Herbsmith Rx Jia Wei Juan Bi San is a classical Chinese herbal formula recommended by holistic veterinarians to remove wind-dampness from the channels and support normal joint mobility in dogs, cats, and horses. Comparable to Two Cured Powder, Two Cured Soup, Lucid Channel, and Citrus and Pinella Formula, this augmented version of the classical Juan Bi San (Remove Painful Obstruction Decoction) addresses wind-cold-damp bi syndrome, specifically the cold-dominant and wind-dominant bi presentations where joint stiffness and soreness increase with cold exposure and diminish with warmth. An eleven-herb formula addressing wind-cold-damp bi syndrome from three simultaneous therapeutic angles, Jia Wei Juan Bi San expels wind-cold-dampness from the channels and joints through five channel-opening and wind-dampness-expelling herbs (Qiang Huo, Du Huo, Qin Jiao, Sang Zhi, and Hai Feng Teng), nourishes and moves the blood to prevent blood stasis and ensure the channels are properly nourished alongside the wind-dampness expulsion (Dang Gui, Chuan Xiong, and Ru Xiang), and warms the channels and moves the qi to address the cold root of the han bi (cold bi) pattern (Rou Gui and Mu Xiang Tu). Well suited for dogs, cats, and horses presenting with wind-cold-damp bi syndrome, characterized by joint stiffness, soreness, and reduced mobility that worsens with cold and damp weather and improves with warmth and movement, a pale tongue with a white greasy coating reflecting the cold-damp accumulation in the channels, and a wiry or tight pulse reflecting the cold obstruction. Available as a concentrated powder mixed into food; cats and dogs use the Canine Blend, while horses use the Equine/Horse Blend. Dosing varies by species and body weight, and your authorizing veterinarian will provide specific guidance.
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What It Supports
- Wind-cold-damp bi syndrome channel clearance through five coordinated wind-dampness-expelling herbs targeting upper body, lower body, and limb channels simultaneously: Expels wind-cold-dampness from the channels and joints using Qiang Huo for the upper body and exterior (tai yang channel), Du Huo for the lower body and deeper channels (shao yin channel), Qin Jiao for broader wind-dampness expulsion across multiple channels with mild heat-clearing coverage appropriate for mixed presentations, Sang Zhi for the channel network of the four limbs with specific affinity for the upper limb joints, and Hai Feng Teng for wind-dampness expulsion and channel-opening action throughout the joint channels. Together, these five herbs provide comprehensive wind-cold-damp expulsion from the upper body, lower body, and all four limb channels simultaneously.
- Blood nourishment and blood movement to support the channel nourishment alongside the wind-dampness expulsion: Nourishes and moves the blood using Dang Gui's combined blood-nourishing and blood-invigorating action to ensure the channels are adequately nourished as the wind-dampness is cleared, Chuan Xiong's qi- and blood-moving action to prevent the blood stasis that accumulates in channels obstructed by cold-dampness, and Ru Xiang (frankincense) to move blood and qi in the channels and joints and alleviate the stiffness and soreness from blood and qi stagnation in the affected joints. The blood-nourishing and moving layer supports the wind-dampness-expelling herbs' actions by ensuring adequate blood circulation through the newly opened channels.
- Yang warming and cold dispelling to address the cold root of the han bi (cold bi) pattern through Rou Gui's channel-warming action: Warms the channels and expels cold through Rou Gui's (cinnamon bark) strong yang-warming and cold-dispersing action, addressing the cold root of the han bi pattern where yang deficiency or cold invasion allows cold to lodge in the channels and joints and cause the stiffness and soreness that characterizes cold-dominant bi syndrome. Rou Gui's kidney yang-warming action also strengthens the constitutional yang that underlies the susceptibility to cold bi, providing both immediate cold dispelling and constitutional yang support alongside the formula's wind-dampness-expelling action.
- Qi movement and stagnation relief through Mu Xiang Tu's qi-moving and channel-opening action: Moves the qi stagnation that accumulates alongside the cold-damp obstruction in the affected channels using Mu Xiang Tu's qi-moving and stagnation-relieving action, ensuring the formula's yang-warming and blood-moving strategy is supported by direct qi movement in the obstructed channels. Qi stagnation is the inevitable secondary consequence of cold-damp obstruction in the channels, and directly moving the qi ensures the wind-dampness expulsion and blood movement of the formula's other herb groups are not limited by concurrent qi stagnation that blocks the normal flow of qi and blood through the channels being treated.
