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Herbs & Formulas, Pain

The Great Mender

Skye Sturgeon, DAOM |

by Dr. Skye Sturgeon

The Great Mender Teapills™/ Jin Gu Die Shang Wan (筋骨鐵打丸)is the Plum Flower™ variation created in the rich tradition of ‘hit medicine’, diē dǎ (or tieh ta)/ 跌打, which is a term originating from martial arts and injury treatment. The name of the formula can be translated as ‘tendons and bones strong as iron’.


person receiving leg massage

Founded during the Tang Dynasty, the Shaolin Monastery is a renowned Buddhist temple in the Songshan Mountain range of Henan province. At its peak, there were over 2,000 Shaolin monks. Their famous Shaolin Kung Fu is one of the earliest institutionalized Chinese martial arts beginning between the 16th and 17th centuries and became an integral part of monks' lives. Those who trained in these techniques learned how to ‘fall, hit, and heal.’ To quickly treat monk’s injuries incurred during martial arts training and general illnesses, monk doctors emerged and accumulated a wealth of experience in surgery and traumatology. Compiled into Shaolin Temple's Secret Recipes for Traumatic Injuries /少林寺跌打损伤秘方, the book contains prescriptions with proven efficacy and herb knowledge that are still studied, used, and extensively modified today by martial arts enthusiasts and traumatologists. Plum Flower™ The Great Mender Teapills/ Jin Gu Die Shang Wan is a modern formula based on this tradition.

Clinical Indications

The primary clinical focus of The Great Mender is to support the body’s innate ability to heal from acute injuries involving heat (inflammation), dampness (swelling), and Blood stasis (bruising) that have resulted from injury. This formula is particularly indicated to promote healing from simple fractures, which may be confined to a cast. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) terms, this etiology may be described as Qi and Blood stagnation due to Die Da (traumatic injury) presenting with pain, redness, swelling, and bruising or interstitial bleeding. The formula may also be helpful for sprains, strains, slow-healing wounds or injuries, and chronic stabbing pain, especially when there is a history of traumatic injury. With the correct presentation, it may be indicated in chest and epigastric pain, dysmenorrhea, and pelvic pain.

This is a trauma-focused herbal formula integrating invigoration of Blood, relief of pain, promotion of tissue and bone healing, and modest tonification. It has strong regenerative and resolving stasis functions, suitable for both acute and chronic trauma, including fractures, ligament/tendon injuries, bruising, post-operative recovery, and Blood stasis-type pain conditions.

TCM Functions

  • Invigorate Blood and dispel Blood stasis
  • Promote healing of bones and sinews
  • Reduce pain and inflammation
  • Break up accumulations and soften masses
  • Support tissue regeneration and wound healing

Typical Tongue & Pulse:

Tongue: Normal, pale or purple, there may be red or purple spots.
Pulse: Normal, wiry, choppy, or tight.

great mender teapills

TCM Formula Analysis of Ingredients

Chief/Monarch Herbs (Jūn君)

Primary action: Invigorate Blood, reduce stasis, and regenerate tissue.

These form the core of the formula and address the main pattern: Blood stasis with pain and tissue damage. These herbs work synergistically to break stasis, resolve swelling, and alleviate pain.

Ru Xiang (cu), Mo Yao (cu), San Leng, Hong Hua, Tao Ren, Chi Shao, Yan Hu Suo, Tu Bie Chong, and Liu Ji Nu.

Duì yào 對藥 herb combinations: Ru Xiang + Mo Yao is a classic pair. Yan Hu Suo is added to enhance Qi movement, reinforcing Blood flow and analgesia.

Deputy/Minister Herbs (Chén臣) – Support regeneration, repair, and tonify where needed

These herbs reinforce the primary action and assist with healing bones, sinews, and soft tissues.

Xu Duan, Gu Sui Bu, Dang Gui, Tian San Qi (San Qi), Su Mu, Xue Jie, Jiang Huang, and Tian Gua Zi

Duì yào combinations: Xu Duan + Gu Sui Bu is a classic fracture-healing combo. Dang Gui and San Qi harmonize Blood tonification with stasis transformation. Tian Gua Zi addresses phlegm-Damp that can result from unresolved trauma swelling.

Assistant Herbs (Zuǒ佐) – Regulate, harmonize, and address complications

These herbs mediate side effects, assist with transport, or address secondary symptoms like swelling or Qi stagnation.

Zhi Shi, Fang Feng, Mu Dan Pi, Bai Shao, and Mu Tong (San Ye)

Duì yào combinations: Zhi Shi and Bai Shao act together to balance Qi and Blood, preventing stagnation from forming anew.

