Whole herbsWind-damp dispellingSperanskiae Herba

Tou Gu Cao (Lobbing Speranskia Herb)

Q: What are the composition and effects of Tougucao?

Tougucao is listed as a pungent, warm herb that enters the Liver and Kidney meridians. Its functions are to dispel wind-damp, activate blood and relieve pain, and detoxify to reduce swelling. It is used for wind-damp bi pain, sinew and bone contracture, cold-damp beriberi, and sores and swellings.

Q: How to choose between raw and processed? Can Weilingxian replace it?

The whole plant is used raw. Weilingxian emphasizes unblocking collaterals rather than strongly reducing swelling, so it cannot replace Tougucao in equal amounts. Commercial products are standardized, so they should not be adjusted arbitrarily.

Q: What is the dosage of Tougucao? Can it be used daily as a wind-dispelling tea?

The decoction dosage is 9–15 g, and modern use requires physician-determined dosage. It is not meant to be taken as a year-round Tougucao tea. Prolonged use during pregnancy is harmful, and bi pain treatment should be short-term and based on physician guidance.

Q: What are the contraindications of Tougucao? Can pregnant women use it?

It is not suitable for pregnant women. Yin deficiency with fire effulgence requires physician evaluation. If dry mouth or irritability with heat occur, stop using it. Severe bi pain or high fever requires immediate medical care.

Q: Can Tougucao dispel wind-damp, activate blood, and reduce swelling?

It can help with wind-damp bi pain, sinew and bone contracture, cold-damp beriberi, and sores and swellings. It dispels wind-damp, activates blood and relieves pain, and detoxifies to reduce swelling, but it is not a specific remedy for all bi pain or all sores.

Q: Can Tougucao be taken daily as a wind-dispelling or pain-relieving tea?

Wind-damp bi pain may be addressed short-term in formulas, but prolonged use is not appropriate, especially in pregnancy. The idea that Tougucao must dispel wind cannot replace evaluation, and using it to dispel wind-damp and activate blood requires physician-determined formulation and dosage.

A practical guide to Tou Gu Cao: what it is, how Traditional Chinese Medicine uses it, the classical formulas it appears in, and who should be careful with it.

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Last reviewed Oct 29, 2026

Quick Facts

Latin Name	Speranskiae Herba
Chinese Name & Pinyin	透骨草 · Tou Gu Cao
Medicinal Part	Whole herbs
The item	Tou Gu Cao is the dried aerial parts of Phryma leptostachya, usually used raw. Shen Jin Cao is not this herb. It usually goes into decoctions, and may be used as a foot bath.
Nature and channels	Acrid, bitter, neutral. Enters the Liver. It dispels wind and removes dampness, and activates blood to free the channels.
Pharmacopoeia line	Dispels wind and removes dampness. Activates blood and frees the channels. Used for heavy sore limbs and joints, restricted bending, stabbing joint pain, and stiff muscles after strain.
Pattern cues	Heavy sore joints. Restricted bending. Stabbing pain. Stiff knotted muscles.
In this article	Tou Gu Cao versus Shen Jin Cao. Blood-activating versus warming and dampness-removing. Why long-term use dries yin and blood. Why heavy menses should skip it. Who should not self-use it.

What Is Tou Gu Cao?

Tou Gu Cao (透骨草; Tòu Gǔ Cǎo; Latin: Phryma leptostachya; English: lopseed herb) in the current pharmacopoeia is the dried aerial parts of Phryma leptostachya, an annual herb of the lopseed family, gathered from summer to autumn before or just as it blooms, usually used raw. It is acrid, bitter, and neutral, enters the Liver channel, and its core actions are to dispel wind and remove dampness, and to activate blood and free the channels. It usually goes into decoctions. The usual amount is 5–10 g. It needs no special handling in a decoction. External use, as a foot bath, is a suitable amount of the dried herb brewed and diluted.

It is not Shen Jin Cao. Shen Jin Cao is warm and acrid, warms and frees the channels, and is better for heavy, sore limbs that worsen with dampness. Tou Gu Cao is neutral, leans more to activating blood, and fits stabbing pain and stiff, knotted areas. Yin deficiency with blood dryness, with a dry mouth and warm palms and soles, is a poor match. Heavy menses and bleeding tendencies should not use it on their own. Pregnancy is a caution.

