Herpes zoster, also known as wrapping waist fire pill in traditional Chinese medicine.
First of all, shingles is not that scary. This disease may seem serious, but it is actually a paper tiger that is not difficult to treat. If the treatment is not timely or thorough, it often leaves sequelae after the herpes disappears, and the main symptom is neuralgia. How severe is this pain? The person in pain frowns straight, the person in pain grinns straight. Because it is prone to occur in the chest and waist, even walking has to be careful, and hands dare not shake freely.
This lingering pain is quite torturous. Not only does it cause rapid pain, but it also lingers and is difficult to heal, lasting for several years.
In Shen Douheng's "Surgical Enlightenment" of the Ming Dynasty, there is a pain relieving soup called "Shentong Tang", which is used to treat post herpetic neuralgia with divine assistance.
Pain relieving soup: 3g of Gentiana macrophylla, 3g of peach kernels, 3g of soapberry seeds, 2g of Atractylodes macrocephala, 2g of Fangfeng, 1.5g of Phellodendron amurense, 0.9g of Angelica sinensis tail, 0.9g of Alisma prolifera, 0.3g of betel nut, and 3g of ripe rhubarb.
What is the principle of this prescription for treating postherpetic neuralgia?
It's simple, as the saying goes, 'If it doesn't hurt, it doesn't work.'. On the surface, the most prominent feeling that pain gives us is just pain. But fundamentally, pain doesn't make sense. The meridians of the human body, like highways, need to be unobstructed. Once the meridians are blocked or blocked, it can cause pain.
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that herpes zoster is caused by excessive liver and gallbladder fire. Although the herpes on the surface of the skin has subsided, residual pathogens still remain there. The intense fire and poison burn the blood vessels and meridians, causing blood stasis to linger. Over time, this can lead to blood stasis and blockage, causing pain when blocked.
This prescription uses peach kernels to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis. Peaches can be eaten, and the kernels inside are a great medicine that can be used to block blood in the bloodstream.
Danggui is known as the holy medicine of the blood family, which means that the medicine for treating blood will definitely have Danggui. Any disease or syndrome related to blood, whether it is nourishing blood, promoting blood circulation, breaking blood, or stopping bleeding, can be treated with Angelica sinensis. Angelica sinensis can nourish blood deficiency and dissolve blood stasis. The medicinal parts of Angelica sinensis are different, and the focus of its efficacy also varies. Danggui nourishes the body, promotes blood circulation in the head, and breaks blood in the tail. Here, Danggui tail is used, which has a stronger power to promote blood circulation and a more obvious effect on unblocking meridians.
Both Gentiana macrophylla and Fangfeng are wind medicines. Wind medicines have a characteristic that they can relieve pain. Adding some wind medicines to the formula for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis can make the pain more thorough.
As mentioned earlier, although the herpes has subsided, the residual heat remains there. You can see that many people experience intense pain when experiencing shingles attacks, which indicates that shingles is not an ordinary heat toxin, but rather a severe heat pathogen. So it's not enough to only promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, but also to clear heat and detoxify.
Huangbai is one of the four bitter medicines, and its heat clearing effect is quite powerful. The ancients said that Huangbai clears heat from head to toe. Up to the top of the head, down to the heels, no matter where the heat and poison accumulate in the body, Huangbai can invite it out without hesitation.
Generally speaking, when a person has a cold, as long as there is no bowel movement, it is difficult for their body temperature to drop. Therefore, defecation is also an important way for the human body to dissipate heat. Peach kernels not only promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, but also work together with rhubarb and soapberry to relieve internal heat from bowel movements.
Rhubarb is a powerful medicine that causes diarrhea. It can be said that everyone knows about it. Rhubarb is known as a general in traditional Chinese medicine. It is like a general galloping on the battlefield, swift and decisive, and resolute. However, compared to raw rhubarb, the medicinal properties of cooked rhubarb are much milder.
Peach kernel is the kernel of peach, soap corner is the kernel of soap corner, and plant kernel is essence, which contains a lot of essential oil. Once peach kernel and soap corner go down, the intestines will be like lit lubricating oil, and the defecation will not be dry and astringent.
After the bowel movements become smooth, blood stasis will also decrease.
Dissolve the blood stasis, clear away the heat and toxins, and then use some medicines to dispel dampness and phlegm. Because strange diseases are prone to phlegm, prolonged illness will lead to blood stasis, and many diseases will persist until later. Not only does it cause blood stasis, but also phlegm dampness. Therefore, dispelling phlegm dampness and dissolving blood stasis are two good ways to treat chronic and difficult diseases.
Atractylodes macrocephala and Alisma, one dries dampness, the other promotes diuresis, the other helps to transform water and dampness by strengthening the spleen and promoting movement, leading to elevation, and the other seeps dampness and eliminates heat, leading to descent. Between one elevation and one descent, they easily dissolve the dampness and turbidity trapped in the body.
Betel nut can produce qi, while qi can cause it to become moist. Betel nut can also reduce phlegm and turbidity. It is claimed to be able to lower phlegm and water in the twelve meridians. If the phlegm and water in the twelve meridians are obstructed in the heart and chest, once it enters the body, it can completely reduce phlegm and turbidity.
Finally, may we all remember this miraculous formula for pain relief, and may we never be troubled by sores and rashes in our lifetime.