Yang He Tang, Yang-Heartening Decoction, is Shu Di Huang, Lu Jiao Jiao, Rou Gui, Pao Jiang, Bai Jie Zi, Ma Huang and Gan Cao. The catalogue classes it among the formulas that warm the channels and disperse Cold.

Herb

Amount

30 g

9 g

3 g

1.5 g

6 g

1.5 g

3 g

Actions and indications

Warms Yang and disperses Cold

Yin-type sores and swellings from Yang deficiency with Cold stagnating inside
Deep, flat swellings without a head and without heat, redness or throbbing, the skin colour and texture unchanged or dusky, with little tendency to suppurate; may bleed into surrounding tissue; near bone they form a bone-attached abscess
Deep, cold aching of joints or bones, with swollen painful joints, sometimes with nodules under the skin; worse with cold, better with warmth
Thigh and calf muscles wasting away

Tonifies Blood

Cold with deficient Yang and Blood
Pale face, cold limbs, no thirst and low vitality
Tongue very pale or pale pink with a white coat; pulse thin and forceless, or deep and slow

Dissolves Cold-Phlegm and eliminates stagnation

Modern uses

Crane's knee Wind
Arthritis of the knee
Rheumatoid arthritis
Polyarthritis
Arthralgia and panarthralgia
Cold joint pain and stiffness, including cases resembling osteoarthritis or ankylosing spondylitis
Painful obstruction
Vascular Bi
Cervical spondylosis
Prolapsed or degenerated lumbar intervertebral disc
Sciatica
Low back pain
Bone spurs
Idiopathic bone hyperplasia
Periostitis
Tuberculosis of bones and joints
Lymphatic tuberculosis
Pulmonary tuberculosis
Peritoneal tuberculosis
Chronic osteomyelitis
Chronic lymphadenitis and chronic cold nodules
Subcutaneous nodules
Aseptic suppuration
Multiple abscesses
Cellulitis
Chronic erysipelas
Frostbite
Thromboangiitis obliterans
Arteritis obliterans
Obliterating phlebitis
Thrombophlebitis
Raynaud's disease
Gangrene of fingers and toes
Peripheral neuritis
Scleroderma
Mastitis
Fibrocystic breast disease
Breast cancer
Ovarian cysts
Uterine fibroids
Endometriosis, including early-stage
Genital eruptions
Benign prostatic hypertrophy
Chronic colitis and chronic ulcerative colitis
Chronic bronchitis
Bronchial asthma
Emphysema
Lung fibrosis
Sick sinus syndrome
Hashimoto's thyroiditis
Epilepsy
Urticaria
Alopecia
Bone cancer and bone metastases

Modifications

General signs of Cold: + zhi fu zi

Severe Qi Deficiency: + huang qi, + ren shen

Fibrocystic breasts: + xiang fu, + chen pi, + yu jin

Fibrocystic breasts, alternative additions: + huang qi, + dang shen

More severe pain: + ru xiang, + mo yao

Cold-Damp Accumulation: + xi xin

Frostbite, open weeping wounds: + ban zhi lian

Frostbite in chronic illness: + huang qi

Thromboangiitis obliterans with Heat: + dang gui, + dan shen, + jin yin hua, + xuan shen

Chronic thromboangiitis obliterans: + huang qi, + dang shen, + ba ji tian, + yin yang huo

Peripheral neuritis: + dang gui, + huang qi

Raynaud's disease (combined with Si Ni Tang)

