Some people in lifeThe stool is always dry and difficult to pass at the beginning, but becomes loose and shapeless later, sticking to the toilet and hard to flush clean; usually, there is also a constant feeling of dry and itchy eyes, blurred vision, and fatigue with even slight use of the eyes; at night, it becomes even more difficult to sleep, with insomnia and frequent dreams, either struggling to fall asleep or waking up easily after falling asleep, unable to fall back asleep; upon sticking out the tongue, the tongue coating appears pale, with obvious tooth marks around the edges, and the whole person often feels lethargic, experiences chest tightness and shortness of breath, and inexplicable irritability.
Many people mistake these symptoms for simple spleen deficiency and dampness, and blindly take spleen-strengthening and dampness-removing medicines. However, after taking a large amount, the symptoms not only fail to improve but become increasingly severe. In fact, the core issue behind this is "liver qi stagnation and liver depression affecting the spleen." To truly strengthen the spleen, the first step must be to soothe the liver.
From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine theory,The liver governs free flow, responsible for regulating the body's qi movement, emotions, and organ functions; the spleen governs transformation and transportation, responsible for digestion, absorption, and the metabolism of fluids, providing the body with nourishment through qi and blood.Once liver qi stagnation occurs, the flow of qi becomes obstructed and impeded, which in turn affects the spleen's transportation and transformation functions. When the spleen's transportation and transformation are impaired, it leads to the accumulation of dampness internally.
At the same time, liver qi stagnation can also affect the normal circulation of qi and blood; when qi and blood fail to nourish the heart and mind, it can lead to insomnia, excessive dreaming, restlessness, and irritability. This is why many people find that spleen deficiency treatments are ineffective—the root cause lies in not addressing the core issue of "liver stagnation."
Therefore, the key approach to regulation isFirst, unblock liver qi and resolve stagnation to restore the normal function of liver dispersion, then assist in strengthening the spleen,Only in this way can the problem be solved at its root. Today, I will share with you a simple and practical formula for soothing the liver and strengthening the spleen, using only four Chinese medicinal herbs—Atractylodes macrocephala, Immature Bitter Orange, Bupleurum, Licorice Root。
Among themBupleurum can soothe the liver to relieve depression and promote the flow of qiQuickly resolve the issue of liver qi stagnationAtractylodes macrocephala strengthens the spleen and boosts qi, dries dampness and promotes urinationIt can enhance the spleen's function of transportation and transformation, fundamentally preventing the retention of dampness within the body.Fructus Aurantii Immaturus can promote qi circulation to relieve distension, resolve phlegm, and eliminate accumulationassisting Chaihu in regulating qi movement and aiding Baizhu in transforming dampnessLicorice can tonify qi and strengthen the middle energizer, as well as harmonize various medicinal herbsIt moderates the properties of the other three herbs, making the entire formula gentler, suitable for long-term regulation, and helps avoid harming the spleen and stomach.
Finally it must be reminded that TCM conditioning emphasizes individualized prescriptions as each person's constitution and specific symptoms are different. Therefore if you truly need medicinal conditioning you must first consult a professional TCM practitioner for accurate syndrome differentiation adjust the prescription according to your own condition and never casually take medicines on your own to avoid causing harm to your body due to inappropriate treatment.
