mistletoeTaxillus chinensis
Tu Si ZiCuscuta chinensis
GinsengPanax ginseng
RehmanniaRehmannia glutinosa
Licorice rootGlycyrrhiza glabra
Dong QuaiAngelica sinensisNearby on the shelf
Sichuan chinaberryMelia toosendan
Sichuan fritillaryFritillaria cirrhosa
Sichuan Lovage RhizomeLigusticum chuanxiong
Sichuan ox kneeCyathula officinalis
SicklepodSenna obtusifolia
Sickletop LousewortPedicularis racemosa
Silk treeAlbizia julibrissin
Silver cockscombCelosia argenteaThe whole plate is in the library. The compass, Compare, the Sky of eleven hundred plants and the formulary open with an email address and a password, free, with the formula builder and its safety engine. Herbert without limit, his formulating, clients, the handouts and the labels are the paid room.
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