Chinamed Joint Ease 1 Formula 78c

This formula was first recorded in 'All Diseases Return to Spring' (wan bing hui chun) by Gong Ting-xian (a.k.a. Gong Yun-lin), 1587. 'Return to Spring' (hui chun) is a poetic expression, still in use today, denoting the restoration of health after an illness ‐ the state of ill health being like the season of Winter. In addition to being a distinguished physician, Gong was renowned for his mastery of tui-na, hence his interest in musculoskeletal disorders, for which this formula was designed. The name of the formula is literally: 'Unblock the Channels and activate the Blood formula'. This refers to the focus of this formula's action on activating the Blood and dispelling stasis, in addition to dispelling Wind-Cold Damp. This makes it a powerful and relatively rapid acting treatment for various forms of severe arthralgia. The formula's therapeutic actions are based on the theory that Blood deficiency predisposes to invasion by Wind, and that pathogenic Wind causes injury to the Blood, setting up a 'vicious cycle'. In addition, the invading Wind generally carries other exogenous pathogens with it, i.e. Cold-Damp. As a consequence of the invasion of the Channels-collaterals,…