Yang He Tang — Harmonise Yang Decoction

On this page

1. Overview
2. TCM pattern
3. Key herbs
4. Formula actions
5. Conditions treated
6. Cautions

What is Yang He Tang?

Yang He Tang — Harmonise Yang Decoction — is a classical formula from Wang Hong-Xu’s Wai Ke Quan Sheng Ji (1740) for Yin-cold sores and chronic deep abscesses. It is one of the most useful and underused formulas in Chinese herbal medicine for chronic skin nodules, fibrocystic breast disease, chronic mastitis and the kind of deep, cold, non-suppurating lesions that resist conventional treatment.

I prescribe Yang He Tang as part of bespoke herbal formulas from pharmaceutical-grade granules sourced from Sun Ten in Taiwan.

Yang He Tang TCM pattern

Prescribed for Yin-Cold and stasis in the channels and skin: chronic deep nodules, indurated swellings, scrofula, cold abscesses; lesions that are flat, hard, non-red and non-painful or with dull discomfort; cold-natured, weak-constitutioned patient with a pale tongue and a deep slow pulse.

Key herbs

1. Shu Di Huang — nourishes Blood and Yin to soften hardness
2. Lu Jiao Jiao (deer horn glue, sustainably farmed) or substitute — tonifies Yang and Essence
3. Rou Gui, Pao Jiang (charred Gan Jiang) — warm channels and dispel deep Cold
4. Bai Jie Zi — disperses cold Phlegm in the channels
5. Ma Huang — opens the channels to allow the warming herbs to penetrate
6. Gan Cao — harmonises

Formula actions

1. Warms the channels and dispels Cold from the skin and tissue layer
2. Tonifies Blood and Yang to dissolve hardness
3. Disperses cold Phlegm and resolves chronic nodules

Conditions treated

1. Fibrocystic breast disease with cold-nodule features
2. Chronic non-suppurating mastitis
3. Chronic cold-pattern bone and joint abscesses (Bi syndrome)
4. Cold-pattern thyroid nodules
5. Chronic non-healing cold ulcers in deficient constitutions
6. Selected presentations of scleroderma, lupus pernio and morphea

Cautions

Contraindicated in heat-pattern sores with redness, swelling and pus, in pregnancy and in hypertension (Ma Huang content). Patients with skin nodules should be evaluated to exclude malignancy before TCM treatment.

Always consult a qualified Chinese herbalist registered with the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine (RCHM). Online herbal consultations are available.

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