Saturday, September 12, 2009

Qi Regulating Herbs: Qing Pi



青皮 qing pi (percarpium citri reticulatae viride)

blue green peel / unripe tangerine peel

Qing Pi "possesses the just-ripening characteristic of spring-time wood" (Bensky) and therefore it relates to the liver. It is also "qing" color, the color associated with the liver.

Bitter, acrid, warm

Travels to the Liver/Gallbladder, and Stomach

Qing Pi's main Qi Regulating function is to direct qi downward, dredging the liver, thereby breaking up liver qi stagnation, and also harmonizing the stomach.

It functions to resolve all the typical liver qi stagnation symptoms: distension/pain in chest & hypochondriac regions, as well as breast distension and pain, emotional distress/irritability.

Qing Pi also works to reduce food stagnation that is causing pain/distension or that has has progressed to blood stasis causing clumps and nodules.

As a harsh qi mover, Qing Pi reduces phlegm. Caution with qi deficient patients.

In recent clinical studies Qing Pi has proven to increase blood pressure, helpful in situations where patients have a drop in blood pressure due to shock. This, of course, means that it would not be wise to give Qing Pi to a patient with already high blood pressure (caution in HTN).

From yinyanghouse.com:
  • Chen Pi vs. Qing Pi
    • Chen Pi - more harmonious/moderate, enters qi level of the spleen and lung, vertical (coughing/vomiting).
    • Qing Pi - scatters and unblocks, harsher, used to break up qi stagnation--primarily in the Liver and Gallbladder channels, horizontal (pain).

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