Tong Feng Wan
Classical TCM Formula Profile
Part of the HJMEDICAL TCM Discovery Center
痛風丸 · Tòng Fēng Wán
A classical formula for damp-heat bi with red swollen painful joints, classically associated with gouty presentations.
Read the complete guide →Quick Facts
- Formula Category
- Wind-Damp Dispelling Formulas
- Primary Pattern
- Damp-Heat
- Primary Function
- Clear heat, drain damp, dispel wind, stop bi pain
- Primary Therapeutic Principle
- Clear damp-heat and dispel wind for painful swollen joints
- Classical Source
- Classical TCM formulary
- Available as Granules
- Yes
Formula Overview
A classical formula for damp-heat bi with red swollen painful joints, classically associated with gouty presentations.
Therapeutic Principle
Traditionally selected for damp-heat bi with red swollen joints, rather than broader wind-damp-heat bi formulas, compact lower damp-heat, or blood-stasis bi.
Composition: Sovereign, Minister, Assistant, Envoy
Every herb in the formula, grouped by the job it does in the classical hierarchy.
君SovereignTreats the main pattern
臣MinisterReinforces the sovereign
防己Fang Ji9g
Stephania Root- dispels wind-damp and promotes urination
萆薢Bi Xie12g
Fish-Poison Yam Rhizome- separates the clear from the turbid and dispels dampness
威靈仙Wei Ling Xian9g
Clematis Root- dispels wind-damp and unblocks the channels
佐AssistantTreats accompanying patterns
牛膝Niu Xi9g
Achyranthes Root- invigorates blood
- guides downward and supplements liver and kidney
當歸Dang Gui9g
Chinese Angelica Root- nourishes and gently invigorates blood
赤芍Chi Shao9g
Red Peony Root- cools and invigorates blood
- dispels stasis
薏苡仁Yi Yi Ren15g
Coix Seed / Job's Tears- leaches dampness and clears heat from the sinews
使EnvoyGuides and harmonises
Classical Composition
- Rhizoma Atractylodis (Cang Zhu) 9g
- Cortex Phellodendri (Huang Bai) 9g
- Radix Stephaniae Tetrandrae (Fang Ji) 9g
- Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae Rhizoma (Bi Xie) 12g
- Clematidis Radix et Rhizoma (Wei Ling Xian) 9g
- Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae (Niu Xi) 9g
- Radix Angelicae Sinensis (Dang Gui) 9g
- Radix Paeoniae Rubra (Chi Shao) 9g
- Semen Coicis (Yi Yi Ren) 15g
- Radix et Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae (Gan Cao) 3g
Dosages follow the classical source and are shown for study, not as a prescription.
Related Conditions
Related Health Topics
Actions
- Clears heat
- drains dampness
- dispels wind
- and relieves painful swollen joints.
Indications
- This formula is indicated for damp-heat and wind lodging in the joints.
- Signs and symptoms include red, swollen, burning joint pain classically discussed with gouty bi.
Tongue & pulseThe coating is yellow and greasy, and the pulse is slippery and rapid.
Traditional Pathogenesis
Cause & mechanism
- This pattern is caused by damp-heat brewing in the middle or lower jiao, or streaming into the channels.
- Damp-heat and wind lodging in the joints produce red, swollen, burning pain classically associated with gouty bi.
Clinical presentation
- Heat and dampness together produce a heavy, burning or greasy presentation with yellow coating and a slippery rapid pulse.
Treatment strategy
- The correct method is to clear heat, drain dampness, and resolve the brewing pathogen.
- In this formula the emphasis is to clear damp-heat and dispel wind for painful swollen joints.
How does this formula compare?
Clinical Perspective
Tong Feng Wan, Dang Gui Nian Tong Tang, Si Miao San and Shen Tong Zhu Yu Tang treat damp-heat or bi pain. Dang Gui Nian Tong Tang clears damp-heat bi with wind-dispelling; Si Miao San is compact lower-body damp-heat; Shen Tong Zhu Yu Tang invigorates blood for stasis bi. Tong Feng Wan clears damp-heat and dispels wind for red swollen painful joints, classically linked to gouty presentations.
Clinical Differentiation
- Tong Feng Wan is used for damp-heat and wind lodging in the joints as red, swollen, burning pain, classically discussed with gouty bi.
- It is distinguished from Dang Gui Nian Tong Tang and Si Miao San, and from Shen Tong Zhu Yu Tang (stasis pain without damp-heat).
Safety notes: This formula clears damp-heat. It is not appropriate for cold-damp or blood-stasis joint pain without heat.
For educational reference only, based on traditional pattern differentiation — not a substitute for professional advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the actions of Shang Zhong Xia Tong Yong Tong Feng Wan?
Shang Zhong Xia Tong Yong Tong Feng Wan has the actions of dispelling Wind, clearing Heat, drying Dampness, transforming Phlegm, and invigorating Blood. Zhu Danxi designed it as a “universal” pill for painful Wind (tong feng) whether the pathogen sits in the upper, middle, or lower body.
Which modern conditions is this pill suited to?
Modern TCM clinical practice commonly applies it to individuals whose pattern differentiation falls within mixed Wind-Damp-Heat-Phlegm-stasis Bi, including gouty arthritis of this pattern, wandering or swollen joint pain, and some rheumatic joint presentations after medical diagnosis — as an adjunct, not as a replacement for acute gout or rheumatology care.
Is this formula suitable for painful, swollen joints that move from place to place?
For presentations of joint pain that may wander or settle, possible swelling and Heat, a greasy coating, and a slippery or wiry pulse — in those whose pattern differentiation confirms mixed Wind, Damp, Heat, Phlegm, and stasis — TCM commonly applies this pill as an adjunct. A single red-hot joint with high fever needs urgent medical evaluation.
Related Products
Hoi Tin Tong Feng Wan (Gout Formula) 5:1 Concentrated Granules
Related Articles
Shang Zhong Xia Tong Yong Tong Feng Wan: Classic TCM Formula for Gout, Wind-Damp Bi & Joint Pain
Shen Tong Zhu Yu Tang: Classic TCM Formula for Body Pain, Blood Stasis & Bi Syndrome
Si Miao San: Classic TCM Formula for Damp-Heat in the Lower Burner, Leg Pain & Beriberi
Dang Gui Nian Tong Tang: Classic TCM Formula for Damp-Heat Bi Syndrome, Joint Pain & Swelling
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Medical Disclaimer
For general TCM education only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified TCM practitioner or licensed healthcare provider before use, especially if pregnant, nursing, on medication, or managing a chronic condition.