Envoy Herbs (Shǐ使) – Guide and harmonize

Gan Cao and Jie Geng

Gan Cao balances the harsh nature of dispersing herbs like Tu Bie Chong and San Leng. Jie Geng ensures the upward distribution of the formula, in cases of injury above the diaphragm.

Jin Gu Die Shang Wan is a complex formula consisting of 22 herbs. Here is a chart listing the herbs in this proprietary formula by weight with their TCM functions:

The Great Mender / Jin Gu Die Shang Wan

PIN YIN NAME BOTANICAL NAME TCM FUNCTION
Xu duan Dipsacus asper root Tonifies Liver and Kidneys, strengthens bones and sinews, promotes healing of fractures
Tian san qi Panax notoginseng root Stops bleeding, reduces swelling, invigorates Blood, used for trauma
Chi shao Paeonia lactiflora root Invigorates Blood, clears heat from Blood, reduces swelling
Ru xiang (cu) Boswellia carterii resin (vinegar-fried) Invigorates Blood, moves Qi, alleviates pain, especially effective when prepared with vinegar
Mo yao (cu) Commiphora myrrha resin (vinegar-fried) Reduces pain, promotes tissue regeneration
Hong hua Carthamus tinctorius flower Strong Blood invigorator, relieves pain and trauma
Xue jie Daemonorops draco resin Stops bleeding, promotes tissue regeneration, used topically and internally for wounds
San leng Sparganium stoloniferum rhizome Breaks up Blood stasis and masses
Bai shao Paeonia lactiflora root Nourishes Blood, softens the Liver, relieves pain and spasms
Su mu Caesalpinia sappan wood Invigorates Blood, reduces swelling
Gan cao Glycyrrhiza uralensis root Harmonizes the formula, reduces toxicity, and moderates harsh herbs
Dang gui Angelica sinensis root Tonifies and invigorates Blood, reduces pain
Tu bie chong Eupolyphaga sinensis Strongly dispersing, Breaks up Blood stasis, regenerates sinews and bones
Mu dan pi Paeonia suffruticosa rootbark Clears heat and cools Blood, invigorates Blood
Tian gua zi Cucumis melo seed Reduces swellings and nodules, clears Phlegm
Tao ren Prunus persica seed Invigorates Blood, dispels stasis, and moistens the intestines
Fang feng Saposhnikovia divaricata root Disperses Wind, alleviates pain
Mu tong (san ye) Akebia trifoliata stem Promotes urination, clears Heat, unblocks channels
Gu sui bu Drynaria fortunei rhizome Strengthens bones, promotes healing of fractures, tonifies Kidneys
Zhi shi Citrus aurantium fruit (immature) Breaks up accumulations, moves Qi stagnation
Liu ji nu (bei) Siphonostegia chinensis herb Invigorates Blood, reduces swelling, promotes healing from trauma
Jie geng Platycodon grandiflorum root Opens the Lungs, guides other herbs upward, possibly to guide formula to upper body
Yan hu suo Corydalis yanhusuo rhizome Strongly alleviates pain, invigorates Blood and Qi
Jiang huang Curcuma longa rhizome Invigorates Blood, moves Qi, unblocks channels, reduces pain and swelling

Clinical Dosage

The standard dosing guidance is 8 pills, three times per day. Administer half an hour before or one hour after eating. The formula should be taken over several days, minimum. May be used medium-term for a few weeks to a few months. In the initial phases, dosage may be increased to 12 pills 3 times per day, then reduced to a maintenance dose as the formula takes effect. Monitor for signs of Heat or Yin deficiency.

Contraindications

Contraindicated during pregnancy. Use with caution during heavy menstrual bleeding. Use caution in patients on anti-coagulant therapy. Contraindicated with hemorrhagic disorders.

Clinical Notes:

  • May be used internally (teapills) or externally (a plaster or a soak). Some practitioners grind up the teapills into a powder adding water to make a paste that is applied topically over the injury and secured with a gauze pad or by adding a bit more water to make a soak and using a sanitary cotton pad.
  • The presence of both tonifying and dispersing herbs suggests a balanced approach to treating trauma, even with underlying deficiency.
  • Plum Flower™ ‘The Great Mender Teapills’ are MW# 3619 and contain 200 pills per bottle. Available to licensed practitioners.

References

About the Author

Skye Sturgeon, DAOM is the Quality Assurance Manager and Special Consultant for Mayway, USA. Skye was the former Chair of Acupuncture & East Asian Medicine and core faculty member at Bastyr University, core faculty member and Faculty Council Chair at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and President and Senior Professor of the Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine College, Berkeley. Before making Chinese medicine his career choice, Skye held various positions in the Natural Foods Industry for 12 years and prior to that was a clinical biochemist and toxicologist.

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