It is used most often for three patterns:

Wind-dampness in the limbs: heavy sore joints, bending and stretching that is not free
Blood stasis in the channels: stabbing joint pain, local hard nodules
Strain stiffness: tight muscles and limited movement after long sitting or labor

Acrid, bitter, and neutral, it is not a daily “channel-penetrating” herb to keep increasing. Dispersing when there is no wind-dampness, or drying when yin and blood are thin, consumes fluids and brings discomfort.

When wind-dampness invades the limb joints, or local qi and blood stagnate from strain, heavy sore joints, stabbing pain, and stiffness are common. Tou Gu Cao is acrid, bitter, and neutral. It dispels wind, removes dampness, activates blood, and frees the channels, which is why it appears in Tou Gu Cao Tang (Tou-Gu-Cao Decoction)–type formulas. It disperses more than it holds. Yin deficiency with blood dryness, with no wind-dampness, gets worse if more is added.

Tou Gu Cao is not a catch-all joint or stiffness herb. In yin deficiency with blood dryness, with heavy menses or bleeding tendencies, or in pregnancy, using it alone is a poor match. Raw or brewed as a foot bath, and whether it belongs in a formula, should be decided by a licensed Chinese medicine practitioner after pattern diagnosis.

Tou Gu Cao: Materia Medica Profile

Identification & Quality Standard

Speranskiae Herba

Botanical Origin

The dried whole herb of Speranskia tuberculata (Bunge) Baill. (Euphorbiaceae).

Production Regions

Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Shandong, Henan, Jiangsu, Shanxi, Shaanxi.

Quality Requirements

Superior material is green, leafy and fruit-bearing.

Macroscopic Features

Whole herb 15~50 cm long; root cone-shaped; stem cylindrical, 1~4 mm diameter, grayish-green, covered with sparse soft hairs; leaves alternate, ovate, 1~3 cm long, serrate; fruits triangular, 4-lobed; texture brittle; slight fragrance; slightly bitter taste.

Main Regions and Quality Identification

Traditional materia medica and industry experience value the Zhen Zhu Tou Gu Cao of several northern provinces and the Feng Xian Tou Gu Cao of the lower Yangtze region, but actual quality also depends on variety, harvest time, processing, and storage. In appearance, good-quality raw Tou Gu Cao has relatively thin branches of a light-green color, intact, soft-textured leaves, and a faint odor; the processed form is mostly dried cut segments, with a somewhat deeper color. The common look-alikes are the dried aerial parts of Di Gou Ye and Feng Xian Hua — for identification, note that Tou Gu Cao's stems have longitudinal ridges and opposite leaves, while the look-alikes' stems are mostly cylindrical with different leaf arrangements.

Traditional Properties & Historical Lineage

Nature, Flavour & Channel Tropism

Acrid; WarmLiverKidney

1. Records in Classic Materia Medica

Ben Cao Gang Mu: mentions that Tou Gu Cao "treats all wind-dampness pains of the sinews and bones, and disperses sore toxins."
Ling Mi Dan Yao Jian: records that it can "treat wind-damp bi pain and sinew contraction."
Shaanxi Zhong Yao Zhi: also describes it as "dispelling wind, removing dampness, activating blood, and stopping pain — treating wind-damp arthritis and sinew-bone pain."

These records all revolve around its wind-dispelling, channel-freeing action, without touching on specific conclusions of modern medicine.

2. How Views of Its Nature Changed

Views among physicians differ. Some stress its wind-dispelling, dampness-removing action, mostly for the joint pain of external wind-dampness — holding that it must not be used for those with yin-deficiency blood-dryness or without wind-dampness evil; some hold that it also has a blood-activating action, usable for the local qi-blood blockage of strain. But none treat it as a universal tonifying or all-purpose regulating herb — the definition of its scope has always been relatively clear.

Core Efficacies & Traditional Applications

Traditional Functions

Dispels wind-dampness, unblocks collaterals and vessels, disperses stasis and reduces swelling, resolves toxin and stops pain.

1. First Direction: Dispelling Wind and Removing Dampness

Traditional action: dispel the wind evil and dampness evil that invade the limb joints and muscles, easing the discomfort caused by the external evil.
Typical signs: heavy, sore, swollen limb joints with restricted bending and extension, or tight muscles that worsen in rainy weather.
Usual combinations: traditionally often paired with the wind-dispelling, dampness-removing herbs Du Huo and Qiang Huo to strengthen the evil-dispersing action.
Who should not self-use: those with yin-deficiency blood-dryness — shown as dry mouth and tongue and warm hands and soles — and those with simple strain discomfort without external evil should not self-use.