TCVM Principles
- Primary action - wind-cold-damp bi syndrome (han bi / cold bi) treatment through the three-layer strategy of wind-dampness expulsion, blood nourishment and movement, and yang warming and cold dispelling: Addresses wind-cold-damp bi syndrome in the classical TCVM bi (obstruction) pattern framework, where external wind, cold, and dampness pathogenic factors invade the channels and joints to obstruct the normal flow of qi and blood, creating the joint stiffness, soreness, and reduced mobility that characterize the bi syndrome presentation. The three bi pathogens (wind, cold, and dampness) produce distinct clinical features when they predominate: wind-dominant bi (xing bi, wandering bi) produces moving joint stiffness and soreness that shifts location; cold-dominant bi (tong bi, cold bi) produces fixed, intense joint stiffness and soreness that worsens markedly with cold exposure and diminishes with warmth; and damp-dominant bi (zhuo bi, fixed bi) produces heavy, fixed joint stiffness with swelling and a sensation of heaviness. Jia Wei Juan Bi San primarily addresses cold-dominant and wind-dominant bi presentations where the stiffness and soreness increase with cold and diminish with warmth, using Rou Gui's cold-dispelling and yang-warming action to address the cold-dominant component and the five wind-dampness-expelling herbs (Qiang Huo, Du Huo, Qin Jiao, Sang Zhi, Hai Feng Teng) to address the wind and dampness components simultaneously. The blood-nourishing and moving layer (Dang Gui, Chuan Xiong, Ru Xiang) reflects the classical TCVM principle that sustained bi syndrome always creates secondary blood stasis as the obstructed channels impede blood circulation, and that wind-dampness-expelling formulas for established bi syndrome must always include blood-nourishing and blood-moving herbs to treat the secondary stasis alongside the primary wind-dampness expulsion.
- Secondary action - Jia Wei Juan Bi San as the augmented (jia wei) version of the classical Juan Bi San and the clinical rationale for adding Sang Zhi, Hai Feng Teng, and Ru Xiang to the base formula: The classical Juan Bi San contains Qiang Huo, Du Huo, Qin Jiao, Dang Gui, Chuan Xiong, Rou Gui, Mu Xiang, and Gan Cao as its core herbs, addressing wind-cold-damp bi syndrome through the wind-dampness expulsion, blood movement, and yang warming strategy. The three augmenting herbs added in Jia Wei Juan Bi San expand the formula's channel-opening and joint-specific action: Sang Zhi adds specific affinity for the channel network of the four limbs and particularly the upper limb joints, extending the formula's wind-dampness-expelling coverage to the limb channels and extremities beyond the primary channel coverage of Qiang Huo and Du Huo; Hai Feng Teng adds dedicated channel-opening and wind-dampness-expelling action throughout the joint channels with a specific affinity for expelling wind-dampness from the channel sinews and joint capsules; and Ru Xiang (frankincense) adds strong blood and qi-moving action specifically in the channels and joints that addresses the blood stasis component of the established bi syndrome more powerfully than Dang Gui and Chuan Xiong's blood-nourishing and moving action alone.
Available Forms
- Powder - Canine Blend (for dogs and cats): Available in 75 g, 150 g, 500 g, 900 g, and 1200 g sizes; mix into food at the recommended dose for your pet's weight. Cats and dogs both use this blend.
- Powder - Equine/Horse Blend (for horses only): Available in 150 g, 500 g, 900 g, and 1200 g sizes; mix into grain at the recommended dose for your horse.
Suggested Use
For Dogs (Canine Blend Powder):
- Under 30 lbs: ½ tsp twice daily, or as prescribed
- 30-80 lbs: 1 tsp twice daily, or as prescribed
- 80-120 lbs: 1½ tsp twice daily, or as prescribed
- Over 120 lbs: 2 tsp twice daily, or as prescribed
For Cats (Canine Blend Powder): ¼ tsp twice daily, or as prescribed
For Horses (Equine/Horse Blend, 1,000 lb horse): Two tablespoons twice daily for 20 days, then two tablespoons once daily in grain. If the horse initially refuses, start with a small amount mixed into grain and gradually increase until the horse is accustomed to the taste. Most horses will readily accept the herbs in their grain.