Show all 82 modifications

Peripheral neuritis, Damp: + dang gui, + huang qi, + cang zhu
Peripheral neuritis, Blood stagnation: + dang gui, + huang qi, + ji xue teng
Peripheral neuritis, Wind and Phlegm blocking the channels: + dang gui, + huang qi, + quan xie, + wu gong
Mastitis: + zao jiao ci, + huang qi, + chuan shan jia
Mastitis, Yang Deficiency: + zhi fu zi
Mastitis, weak Liver-Kidney Yin and Blood: + gou qi zi, + dang gui
Mastitis, long-lasting hard swelling: + quan xie, + wu gong
Fibrocystic breasts, Qi stagnation: + qing pi, + chai hu
Fibrocystic breasts, Phlegm stagnation: + mu li, + zhe bei mu
Fibrocystic breasts, Blood stagnation: + san leng, + e zhu
Fibrocystic breasts, blocked milk flow: + wang bu liu xing, + chuan shan jia
Fibrocystic breasts with infertility: + dang gui, + tao ren
Endometriosis: + zhi fu zi, + chuan shan jia, + bai zhu, + dang gui, + wu ling zhi, + xi xin, + wu zhu yu
Ovarian (oophoritic) cyst: + tao ren, + hai zao, + e zhu, − pao jiang, − gan cao
Inflammation and pain: + gui zhi, + ge gen, + sang zhi
Prolapsed lumbar disc: + tu bie chong, + huang lian, + wu gong
Prolapsed lumbar disc, alternative additions: + ru xiang, + mo yao, + bai hua she
Prolapsed lumbar disc, severe pain: + tu bie chong, + huang lian, + wu gong, + ru xiang, + mo yao, + di long
Prolapsed lumbar disc, severe low back pain: + tu bie chong, + huang lian, + wu gong, + wei ling xian, + huai niu xi, + xu duan
Prolapsed lumbar disc, severe leg pain: + tu bie chong, + huang lian, + wu gong, + mu gua, + bai zhi
Prolapsed lumbar disc, Cold: + tu bie chong, + huang lian, + wu gong, + zhi fu zi
Prolapsed lumbar disc, Damp: + tu bie chong, + huang lian, + wu gong, + cang zhu, + fu ling
Prolapsed lumbar disc, Kidney deficiency: + tu bie chong, + huang lian, + wu gong, + du zhong, + sang ji sheng
Bone metastases: + lu jiao shuang, + zhi fu zi, − lu jiao jiao
Vascular Bi: + gui zhi, + ma huang, + zhi chuan wu, + zhi cao wu, + dang gui, + chuan xiong, + ba ji tian, − pao jiang, − gan cao, − rou gui
Joint pain everywhere, deficient Blood and Jing: + lu jiao jiao, + shu di huang
Joint pain everywhere, deficient Blood and Jing, alternative additions: + lu jiao shuang, + shu di huang
To expel Wind and warm the channels: + ma huang, + pao jiang, + rou gui
Joint pain everywhere, Phlegm: + bai jie zi
Joint pain everywhere, Blood stasis: + yin yang huo, + lu feng fang, + quan xie, + dang gui, + ru xiang, + hong hua, + tao ren
Hashimoto's thyroiditis: + dang gui, + chen pi, + jie geng, + hong hua
Bone cancer: + huang qi, + xu duan, + gui zhi, + ru xiang, + mo yao, + da huang, + wu gong, + quan xie, + gou ji, + bu gu zhi, − gan cao
Hair loss from Kidney Yang deficiency (combined with Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang)
Breast cancer: + tŭ bèi mŭ
Ovarian cysts, Kidney Yang deficiency and Blood stagnation: + lai fu zi, + tao ren, + kun bu, + e zhu, − pao jiang, − gan cao
Ovarian cysts (Kidney Yang deficiency, stasis), withered yellow complexion: + lai fu zi, + tao ren, + kun bu, + e zhu, + e jiao, + dang gui, + bai shao, − pao jiang, − gan cao
Ovarian cysts (Kidney Yang deficiency, stasis), yellow tongue coat: + lai fu zi, + tao ren, + kun bu, + e zhu, + xia ku cao, + yi yi ren, + long dan cao, − pao jiang, − gan cao
Ovarian cysts (Kidney Yang deficiency, stasis), vaginal discharge: + lai fu zi, + tao ren, + kun bu, + e zhu, + mu li, − pao jiang, − gan cao
Ovarian cysts (Kidney Yang deficiency, stasis), lower abdominal pain from Qi stagnation: + lai fu zi, + tao ren, + kun bu, + e zhu, + wu yao, − pao jiang, − gan cao
Ovarian cysts (Kidney Yang deficiency, stasis), lower abdominal pain from Blood stagnation: + lai fu zi, + tao ren, + kun bu, + e zhu, + san leng, − pao jiang, − gan cao
Ovarian cysts (Kidney Yang deficiency, stasis), lower abdominal pain from Blood stagnation, alternative additions: + lai fu zi, + tao ren, + kun bu, + e zhu, + wu ling zhi, − pao jiang, − gan cao
Ovarian cysts (Kidney Yang deficiency, stasis), lower abdominal pain from Cold: + lai fu zi, + tao ren, + kun bu, + e zhu, + zhi fu zi, + ai ye, − pao jiang, − gan cao
Ovarian cysts (Kidney Yang deficiency, stasis), lower abdominal pain from Cold, alternative additions: + lai fu zi, + tao ren, + kun bu, + e zhu, + ru xiang, + mo yao, − pao jiang, − gan cao
Ovarian cysts (Kidney Yang deficiency, stasis), pain at the waist: + lai fu zi, + tao ren, + kun bu, + e zhu, + xu duan, + sang ji sheng, − pao jiang, − gan cao
Ovarian cysts (Kidney Yang deficiency, stasis), lower abdominal pain from Yang deficiency: + lai fu zi, + tao ren, + kun bu, + e zhu, + zhi fu zi, + rou cong rong, − pao jiang, − gan cao