2. Second Direction: Activating Blood and Freeing the Channels

Traditional action: free the local qi-blood of the limbs, easing the local discomfort of qi-blood blockage.
Typical signs: stabbing pain in the limb joints, local hard nodules, or the muscle stiffness and limited movement of long-term strain.
Usual combinations: traditionally often paired with the blood-activating, channel-freeing herbs Dang Gui and Hong Hua to strengthen the qi-blood-freeing action.
Who should not self-use: women with heavy menstrual flow, and those with bleeding-disorder signs, should not self-use.

3. Classic Pairing: Tou Gu Cao With Du Huo

The common pair is Tou Gu Cao with Du Huo. Tou Gu Cao leans to activating blood and freeing the channels; Du Huo leans to dispelling wind and removing dampness. The two coordinate with each other — both dispelling the wind-dampness evil of the limbs and freeing the local qi-blood — fitting the limb-joint discomfort of wind-dampness evil invasion with qi-blood blockage. This pairing needs the physician's pattern diagnosis — do not pair on your own.

Modern Research

Modern research offers useful context, but Traditional Chinese Medicine prescribes on whole-pattern diagnosis rather than isolated compounds.

1. Main Chemical Constituents

Modern research has detected in Tou Gu Cao the constituents of volatile oils, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and terpenoids. In in vitro experiments, some extracts show a certain effect on some inflammation-related markers; in animal experiments, the extract may regulate the local blood-circulation state of the limbs. Currently, no sufficient human clinical research has reached a clear efficacy conclusion.

2. Current Research Directions

Current research on Tou Gu Cao mainly focuses on the activity exploration of its constituents. Research shows that some of its constituents display a certain bioactivity in in vitro experiments — but more human studies are still needed to verify their effect in practical application.

3. Limitations of Current Research

Lab results are not clinical efficacy — in vitro and animal results cannot be directly equated with the effect after human use; the bioactivity may differ between the experimental environment and the internal human body.
Extracts and monomers are not the same as traditional decoction pieces — modern research mostly uses purified extracts or monomers, while daily use is the slice of the dried whole aerial parts — the dose, constituent ratio, and mode of action all differ.
Doses and preparation methods vary between studies — some studies use doses far higher than the daily reasonable amount, and the preparation methods differ from the traditional slice decoction — the reference range of the results is limited.
A single component does not define the whole herb — Tou Gu Cao's action is the joint result of many constituents; the activity of a single constituent cannot represent the whole herb's full effect.

Comparing Similar Herbs

1. What They Share

Choosing Shen Jin Cao as the similar herb, the two share three specific points:

Both have the main actions of dispelling wind, removing dampness, and freeing the channels.
Both are used for the traditional patterns of limb-joint discomfort with restricted bending and extension.
Both may appear in the formulas or short-term regulation scenes for limb strain — and both need the constitution and dose considered reasonably.

2. The Key Differences: Tou Gu Cao vs. Shen Jin Cao

Nature and flavors: Tou Gu Cao is neutral with acrid and bitter flavors, leaning to dispersing the evil and freeing the channels; Shen Jin Cao is warm with slightly bitter and acrid flavors, leaning to warming and freeing the channels.
Focus: Tou Gu Cao is better at activating blood — more obvious for the local stabbing pain and stiffness of qi-blood blockage; Shen Jin Cao is better at removing dampness — more prominent for the heavy, sore limbs of dampness evil.
Qi tendency: Tou Gu Cao's action is mainly dispersing the evil and activating blood — belonging to the "disperse" category, with the qi-blood regulation leaning to dredging; Shen Jin Cao's action is mainly warming and freeing, removing dampness — belonging to the "warm" category, with the qi-blood regulation leaning to warming.
Best fit: Tou Gu Cao's fitting signs are mostly stabbing pain in the limb joints, local hard nodules, or discomfort that worsens with cold; Shen Jin Cao's signs are mostly heavy, sore limb joints or discomfort that worsens with dampness.
Not suitable: Tou Gu Cao — because of its blood-activating action, those with heavy menstrual flow or a bleeding tendency need caution; Shen Jin Cao — because of its warm nature, those with yin-deficiency with vigorous fire or warm hands and soles need caution.
Use scenes: Tou Gu Cao is often paired with blood-activating herbs, for the limb discomfort of strain or stasis; Shen Jin Cao is often paired with dampness-removing herbs, for the limb discomfort of external wind-dampness.

3. One-Sentence Summary

Simply put, Tou Gu Cao leans toward activating blood and freeing the channels, whereas Shen Jin Cao leans toward warming and freeing, removing dampness. Both can be used for limb-joint discomfort, but they are not interchangeable.

