Shao Yao Gan Cao Tang, Peony and Licorice Decoction, pairs Shao Yao with Zhi Gan Cao. The record credits it with softening the Liver and relaxing spasm to stop pain, and with nourishing Blood and Yin.

Herb

Amount

shao yao

12 g

zhi gan cao

12 g

Actions and indications

Nourishes Blood and Yin

Blood and Yin deficiency leaving the sinews unnourished
Calf pain from deficient Blood or injured fluids
Insufficiency of both Yin and Yang
Weakness of the legs

Softens the Liver and relaxes spasm to stop pain

Painful cramps that suddenly seize the calves and legs, mostly at rest or during the night, and ease with warmth or pressure
Cramping of the hands, and abdominal pain that eases with pressure
Hypertonic limbs that are hard to bend and straighten
Severe spasm pain of the stomach, bronchi, gallbladder, uterus or intestines
Pulling pain of the head, body or limbs from arterial spasm
Sciatic pain and shoulder pain
Irritability with slight chills
Tongue normal, reddish or pale, with no coat or a yellowish one; pulse wiry and rapid, thin and rapid, or thin and wiry

Harmonizes the Liver and Spleen and the Middle Jiao

Liver and Spleen out of harmony
Constipation, diarrhea or vomiting
Cough, wheezing or hiccup

Modern uses

Nocturnal leg cramps in people on hemodialysis
Lumbar spinal stenosis cramps
Cramping calf muscles
Calf spasm
Systremma
Restless leg syndrome
Muscle spasms in the waist and back
Pain and discomfort from spasm of skeletal muscles, ligaments and related tissues
Fibromyalgia
Muscular rheumatism
Rheumatoid arthritis
Acute lumbar strain
Lumbago
Cervical spine syndrome
Cervical spondylosis
Disc disease
Hyperosteogeny
Spinal osteophytes
Heel pain
Femoral head necrosis
Frozen shoulder
Periarthritis of the shoulder
Palsy in the legs
Post-stroke contractures
Neuralgia
Intercostal neuralgia
Sciatica
Trigeminal neuralgia
Post-herpetic neuralgia
Diabetic neuropathy
Facial tics
Essential tremors
Parkinson's disease
Bruxism
Convulsions
Night terrors
Noctiphobia
Gastric spasm
Intestinal cramps
Gastrointestinal spasm of the irritable-bowel type
Abdominal pain
Chronic gastritis
Atrophic gastritis
Peptic ulcers
Indigestion
Colitis
Chronic colitis
Ulcerative colitis
Bacillary dysentery
Habitual constipation
Intestinal adhesions
Anal fissures
Hemorrhoid pain
Hernia pain
Biliary colic
Cholelithiasis pain
Chronic hepatitis
End-stage hepatic carcinoma
Chronic pancreatitis
Upper gastrointestinal bleeding
Renal colic
Nephrolithiasis pain
Urolithiasis pain
Bladder pain
Dysuria
Enuresis
Primary dysmenorrhea
Chronic pelvic inflammatory disease
Perimenopause with uterine leiomyoma
Drug-induced menopause
Threatened miscarriage
Infertility
Hypertestosteronemia
Vaginismus
Acute mastitis
Impotence from raised prolactin
Priapism
Bronchial asthma
Spasmodic cough
Pertussis
Laryngeal spasm
Recalcitrant hiccups
Bronchiectasis
Coronary artery disease
Atrial fibrillation
Allergic purpura
Purpura
Thrombocytopenic purpura
Recurrent epistaxis
Myasthenia gravis
Diabetes
Beriberi
Toothache
Weakness

Modifications

Fixed pain worse for pressure: + chi shao, − bai shao

Slow pulse and other Cold signs: + gan jiang

Flooding pulse and other Heat signs: + huang lian

Calf muscle spasms, to strengthen the effect: + huai niu xi, + mu gua

Abdominal pain: + xiang fu

Wind rash: + chan tui, + da zao, + di fu zi

Limb spasms with stiff neck and back once the fever of encephalitis has gone: + quan xie, + wu gong

