Move qi
Mu Xiang
木香
Aucklandia root
Aucklandia lappa
Aromatic, moves qi, and is aimed at intestinal pain and tenesmus in texts.
Not for self-dosing. This page is not a formula, not a strength, and not a substitute for a licensed herbalist or physician.
Category
Warm · Acrid, Bitter
Meridians entered
Traditional uses
Used when the belly is stuck and painful, especially around the bowels. Some pharmacopoeias now prefer related species because of conservation. The teaching idea is the same: wake the qi of the middle.
Common pairings
- Bai Zhu 白术
Tonify and move, so a spleen tonic does not sit like a wet sponge.
- Chen Pi 陈皮
Two aromatics for fullness. Mu Xiang is more for pain.
Cautions
Not for self-dosing. Care in pregnancy. Some species are endangered; responsible sources matter. Not for acute abdominal emergencies.
Points with a similar aim
Beam Gate
Upper belly point beside the midline, for fullness.
Use caution
Celestial Pivot
Level with the navel, the Large Intestine alarm point.
Use caution
Upper Great Void
Below ST36, the large-intestine he-sea on the leg.
Great Horizontal
Well out from the navel, a spleen abdomen point.
Use caution
Large Intestine Shu
Low-back point for the large intestine shu and local ache.
Branch Ditch
Forearm point classically paired with stuck stools and rib-side tightness.