This article lists the main Three Treasures remedies for pain.  These will be classified according to channel and Zangfu pain and also according to area of pain.

CHANNEL PAIN
The Three Treasures remedies treating channel pain are:

Brocade Sinews
Nourish the Root and Clear Wind
Clear Channels
Benefit the Sinews

Brocade Sinews treats channel pain from Bi syndrome occurring against a background of Blood deficiency. This would be a dull ache occurring in the limbs. It would be aggravated by cold and alleviated by warmth and rest.

Nourish the Root and Clear Wind treats channel pain from Bi syndrome occurring against a background of Yin deficiency, mostly in the elderly.

Clear Channels treats channel pain from Bi syndrome due to Damp-Heat. This manifests with joints that are painful, red and swollen.

Benefit the Sinews treats channel pain from Bi syndrome due to Phlegm and Blood stasis in the joints.  This would correspond to the chronic stage of rheumatoid arthritis with deformities of the joints.


ZANGFU PAIN
There are many Three Treasures remedies to treat Zangfu pain and we can classify them according to the Zangfu treated:

Liver
Bend Bamboo, Break into a Smile, Brighten the Eyes, Drain Fire, Release Constraint, Smooth Passage, Stir Field of Elixir

Stomach and Spleen
Central Mansion, Ease the Muscles, Smooth Passage, Soothe the Centre.

Kidneys and Bladder
Separate Clear and Turbid, Clear the Root, Water Passages

Intestines
Smooth Passage, Ease the Muscles

The following is a brief description of the application of each of the above remedies for pain.



Liver

Bend BambooThis remedy is for headache deriving from Liver-Yang rising occurring against a background of Liver-Blood deficiency. It may be used for both chronic or acute pain (by increasing the daily dosage in case of acute pain).

Break into a Smile
This is for abdominal pain deriving from Liver-Qi stagnation. It is a variation of Chai Hu Shu Gan Tang which is the prescription for this type of pain. This would be the typical distending pain.

Brighten the Eyes
This is for a dull headache on the forehead or vertex deriving from Liver-Blood deficiency. It is therefore for a Deficiency type of pain.

Drain Fire
This is for headache deriving from Liver-Fire. This would definitely be a Full type of pain and it would be severe and throbbing in character. It is, however, also for pain in the Lower Burner, such as pain from cystitis or urethritis.

Release Constraint
This is for pain deriving from Liver-Qi stagnation: it is for a Full type of pain when the pulse is Wiry in all positions. This pain could be in the hypochondrium or epigastrium.

Smooth Passage
This is for abdominal pain from Liver-Qi stagnation and Spleen-Qi deficiency. It is therefore for a mixed Fullness-Deficiency pain.

Stir Field of Elixir
This is for lower abdominal pain from Blood stasis (Full type of pain).

Stomach and Spleen
Central Mansion
This is for a dull epigastric pain deriving from Spleen-Qi and Stomach-Yin deficiency: it is a Deficiency-type pain.

Smooth Passage
This is for abdominal pain deriving from Liver-Qi stagnation and Spleen-Qi deficiency: it is therefore both from a Fullness and a Deficiency. It is specific for irritable bowel pain.

Soothe the Centre
This is for epigastric pain deriving from Spleen-Qi deficiency, Dampness and Qi stagnation: it is therefore a mixed Fullness-Deficiency pain.

Ease the Muscles
This is for epigastric pain deriving from Damp-Heat in the Stomach. It is pain of a Full nature. It may also be used for muscle ache in post-viral fatigue syndrome.

Kidneys and Bladder
Separate Clear and Turbid
This is for urinary pain deriving from Dampness in the urinary passages and Qi deficiency. It is a mixed Fullness-Deficiency pain.

Clear the Root
This is for urinary or prostatic pain deriving from Damp-Heat and Blood stasis. It is definitely of a Full nature.

Water Passages
This remedy treats chronic Dampness in the Bladder against a background of Kidney deficiency.  It is therefore for a relatively mild chronic pain on urination.

Drain Fire
This remedy is for Lower Burner pain such as from cystitis or urethritis deriving from Liver-Fire.

Instestines
Smooth Passage
This is for lower abdominal pain deriving from Liver-Qi stagnation and Spleen Qi deficiency (see above).


Ease the Muscles
This is for abdominal pain deriving from Damp-Heat in the Stomach. It is pain of a Full nature. It may also be used for muscle ache in post-viral fatigue syndrome.

PAIN ACCORDING TO VARIOUS PATHOGENIC FACTORS
Pathogenic factors are a major cause of pain which is by definition of a Full nature. The main pathogenic factors that cause pain (and the relevant remedies) are:

Dampness (Ease the Muscles, Soothe the Centre, Smooth Passage, Separate Clear and Turbid, Clear the Root, Welcome Fragrance)
Qi Stagnation (Soothe the Centre, Smooth Passage, Release Constraint, Break into a Smile)Blood Stasis (Stir Field of Elixir)
Liver-Yang rising (Bend Bamboo)
Toxic-Heat (Welcome Fragrance, Clear the Root, Expel Toxic-Heat)
Liver-Fire (Drain Fire)

REMEDIES FOR PAIN CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO AREA
It may be useful to classify the Three Treasures remedies according to area of pain treated, irrespective of whether it is a Fullness or a Deficiency type of pain.

Head, face: Bend Bamboo, Welcome Fragrance, Brighten the Eyes, Clear Yang, Drain Fire, Expel Wind-Cold, Expel Wind-Heat
Chest
Clear the Soul

Epigastrium
Soothe the Centre, Release Constraint, Central Mansion, Ease the Muscles
Hypochondrium
Break into a Smile, Release Constraint

Abdomen
Smooth Passage, Break into a Smile, Stir Filed of Elixir

Hypogastrium
Separate Clear and Turbid, Clear the Root, Water Passages.

Legs, knees
Brocade Sinews, Nourish the Root and Clear Wind

WOMEN'S TREASURE REMEDIES - The classification of Women's Treasure remedies for pain is easier since the main remedies for pain in this line are those for painful periods which are:

Drain Redness (Damp-Heat and Blood Heat)
Free Flow (Liver-Qi stagnation)
Stir Field of Elixir (Liver-Blood stasis)
Warm the Menses (Cold in the Uterus)
   
The Women's Treasure manual explains the application of these remedies and the type of menstrual pain treated by each. There are, however, a few other remedies in this line which may also treat pain and they are described below.

Drain the Jade Valley
This remedy drains Damp-Heat from the Lower Burner and may be used for vaginal pain or pain on intercourse in the presence of Damp-Heat.

Penetrating Vessel
This remedy can treat abdominal, epigastric or chest pain deriving from rebellious Qi in the Chong Mai.

Clear the Moon
This remedy can treat breast pain deriving from Qi stagnation and Phlegm.

Free-Flowing Sea
This remedy can treat pre-menstrual abdominal pain occurring against a background of Liver-Qi stagnation and Liver-Blood deficiency.

Freeing Constraint
This remedy can treat breast pain deriving from Liver-Qi stagnation.

BY GIOVANNI MACIOCIA