Ovarian cysts (Kidney Yang deficiency, stasis), lower abdominal pain from Yin deficiency: + lai fu zi, + tao ren, + kun bu, + e zhu, + nu zhen zi, + gou qi zi, − pao jiang, − gan cao
Ovarian cysts (Kidney Yang deficiency, stasis), dragging lower abdominal pain: + lai fu zi, + tao ren, + kun bu, + e zhu, + dang shen, + huang qi, + sheng ma, − pao jiang, − gan cao
Raynaud's disease, alternative additions: + huang qi, + dan shen, + dang gui, + ji xue teng, + di long, − lu jiao jiao, − bai jie zi
Rheumatoid arthritis from Yang deficiency: + zhi fu zi, + dang gui
Rheumatoid arthritis from Yang deficiency, to strengthen the Kidneys and fortify the Du vessel: + zhi fu zi, + dang gui
Scleroderma, Cold stagnation from weak Spleen-Kidney Yang: + lu jiao shuang, + huang qi, + dang shen, + ji xue teng, + lu xian cao, + dang gui, + hong hua, − lu jiao jiao
Scleroderma (Spleen and Kidney Yang deficiency, Cold stagnation), two or three of these: + gou ji, + sang ji sheng, + ba ji tian, + bu gu zhi, + xu duan
Scleroderma (Spleen and Kidney Yang deficiency, Cold stagnation), cold limbs and dislike of cold: + lu jiao shuang, + huang qi, + dang shen, + ji xue teng, + lu xian cao, + dang gui, + hong hua, + zhi fu zi, + tu si zi, − lu jiao jiao
Scleroderma (Spleen and Kidney Yang deficiency, Cold stagnation), loose stools and a slimy tongue coat: + lu jiao shuang, + huang qi, + dang shen, + ji xue teng, + lu xian cao, + dang gui, + hong hua, + yi yi ren, + cang zhu, + mu gua, − lu jiao jiao
Scleroderma (Spleen and Kidney Yang deficiency, Cold stagnation), hardened skin in the affected area: + lu jiao shuang, + huang qi, + dang shen, + ji xue teng, + lu xian cao, + dang gui, + hong hua, + bie jia, + kun bu, + hai zao, + sang ji sheng, + wu shao she, − lu jiao jiao
Scleroderma (Spleen and Kidney Yang deficiency, Cold stagnation), marked aching joints: + lu jiao shuang, + huang qi, + dang shen, + ji xue teng, + lu xian cao, + dang gui, + hong hua, + qin jiao, − lu jiao jiao
Scleroderma, stasis with weak Lungs and Kidneys: + ji xue teng, + shan yao, + fu ling, + shan zhu yu, + mu dan pi, + yu jin
Scleroderma (Lung and Kidney deficiency, stasis), marked Qi deficiency: + ji xue teng, + shan yao, + fu ling, + shan zhu yu, + mu dan pi, + yu jin, + huang qi, + ren shen
Scleroderma (Lung and Kidney deficiency, stasis), stronger Cold: + ji xue teng, + shan yao, + fu ling, + shan zhu yu, + mu dan pi, + yu jin, + zhi fu zi
Scleroderma (Lung and Kidney deficiency, stasis), palpitations: + ji xue teng, + shan yao, + fu ling, + shan zhu yu, + mu dan pi, + yu jin, + dan shen
Scleroderma (Lung and Kidney deficiency, stasis), palpitations, alternative additions: + ji xue teng, + shan yao, + fu ling, + shan zhu yu, + mu dan pi, + yu jin, + dang gui
Scleroderma, Phlegm: + zhi ban xia, + fu ling, + chen pi
Scleroderma, Phlegm and hardening: + zhi ban xia, + fu ling, + chen pi, + kun bu, + hai zao
Scleroderma, Phlegm blocking the channels: + zhi ban xia, + fu ling, + chen pi, + zhi tian nan xing
Scleroderma, internal Wind with Phlegm: + zhi ban xia, + fu ling, + chen pi, + zhi bai fu zi
Bone metastases from other cancers: + huang qi, + lu jiao jiao, + xu duan, + gui zhi, + rou gui, + ru xiang, + mo yao, + da huang, + quan xie, + wu gong, + gou ji, + bu gu zhi, − gan cao
Bone spurs, Cold with weak Yang and Blood: + gu sui bu, + zi ran tong
Firm, painful nodule or swelling: + ru xiang, + mo yao
To disperse Phlegm nodules more strongly: + xia ku cao
When Lu Jiao Jiao is not available: + lu jiao shuang, − lu jiao jiao

Cautions

contraindication Yang-type (hot) sores or abscesses with redness, local heat, throbbing pain or quick suppuration

contraindication Yin deficiency, or Yin-deficiency Heat such as night sweats, hot palms and soles, a red tongue with little coat, or a rapid pulse

contraindication Swellings that have been ulcerated or open for a long time; draining sores are generally treated with a modified formula

caution Keep the small proportion of Ma Huang as it is; do not change its dose

caution Ma Huang is active even in a small amount: take care with, and generally avoid, in high blood pressure, arrhythmia or insomnia

caution Any deep mass, swelling or bone or joint lesion should be medically assessed first, since these cold-type signs can mask serious disease

pregnancy Generally avoided in pregnancy because of Ma Huang; Rou Gui is also cautioned in pregnancy

Pinyin

yang he tang

English Name

Yang heartening Decoction

yang he tang

About yang he tang

Ingredients

Actions and indications

Warms Yang and disperses Cold

Tonifies Blood

Dissolves Cold-Phlegm and eliminates stagnation

Modern uses

Symptoms

Modifications

Cautions

Preparation

Names

Classification

Support