Ingredients
Active Ingredients: Qiang Huo (Radix et Rhizoma Notopterygii), Du Huo (Radix Angelicae Pubescentis), Qin Jiao (Radix Gentianae Qinjiao), Sang Zhi (Ramulus Mori Albae), Hai Feng Teng (Caulis Piperis Futokadsurae), Dang Gui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis), Chuan Xiong (Radix Ligustici Chuanxiong), Ru Xiang (Gummi Olibanum), Mu Xiang Tu (Inulae Radix), Rou Gui (Cortex Cinnamomi Cassiae), Zhi Gan Cao (Honey-fried Radix Glycyrrhizae Uralensis)
Inactive Ingredient: Flaxseed
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Active Ingredient TCVM Actions
Jia Wei Juan Bi San is an eleven-herb formula for wind-cold-damp bi syndrome, organized into three layers: a five-herb wind-dampness-expelling group, a three-herb blood-nourishing and moving group, and a two-herb yang-warming and qi-moving group, with Zhi Gan Cao harmonizing:
- Qiang Huo (Radix et Rhizoma Notopterygii) - Notopterygium Rhizome and Root: Expels wind-cold-dampness from the exterior and upper body, releases the exterior, and opens the tai yang channel; the principal upper-body wind-cold-damp-expelling herb with strong affinity for the tai yang channel and the upper back, neck, and shoulder joints, providing the formula's primary wind-cold-damp-expelling action for the upper body channels. Qiang Huo's ascending and dispersing nature carries its wind-dampness-expelling action to the most superficial and uppermost levels of the body, where wind-cold-dampness first invades, making it the lead herb for upper-body and exterior wind-cold-damp bi syndrome presentations.
- Du Huo (Radix Angelicae Pubescentis) - Pubescent Angelica Root: Expels wind-cold-dampness from the lower body and deeper channels and opens the shao yin channel; the principal lower-body wind-cold-damp-expelling herb with specific affinity for the shao yin channel and the lower back, hips, and lower limb joints, providing complementary lower-body wind-dampness-expelling coverage to Qiang Huo's upper-body action. Du Huo's ability to reach the deeper shao yin channel level makes it appropriate for lower-body bi syndrome presentations with deeper channel involvement, and its pairing with Qiang Huo in the classical formula reflects the upper-lower, tai yang-shao yin coordination that ensures comprehensive wind-cold-damp expulsion along the full body axis.
- Qin Jiao (Radix Gentianae Qinjiao) - Large Leaf Gentian Root: Expels wind-dampness from the channels and joints, clears damp-heat, and alleviates channel stiffness and soreness; the broad-spectrum wind-dampness-expelling herb with mild heat-clearing properties that make it appropriate for both cold-dominant and mixed presentations where some heat is present alongside the predominant cold-damp pattern. Qin Jiao's ability to clear damp-heat while expelling wind-dampness gives the formula coverage for animals presenting with primarily cold bi but with concurrent mild damp-heat from secondary inflammation, providing versatility that Qiang Huo and Du Huo's purely warming wind-dampness-expelling action cannot offer.
- Sang Zhi (Ramulus Mori Albae) - Mulberry Twig: Expels wind-dampness from the limb channel network and opens the channel sinews of the four limbs; the jia wei (augmenting) herb with specific affinity for the channel network of the four limbs and especially the upper limb joints and sinews, extending the formula's wind-dampness-expelling coverage to the limb channels and extremity joints beyond the primary upper-body and lower-body channel coverage of Qiang Huo and Du Huo. Sang Zhi's ability to reach the channel sinews of all four limbs makes it an important addition for bi syndrome presentations where joint stiffness and reduced mobility prominently involve the extremities and limb joints.
