shen jin cao

伸筋草·Herba Lycopodii

common clubmoss

About shen jin cao

Shen Jin Cao (伸筋草) is common clubmoss, recorded as Herba Lycopodii. It is bitter and acrid in flavour, warm in temperature, and enters the Liver, Spleen and Kidney channels. The catalogue files it among the herbs that dispel Wind-Damp. Its Chinese name reads as the herb that stretches the sinews.

Names

Pinyin	shen jin cao·shen jin cao or shen jing cao?
Chinese	伸筋草
Latin Name	Herba Lycopodii
English Name	common clubmoss·Ground Pine
Japanese	shinkinso
Korean	singeuncho

Classification

Category: Dispel Wind Damp
Channels: Spleen, Kidney, Liver
Flavour: Acrid, Bitter
Temperature: Warm
Family: Lycoperdaceae
Species: Lycopodium Japonicum
Tags: Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Dispels Wind and eliminates Damp

Wind-Damp or Wind-Cold-Damp Bi with joint pain, stiffness and numb limbs, especially when the joints are hard to flex and extend

Relaxes the sinews, invigorates the collaterals and moves Blood

Tight or stiff sinews and muscles with cramping, and trouble bending or straightening the joints
Swelling and pain from Blood stasis after external or internal injury, including sprains, strains and bruising
Stiffness in bending and stretching following hemiplegia

Combinations

hu zhang + hong teng
Bi pain with spasms, contractions and loss of sensation in the muscles
qiang huo + fang feng
Wind-Damp Bi.
huang qi + dang gui + ji xue teng
Chronic Bi with contractions.
san qi + pu huang + tao ren
Pain secondary to trauma.
bing lang
Wind-Damp Bi. Promotes urination to reduce edema. Shingles, applied topically as an ointment
song jie + wei ling xian
Sequelae of polio.
tou gu cao + sang zhi + wu jia pi
Bi syndrome.
lian qian cao
Trauma-related pain.

Dosage

Age	Raw	Granule	Tincture	Concentrate	Frequency
Any	6-15 g	—	—	—	—

Cautions

pregnancy Traditionally contraindicated in pregnancy
caution Active or heavy bleeding
caution Not for deficiency patterns

Interactions

Drug interactions

Anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapy: no documented interaction, but its channel-invigorating, Blood-moving action warrants practitioner awareness (precautionary)