Formulas that treat exterior disorders involving the head and neck (2)

1. Cang Er Zi San
2. *Ge Gen Tang

Cang Er Zi San disperses wind, alleviates pain, and unblocks the nose. It is used for nasal congestion, allergic rhinitis. It contains only four herbs:

Chief (2):

Cang Er Zi - eliminates wind-damp, opens nose, stops head ache, for SINUS and Sinus headache.

Xin Yi Hua - opens the NOSE, disperses Wind - COLD

Deputy (2):

Bai Zhu - Disperses Wind-Cold, relieves yangming headache
Bo He - Acrid and Cold

(two of the herbs are WARM, two are Cold...making this a neutral formula for a stuffy nose.


Ge Gen Tang (Kudzu Decoction)

Ge Gen Tang is used for Wind Cold with significant neck ridgidness because the evil is blocking the taiyang channels in the neck. Qi and Ying cannot reach the neck.

Signs and Symptoms:

Wind-Cold
NO SWEAT
Upper back / Neck rigidness

All of Gui Zhi Tang is in this formula, plus Ma Huang and Ge Gen

HERBS:

Chief:
Ge Gen: releases muscle layer, mild sweating action, relieves Wind Cold, generates fluids, relaxes tendons, raises yang qi

Deputies (2) to promote sweat

Ma Huang
Gui Zhi

Assistants to nourish ying and relieve exterior:

Bai Shao
Da Zao
Sheng Jiang

Plus Zhi Gan Cao.

This formula can also treat diarrhea by raising the yang qi (I think this is the action of Ge Gen).