Release exterior
Ge Gen
葛根
Kudzu root
Pueraria lobata
Releases the muscle layer, especially a stiff neck.
Not for self-dosing. This page is not a formula, not a strength, and not a substitute for a licensed herbalist or physician.
Category
Cool · Sweet, Acrid
Meridians entered
Traditional uses
The textbook herb for a stiff nape at the start of a surface pattern, and for generating fluids when the pattern includes thirst. Also discussed for raising clear yang, which is why it sometimes sits near Sheng Ma in study notes.
Common pairings
- Gui Zhi 桂枝
Neck stiffness with a cold surface is the usual reason these two are written together.
- Sheng Ma 升麻
Both are said to lift clear yang. A raising pair, easy to overuse if there is already heat above.
Cautions
Not for self-dosing. Care in pregnancy. Kudzu supplements sold for other purposes are not this tradition and not reviewed here.
Points with a similar aim
Upper Arm
Upper-arm point for shoulder reach and local ache.
Shoulder Bone
Front shoulder hollow for stiff reach.
Back Stream
Edge-of-hand point for the neck and the Du vessel.
Support the Aged
Wrist cleft that opens when the palm turns inward.
True Shoulder
Back of the shoulder, just above the armpit crease.
Celestial Gathering
Center of the shoulder blade for that deep scapular ache.
Use caution
Celestial Pillar
Base of the skull, beside the midline, for a stiff nape.
Use caution
Great Shuttle
Top of the back-shu line, influential point of bone.
Use caution