Spasm and cramping of the limbs: + xi xin, + gan jiang

Painful, difficult urination: + bai zhu, + fu ling

Back pain: + du zhong, + huai niu xi, + yan hu suo

Neck and shoulder pain: + ge gen

Neck and shoulder pain, alternatively combined with Ge Gen Tang

Show all 51 modifications

Severe pain: + yan hu suo
Bone fractures: + ru xiang, + mo yao
Dysmenorrhea: + xiang fu
Dysmenorrhea, alternatively combined with Shi Xiao San
Also combinable with Zheng Gu Zi Jin Dan
Fibromyalgia from Qi and Blood stagnation (combined with Bu Yang Huan Wu Tang and Shen Tong Zhu Yu Tang)
Kidney stone pain, combined with Zhu Ling Tang: + hai jin sha, + jin qian cao, + ji nei jin
Systremma: + gui zhi, + mu gua
Acute back pain: + san qi
Chronic atrophic gastritis: + chi shao, − bai shao
Atrophic gastritis with burning epigastric pain: + chi shao, + huang lian, + mu dan pi, − bai shao
Atrophic gastritis with thirst: + chi shao, + tian hua fen, − bai shao
Atrophic gastritis with fullness and pain under the ribs: + chi shao, + huang qin, + chai hu, − bai shao
Atrophic gastritis with distending pain after meals: + chi shao, + pu huang, + wu ling zhi, − bai shao
Atrophic gastritis, sleepless and irritable: + chi shao, + suan zao ren, + mu dan pi, − bai shao
Atrophic gastritis with belching: + chi shao, + xuan fu hua, + dai zhe shi, − bai shao
Colitis: + chuan jiao, + hong teng
Colitis with Cold-Damp: + chuan jiao, + hong teng, + wu zhu yu, + pao jiang
Colitis with Damp-Heat: + chuan jiao, + hong teng, + huang lian, + yi yi ren
Colitis with constipation: + chuan jiao, + hong teng, + da huang
Colitis with blood in the stool: + chuan jiao, + hong teng, + wu mei, + huai hua mi
Constipation with Qi deficiency: + bai zhu
Constipation with Cold: + zhi fu zi
Cholecystitis with alternating chills and fever: + chai hu, + huang qin, + long dan cao
Cholecystitis with constipation: + da huang, + sheng di huang, + xuan shen
Cholecystitis with pain: + chuan lian zi, + yu jin, + yan hu suo
Bitter taste in cholecystitis: + tian hua fen, + mu dan pi
Cholecystitis with poor appetite: + mai ya, + shan zha
Nausea and vomiting in cholecystitis: + huo xiang, + zhu ru, + zhi ban xia
Cholecystitis with abdominal fullness: + hou po, + zhi ke
Cholecystitis with parasites: + wu mei
Cholecystitis with jaundice: + yin chen, + zhi ke
Urinary stones: + dong kui zi, + hua shi, + che qian zi
Hyperosteogeny: + ji xue teng, + wei ling xian
Dysmenorrhea, second option: + yan hu suo, + xiang fu
Perimenopausal syndrome with uterine leiomyoma (combined with Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan or Dang Gui Shao Yao San)
Cervical spondylosis with painful, contracted neck and arm muscles: + mu gua, + shu di huang
Impotence: + dang gui, + shu di huang, + huang jing, + shan zhu yu, + wu wei zi, + gou qi zi
Spasm with Yang deficiency and cold limbs, as after sweating has injured Yin and Yang: + zhi fu zi

Cautions

caution High blood pressure: use with care

caution Taken for a long time or in large amounts, its licorice can cause pseudoaldosteronism with low potassium, raised blood pressure and oedema; taking it only when needed keeps total licorice exposure lower

caution With diuretics or corticosteroids, and in kidney or heart disease including people on hemodialysis: check potassium if it is used for long

contraindication Excess, Damp or Cold-diarrhoea patterns; it is meant for spasm from deficiency and does not replace treating a structural or excess cause of the cramps

Pinyin

shao yao gan cao tang

English Name

Peony and Licorice Decoction

shao yao gan cao tang

About shao yao gan cao tang

Ingredients

Actions and indications

Nourishes Blood and Yin

Softens the Liver and relaxes spasm to stop pain

Harmonizes the Liver and Spleen and the Middle Jiao

Modern uses

Symptoms

Modifications

Cautions

Preparation

Names

Support