Classical Formulas Containing Tou Gu Cao

Classic Formula 1: Tou Gu Cao Tang (Tou-Gu-Cao Decoction)

Combination logic: In this formula, Tou Gu Cao is the lord, mainly solving the wind-damp bi blockage of the limbs and the qi-blood blockage; combined with Du Huo and Dang Gui, it both strengthens the wind-dispelling, dampness-removing action and frees the local qi-blood. Tou Gu Cao cannot be used alone, because a single herb's action is relatively single and hard to attend to the synergy of both wind-dispelling and blood-activating.

Traditional use: the traditional direction is the limb-joint pain and restricted bending of wind-dampness invasion, and the muscle stiffness of local qi-blood blockage.

Modern note: this is a classic Chinese medicine formula — modern clinical use requires the doctor's pattern diagnosis and standard care; do not self-apply just because the formula name relates to limb-joint discomfort.

Classic Formula 2: Tou Gu Shen Jin Tang (Tou-Gu-Clubmoss Decoction)

Combination logic: In this formula, Tou Gu Cao is a minister, working with the lord Shen Jin Cao to strengthen the channel-freeing effect; Hong Hua is combined to strengthen the blood-activating action. It mainly solves the limb discomfort caused by wind-dampness and qi-blood stasis together. Tou Gu Cao cannot be used alone, because the core of this formula is the synergy of several herbs — a single herb cannot reach the same regulating action.

Traditional use: the traditional direction is the joint stabbing pain, local stiffness, and limited movement of wind-dampness lingering long in the limbs with qi-blood stasis.

Modern note: this is a classic Chinese medicine formula — modern clinical use requires the doctor's pattern diagnosis and standard care; do not self-use.

Formulas vs. Single Herbs

A formula is a whole of many herbs acting together — a single herb cannot simply replicate a full formula's effect. The doses and combinations in a formula are holistic — different herbs can produce synergy or checks when combined. The common misunderstanding: a herb that works in a formula means taking it alone produces the same effect — in fact, a formula's effect is the joint action of many herbs, and a single herb's action is relatively limited. Do not build formulas from online articles.

Diet & Daily Home Use

1. Home Tea and Soaking

Tea 1 — Tou Gu Cao Sheng Jiang Cha (Tou-Gu-Cao and Ginger Tea): dried Tou Gu Cao 3 g, Sheng Jiang 1 slice, Hong Zao 1 piece. Steep all in boiling water, cover 10 minutes, and drink. Suited to the mild limb soreness and tightness of wind-cold in autumn and winter. Not for those with yin-deficiency with vigorous fire or heavy menstrual flow. Suggested: 1–2 times a week; do not drink long-term continuously.

Soak 2 — Tou Gu Cao Pao Jiao Bao (Tou-Gu-Cao Foot-Soak Pack): dried Tou Gu Cao 10 g, Ai Ye 5 g, Sheng Jiang 3 slices. Wrap all in gauze, add water, bring to a boil, turn to low heat and cook 15 minutes, let the water cool to about 40°C, then soak the feet; each soak no more than 20 minutes. Suited to the lower-limb joint soreness and muscle tightness after long standing or walking. Not for those with broken foot skin or allergies. Suggested: 2–3 times a week.

2. Decoction and Processing Differences

The difference between the raw and the processed mainly lies in the processing method — the family use is mostly the dried raw Tou Gu Cao, needing no special processing. When decocting, Tou Gu Cao needs no pre-boiling, late addition, or bag-boiling — it can be decocted directly with the other materials in water. Different forms cannot be converted directly — for example, the dose in tea differs greatly from that of the decoction; do not substitute casually.

3. Dosage and Course

The common dose of Tou Gu Cao in traditional prescriptions is 5–10 g; the food-therapy dose is mostly 3–5 g — smaller than the medicinal dose. Long-term continuous use is not advised — a single course should not exceed 7 days; if the discomfort does not ease after use, stop and consult a physician.

Contraindications & Safety Warnings

1. Who Should Avoid It

Yin-deficiency blood-dryness — those shown as dry mouth and tongue and warm hands and soles should not use it.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding — use cautiously.
Children and the elderly — special body state — use under a physician's guidance.
Liver or kidney impairment — do not self-use.
Allergy to Tou Gu Cao or similar plants — do not use.
Those in special treatment — such as anticoagulant or blood-pressure treatment — consult a doctor or pharmacist first.

