Doubleteeth Pubescent Angelica Root

Traditional Use

Primary Actions

• Dispels wind-damp and alleviates pain - Du Huo is a classic herb for painful obstruction patterns, especially when aching, heaviness, and stiffness affect the lower back, hips, and legs.
• Targets the lower body in wind-cold-damp patterns - compared with many other expelling herbs, Du Huo is especially valued when symptoms center below the waist.
• Releases the exterior and treats headache - traditional use extends to headache from external wind-cold, particularly when body pain and dampness are also present.

Secondary Actions

• Its specialty is lower-body wind-damp pain, which is why Du Huo appears so often in Bi-syndrome formulas for the lumbar region and knees.
• Because it is gently warm and dispersing rather than strongly tonic, it is commonly paired with blood and Liver-Kidney support herbs when chronic deficiency and pain coexist.

Classic Formulas

• Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang - the best-known Du Huo formula for chronic wind-cold-damp Bi with low-back and knee pain on a background of qi-blood and Liver-Kidney deficiency.
• Qiang Huo Sheng Shi Tang family strategies - use Du Huo when exterior dampness and aching affect the body, especially the lower half.
• Du Huo with Sang Ji Sheng and Niu Xi - traditional pairing logic when painful obstruction is chronic and centered in the low back and legs.

Classical References

• Traditional materia medica describe Du Huo as bitter, acrid, and slightly warm, used to dispel wind, overcome dampness, and relieve pain.
• Its long-standing reputation for lower-body Bi syndrome explains why it remains one of the signature herbs for chronic low-back, hip, and leg pain in TCM practice.