Warm, Acrid Release Exterior: Qiang Huo / Gao Ben / Bai Zhi

Bai Zhu
Gao Ben
PICTURED ABOVE, top to bottom: Bai Zhi, Gao Ben, Qiang Huo

Qiang Huo / Gao Ben / Bai Zhi

So glad that Hua Ling combined these three herbs together because these three are all a bit foggy in my memory, and now I can get them straight. (Especially Bai Zhi -- what with Bai Zhu, Bai Shao, Bai Wei, Bai Bu, Bai Qian, Bai He, Bai Guo... oy yoy yoy!)

Qiang Huo, Gao Ben, Bai Zhi....

All expel Wind-Cold
All expel Wind-Cold-Damp (body aches, bi syndrome) to stop pain
All for headaches...

Where is the headache?
UB Channel / occipital headache? Use Qiang Huo
Du channel / vertex headache? Use Gao Ben
Frontal headache? Use Bai Zhi

A way to try to remember this is that they are alphabetical from front to back- start in the front, with the frontal headache and put a B(ai Zhi) on the forehead (and reaching down to the nose -- Bai Zhi is good for nasal congestion, too); Go to the vertex with a G(ao Ben), and end at the occiput with a Q(iang Huo). That is all that Hua Ling pointed out about those three herbs.

Further information:

Qiang Huo (UB, KD) - no additional info from Dennis except that Qiang Huo is contraindicated for Blood deficiency.

Gao Ben (UB, DU) Lovage root - Dennis says that in addition to vertex headaches, Gao Ben is good for treating Jueyin headaches (LV via GB channel)

Bai Zhi (LU, SP/ST) Angelica root- Bai Zhi is also good to REDUCE SWELLING and DRY PUS and for vaginal discharge due to damp-cold, though Hua Ling says it is not often used thusly. Because Bai Zhi is DRYING, it is CI for yin def or blood heat. In addition to being contained in formulas for expelling wind-cold, it Bai Zhi is also used in some damp draining formulas, such as Huo Xiang Zheng Qi Tang -- a formula for external wind-cold with internal turbid dampness.