Hello everyone, I'm Dr. Wang. Do you often feel like you're "blocked"? Sometimes it's chest tightness, as if a stone is pressing down on you; sometimes it's abdominal bloating, like a ball, always wanting to burp or pass gas; and sometimes, you feel generally uncomfortable, like something's not right all over.

When it comes to "blockage," many people's first reaction is to use Muxiang Shunqi Wan. That's right, Muxiang Shunqi Wan is excellent at regulating qi and specifically helps to unblock the "qi pathways" in our bodies. But in traditional Chinese medicine, we look at problems from a holistic perspective. When qi gets blocked, it's rarely a solo battle; it tends to gather allies and give rise to various new issues.

This is like traffic congestion. When the main road (qi mechanism) gets blocked, the side roads (body fluids, blood) also can't move. The "dampness" that can't move comes to a stop and becomes sticky "phlegm"; the "blood" that can't move coagulates and becomes "blood stasis."

So, when the body isn't just dealing with simple Qi stagnation but also involves "small gangs" like excessive phlegm, heavy dampness, and blood stasis, relying solely on Muxiang Shunqi Wan to "pave the way" is a bit weak. Today, I'll share three upgraded combination strategies to help you tackle these issues all at once.

1. Stagnant Qi + Excessive Phlegm: Muxiang Shunqi Wan + Erchen Wan

Do you feel this way: Your body feels heavy and weak, like being wrapped in a wet cotton coat; your throat always feels like there's something there, coughing it up or swallowing it down; your stomach is bloated, your appetite is poor, and when you stick your tongue out, it's covered with a thick, white coating, with tooth marks around the edges.

How Traditional Chinese Medicine Views It: This is a classic case of "qi stagnation and phlegm obstruction." The qi in the body isn't flowing properly, and the body's normal fluids (jinye) follow suit and become stagnant. Over time, these fluids "decompose" into sticky phlegm-dampness. Muxiang Shunqi Wan acts as the "pioneer," responsible for pushing open the blocked qi pathways; while Erchen Wan is like the "sanitation worker," specifically designed to clean up the phlegm-dampness debris that becomes exposed after the airways are cleared. Working together, one paves the way while the other cleans up, naturally resulting in high efficiency.

2. Qi stagnation + Dampness: Muxiang Shunqi Pills + Shenling Bai Zhu Powder

Do you feel this way: Your stool is always sticky and hard to flush down the toilet; your face and hair get oily very easily; you feel sluggish, get tired after meals, lack energy, and feel like a "waste of a person."

How Traditional Chinese Medicine sees it: This is a combination of "Spleen deficiency with excess dampness" and "Liver depression with qi stagnation." The spleen is the "Minister of Water Affairs" responsible for transporting body fluids and moisture. When the spleen's function is weak, the body's dampness cannot be expelled. At the same time, qi stagnation also affects the spleen's transportation function. Therefore, the 调理 (regulating) approach is to address both issues. Muxiang Shunqi Pills are responsible for unblocking qi stagnation, allowing the body to return to normal function; Shenling Bai Zhu Powder, on the other hand, boosts the energy of the "Minister of Water Affairs" (the spleen), giving it the strength to expel excess dampness and reduce the production of dampness at its root. By unblocking qi while strengthening the spleen, the treatment addresses both the symptoms and the root cause.

3. Qi Stagnation + Blood Stasis: Muxiang Shunqi Wan + Xuefu Zhuyu Wan

Do you feel this way: You experience a constant pricking pain in a certain part of your body, and the location is fixed; for women, it may manifest as dysmenorrhea with dark-colored menstrual blood and many blood clots; your lips and nails may turn purple, and when you stick out your tongue, it appears dark with even purple spots.

How Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) views it: This condition is called "Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis." TCM has a saying, "Qi is the leader of blood," meaning Qi is the "commander" that drives blood circulation. If the commander (Qi) becomes inactive, the soldiers (blood) naturally follow suit and stagnate, forming stasis. The function of Muxiang Shunqi Wan is to awaken the "commander" and have him resume command; Xuefu Zhuyu Wan, on the other hand, directly disperse the already stagnated "soldiers" and clear the stasis. When Qi flows, blood flows too. With smooth Qi and blood circulation, those inexplicable pains naturally disappear.

Finally, there's something that must be said:

The most core concept of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is "differentiation of syndromes and treatment based on syndrome." Everyone has a different constitution, and the reasons and degrees of blockage vary greatly. The pairing ideas mentioned above are provided as a reference to help you better understand your body.

As for how to use them and the dosage, it's best to consult a professional TCM practitioner or pharmacist. Let them judge based on your specific tongue and pulse conditions, so it can be the safest and most effective.

Did you remember?