Restless, Chest Tightness, And Constipation? It's Caused By Lower Jiao Stagnation. One Chinese Herb Can Moisten The Intestines And Relieve Constipation Easily!

Today, I will talk about the Chinese herb Cistanche.

Cistanche can nourish essence and benefit the kidney. How does it benefit the kidney function by replenishing essence and blood? Look, Cistanche is like Rehmannia glutinosa, relatively soft and greasy, and has a fleshy texture. Because it tastes salty and is warm in nature, saltiness can enter the kidney, and warmth can strengthen the primordial yang. Many warm herbs are relatively dry, but Cistanche is rare in that it is moist. So Cistanche is a warm and moist product, like a gentle gentleman, as warm and smooth as jade.

The "Compendium of Materia Medica Collections" says that Cistanche is warm but not hot, tonifies without being harsh, warms without being dry, and lubricates without being greasy, so it gets the name "Congrong". It is like using the moistening Polygonum multiflorum or Rehmannia glutinosa, combined with the warm Zingiber officinale or Cinnamomum cassia. It can moisten and make the way smooth, making the dry and underpowered intestines become unobstructed, calm and gentle. So Cistanche is very suitable for the constipation of middle-aged and elderly people with insufficient essence and yang in the kidney and deficiency of essence and blood in the intestines.

 

Cistanche is produced in the desert and is called "Desert Gold" or "Desert Ginseng", which shows its importance. Why does tonifying the kidney help with the smooth flow of stools? This depends on the basic theory of traditional Chinese medicine. The kidney governs the storage of essence and water and controls defecation and urination. When the essence and water in the kidney are sufficient, the five internal organs and six bowels can be nourished; when the essence and water in the kidney are insufficient, the five internal organs and six bowels are prone to drying up.

 

Why do many middle-aged and elderly people often have habitual constipation? If you ask them if they have cold and sore lower back and knees and frequent and urgent urination, and they nod, you will know that their constipation is related to the lack of essence and blood in the kidney.

For this kind of constipation, if you simply use purgative laxatives, the body will become weaker, more numb, and more constipated, and the intestinal motility will become worse. Because the constipation caused by deficiency is due to insufficient power, it is caused by deficiency leading to excess. So it is very important to treat the cause. If you don't straighten out the cause and effect and only see the result of constipation and only treat the result, it will not only be ineffective but also harm the body.

 

There was a woman who had long-term constipation, with stools coming out only once every three or four days. She couldn't have a bowel movement without taking sodium bicarbonate tablets of Rheum palmatum. Later, her tongue coating became white and greasy, her lower back and feet were cold and sore, and her pulse was deep and slow.

 

The doctor said that it was necessary to figure out why there was obstruction. If it was due to excess heat blockage, taking sodium bicarbonate tablets of Rheum palmatum would solve the problem. It's like there is a stone blocking in front of your car wheel and the car can't pass. Remove the stone and it can pass. But if the body function is aging and the essence and oil in the kidney are insufficient, it's like the car is about to be scrapped and there is not enough oil, so it can't move. Even without a stone blocking the way, it's hard to climb a slope. The stools are difficult to pass, and the lower back and legs are weak and sore.

 

She nodded and said, "That's right. When I squat down to have a bowel movement, I can't stand up without holding onto the wall."

 

So the doctor gave her the three herbs for moistening and unblocking - Cistanche, Atractylodes macrocephala, and Angelica sinensis. These herbs replenish qi, blood, essence, and fluid from the liver, spleen, and kidney, giving strength to push the stools, just like filling up the car with oil and increasing the horsepower. Atractylodes macrocephala can strengthen and tonify the spleen qi; Angelica sinensis can greatly nourish the liver blood and help the intestines in excretion; Cistanche can nourish the essence and fluid in the kidney. In this way, qi, blood, essence, and fluid are all in place.

 

After taking three doses of the medicine, the patient came back for a follow-up visit and said happily that she had the urge to defecate every day, and she could defecate smoothly while farting, and she didn't have diarrhea like when taking sodium bicarbonate tablets of Rheum palmatum.

 

It turns out that the doctor used these three herbs for moistening and unblocking to make her intestines rich in fluid and able to excrete smoothly. On this basis, herbs for promoting qi movement such as Aurantium trifoliata, Magnolia officinalis, and Aucklandia lappa were also added to make the qi in her intestines move smoothly, so she farted continuously after taking the medicine.

 

This is also the skill of Chinese medicine in drug combination. In addition to using these herbs for increasing and moistening essence and fluid to tonify the body and assist the essence and qi, some herbs for promoting qi movement should also be used to smooth the qi in the intestines and assist the function. This also involves the theory of body and function in Chinese medicine. Tonifying the body and assisting the function is a key method in treating diseases.

Most elderly people have insufficient body and unobvious function, just like a car with insufficient oil, and its running function cannot be shown. It's like a boat that runs aground because there is no water in the river. To make the boat move is very simple. On the one hand, the river water should be sufficient, and on the other hand, there should be wind. In this way, with the wind and sufficient water, the boat can move quickly. This is the reason why when using herbs for increasing fluid, they must be combined with herbs for promoting qi movement and smoothing qi.