2. Interactions and Diet Notes

There is no sufficient evidence of a general "food clash" between ordinary foods, but certain herbs can interact with specific drugs. Tou Gu Cao has a certain blood-activating action and may affect the effect of anticoagulants — those taking anticoagulants, blood-pressure medications, or glucose-lowering medications should consult a doctor or pharmacist first to confirm whether Tou Gu Cao-related regulating approaches fit them.

3. Adverse Reactions and Overdose Risk

Some people may have mild gastrointestinal discomfort after taking Tou Gu Cao — such as stomach fullness and appetite loss; a few may have skin allergic reactions — such as rash and itching. If marked discomfort, allergy signs, persistent vomiting, breathing difficulty, altered consciousness, or rapidly worsening symptoms appear, stop at once and seek medical care.

Frequently Asked Questions About Tou Gu Cao

What is Tougucao? Is it the same as Touguxiang or Weilingxian?

Tougucao is the dried whole plant of Speranskia tuberculata, Latin name Speranskiae Tuberculatae Herba. It is a common Chinese medicine centered on dispelling wind-damp, activating blood and relieving pain, and detoxifying to reduce swelling. Touguxiang dispels wind-damp and disperses cold. Weilingxian dispels wind and unblocks collaterals for bi pain. They cannot be used interchangeably in equal amounts. Prescribe as Tougucao. Caution in pregnancy.

What are the composition and effects of Tougucao?

Pharmacopoeial name Tougucao, Latin Speranskia tuberculata (Bunge) Baill. Pungent in taste, warm in nature, enters the Liver and Kidney meridians. Functions to dispel wind-damp, activate blood and relieve pain, and detoxify to reduce swelling. Used for wind-damp bi pain, sinew and bone contracture, cold-damp beriberi, and sores and swellings. Dispels wind and activates blood.

How to choose between raw and processed? Can Weilingxian replace it?

Whole plant is used raw. Weilingxian emphasizes unblocking collaterals rather than strongly reducing swelling, and cannot replace it in equal amounts. Commercial products are standardized; do not adjust arbitrarily.

What is the dosage of Tougucao? Can it be used daily as a wind-dispelling tea?

Decoction, 9-15g. Modern use requires physician-determined dosage. It is not a year-round "Tougucao tea." Pregnancy will be further injured by prolonged use. Bi pain requires short-term, physician-determined dosage and cannot replace evaluation.

What are the contraindications of Tougucao? Can pregnant women use it?

Not suitable for pregnant women. Yin deficiency with fire effulgence requires physician evaluation. Stop if dry mouth or irritability with heat occur. Seek immediate medical care for severe bi pain or high fever.

Can Tougucao dispel wind-damp, activate blood, and reduce swelling?

It can assist wind-damp bi pain, sinew and bone contracture, cold-damp beriberi, and sores and swellings. It dispels wind-damp, activates blood and relieves pain, and detoxifies to reduce swelling, but is not a specific remedy for all bi pain or all sores.

Can Tougucao be taken daily as a wind-dispelling or pain-relieving tea?

Wind-damp bi pain can be used short-term in formulas; pregnancy will be further injured. The idea that "Tougucao must dispel wind" cannot replace evaluation. Dispelling wind-damp and activating blood requires physician-determined formulation and dosage.

How to choose between Tougucao, Touguxiang, Weilingxian, Duhuo, and Honghua?

Tougucao dispels wind-damp and activates blood while relieving pain, suited to bi pain and swellings. Touguxiang dispels wind-damp and disperses cold. Weilingxian dispels wind and unblocks collaterals. Duhuo dispels wind-damp for the lower jiao. Honghua activates blood and unblocks meridians. Choose Tougucao for dispelling wind; Touguxiang for dispersing cold; Weilingxian for unblocking collaterals; Duhuo for the lower jiao; Honghua for unblocking meridians. Pattern differentiation applies, but large doses of Tougucao are contraindicated in pregnancy.

How is Tougucao commonly modified? What is a representative usage?

Modifications depend on the pattern. Add Weilingxian for bi pain; add Honghua for swellings. Specify Tougucao; do not substitute Weilingxian in equal amounts for reducing swelling.

How to select and store Tougucao?

Choose regular Chinese medicinal materials with intact whole plants. Discard if moldy, damp, or abnormal in odor. Store in a dry place. Purchase "Tougucao"; do not substitute Touguxiang or Weilingxian in equal amounts for dispelling wind-damp, activating blood, and reducing swelling.

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Medical Disclaimer — This article is provided for educational purposes only and describes traditional Chinese medicine concepts. It is not medical advice, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using any herb, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a diagnosed condition.