 

The treatment of habitual constipation in the elderly mostly follows this idea. You can add some Cannabis sativa seed, Prunus japonica seed, black sesame, prepared Polygonum multiflorum, and Polygonatum sibiricum on this basis. In fact, these are all herbs for tonifying the body and increasing and moistening essence and fluid. At the same time, you can add Cimicifuga foetida, Citrus aurantium, Corydalis yanhusuo, Bupleurum chinense, Curcuma aromatica, and Cyperus rotundus, which are herbs for smoothing the function, regulating qi movement, and promoting the flow of qi, to smooth the function.

 

Look, isn't Chinese medicine easy to learn? The use of drugs always follows the principles of yin and yang, body and function, and movement and stillness. When using these static herbs for replenishing essence and blood, some dynamic herbs for promoting qi movement should also be combined. In this way, with the combination of movement and stillness, it is like fish in water, full of vitality. It's like a boat with the wind, able to move forward slowly and sail thousands of miles.

 

So in ancient times, when treating constipation in people with deficiency, one or two liang of Cistanche was decocted with water to moisten and unblock the stools, precisely taking advantage of its effect of tonifying deficiency and lubricating the intestines.

 

The "Medical Notes" records that an old man named Tang Zhenshan, in his seventies, had dry stools and chest tightness. Look, many patients with blocked stools will have restlessness, chest tightness, and even nausea and dizziness in severe cases. Why? Because the internal organs are connected. When the turbid yin is blocked below, the turbid qi will steam upward, so it is easy to have chest tightness and distension.

 

From this, we can see why many heart disease patients often have attacks when they can't defecate hard in the toilet. Even when constipation worsens, the heart disease also worsens. This is the best illustration of the relationship between the heart and the small intestine. When the intestines are blocked, how can the qi in the chest be smooth? So Chinese medicine must treat diseases based on the correlation of the five internal organs. Don't just treat heart disease as heart disease. You must also see the intestines and the whole body outside the heart.

 

So it is very important for heart disease patients to keep their stools smooth every day. If they have constipation, the heart disease is likely to worsen.

 

This experience comes from the theory of the interrelationship between the internal organs in the "Huangdi Neijing". Using this theory to guide health preservation and treatment is very useful and can greatly reduce the possibility of heart disease attacks.

 

This patient had chest tightness due to blocked stools. The doctor was not confused by the appearance of chest tightness and did not use herbs to relieve chest tightness. Instead, he directly saw the essence of the disease and said that it was a sign of blood depletion. Use three liang of Cistanche, wash it with white wine, slice it, decoct it with three bowls of soup water to get one bowl, and take it all at once. Then the stools were passed. Once the stools were passed, the chest felt comfortable.

 

Look, if you can identify the pathogenesis and treat the cause when treating diseases, often one or two herbs can relieve the symptoms of the whole body's imbalance. This is really a good doctor who uses herbs!

Cistanche and Constipation: A Natural Solution

 

One of the common concerns among patients is constipation. It can cause a great deal of discomfort, including abdominal pain, bloating, and a general feeling of sluggishness. In modern medicine, constipation can be caused by a variety of factors such as an unbalanced diet, lack of physical activity, and stress.

 

Cistanche offers a natural and effective way to address constipation. The substances in Cistanche can have a positive impact on the digestive system. It can help to increase the water content in the feces, making it softer and easier to pass. This is especially important for those who struggle with hard and dry stools. Additionally, Cistanche can stimulate the peristalsis of the intestines, promoting the regular movement of feces through the digestive tract. This gentle yet effective action can provide relief for constipation without the harsh side effects that some chemical laxatives may have.

Beyond Constipation: Other Potential Benefits and Considerations

 

In addition to its constipation-relieving properties, Cistanche holds great potential in other aspects of health. Its ability to nourish the kidney and regulate the body's essence and fluid may have implications for overall health and well-being. By improving kidney function, it may also help with other issues related to kidney health, such as maintaining proper fluid balance in the body.

Moreover, the story of how Cistanche is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat various symptoms related to internal organ imbalances shows its versatility. It represents a connection to ancient healing traditions and offers a holistic approach to health.

 

However, it is important to note that like any herbal remedy, Cistanche should be used with caution. While it has many potential benefits, it may interact with certain medications or have different effects on different individuals. For example, it is always advisable to consult with a healthcare professional before using Cistanche, especially if you have underlying health conditions or are taking other medications.

 

In conclusion, Cistanche is a remarkable herb with a rich history and a promising future in modern health. Its unique properties and potential benefits make it a subject worthy of further exploration. Whether you are interested in its traditional uses or its modern applications, Cistanche has the potential to offer a natural and effective solution for various health concerns. By understanding its value and using it responsibly, we can tap into the power of nature to enhance our well-being. But always remember to prioritize your health and make informed decisions when it comes to using herbal remedies.