- Hai Feng Teng (Caulis Piperis Futokadsurae) - Kadsura Pepper Stem: Expels wind-dampness, opens the channels and sinews, and alleviates channel stiffness and soreness throughout the joint channels; the second jia wei herb providing dedicated channel-opening and wind-dampness-expelling action throughout the joint channels with specific affinity for expelling wind-dampness from the channel sinews and joint structures. Hai Feng Teng's channel-opening action complements Sang Zhi's limb channel coverage by providing additional joint-specific wind-dampness-expelling and channel-opening coverage, ensuring the formula's primary wind-dampness-expelling herbs' actions are extended to the full network of joint channels and sinews where the bi syndrome obstruction is expressed.
- Dang Gui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis) - Chinese Angelica Root / Dong Quai: Nourishes and invigorates the blood, alleviates channel stiffness and soreness, and moistens the intestines; the primary blood-nourishing and blood-invigorating herb that ensures the channels are adequately nourished alongside the wind-dampness expulsion. Dang Gui's combined blood-nourishing and moving action addresses the blood deficiency that predisposes the channels to wind-dampness invasion (since blood-deficient channels are less resistant to pathogenic factor invasion) and the blood stasis that accumulates in channels obstructed by sustained cold-dampness, providing both nourishment and movement in a single herb within the formula's blood layer.
- Chuan Xiong (Radix Ligustici Chuanxiong) - Ligusticum Rhizome / Sichuan Lovage Rhizome: Invigorates the blood, moves qi, and alleviates channel stiffness and soreness; the qi- and blood-moving herb that prevents stasis accumulation in the channels being treated by the wind-dampness-expelling herbs and ensures the blood circulation through the newly opened channels is actively promoted. Chuan Xiong's ascending and dispersing action also carries its blood-moving effect to the upper-body channels treated by Qiang Huo, ensuring coordinated blood movement and wind-dampness expulsion in the upper-body channel network.
- Ru Xiang (Gummi Olibanum) - Frankincense Resin / Boswellia: Invigorates the blood, moves qi, opens the channels, and alleviates channel stiffness and soreness in the joints; the third jia wei augmenting herb and the strongest blood and qi-moving herb in the formula, providing powerful blood stasis-breaking and channel-opening action specifically in the channels and joints that addresses the blood stasis component of established bi syndrome more directly than Dang Gui and Chuan Xiong's blood-nourishing and circulating action. Ru Xiang's specific affinity for moving blood and qi in the channel sinews and joint structures makes it a particularly appropriate addition to a bi syndrome formula where channel stasis from sustained cold-damp obstruction is a prominent component of the clinical presentation.
- Mu Xiang Tu (Inulae Radix) - Elecampane Root / Tu Mu Xiang: Moves qi, alleviates stagnation, strengthens the spleen, and opens the channels; the qi-moving herb that addresses the qi stagnation component of the cold-damp channel obstruction, ensuring the formula's blood-moving and yang-warming actions are supported by direct qi movement in the obstructed channels. The "tu" (earth/local) designation distinguishes this from the standard Mu Xiang (Aucklandia lappa root) and refers to the Inula species root (Inulae Radix), which provides comparable qi-moving and channel-opening action as a local substitute for the classical Aucklandia-source Mu Xiang used in the base formula.
- Rou Gui (Cortex Cinnamomi Cassiae) - Cinnamon Bark: Warms the channels, expels cold, warms the kidney yang, invigorates the blood, and disperses cold obstruction from the channels and joints; the primary cold-expelling and yang-warming herb that addresses the cold root of the han bi (cold bi) pattern, warming the channels and expelling the cold that lodges in the joints and causes the stiffness and soreness that worsens with cold exposure. Rou Gui's kidney yang-warming action provides constitutional yang support alongside its immediate channel-warming and cold-dispersing effect, strengthening the yang that both underlies susceptibility to cold bi and is progressively depleted by sustained cold lodging in the channels. Rou Gui also invigorates the blood in the channels, providing additional blood-moving action alongside the formula's blood layer (Dang Gui, Chuan Xiong, Ru Xiang) by warming and moving the blood stasis created when cold obstructs and congeals the blood in the affected channels.
- Zhi Gan Cao (Honey-fried Radix Glycyrrhizae Uralensis) - Honey-fried Licorice Root: Tonifies the spleen qi, moderates and harmonizes the formula's herbs, and moderates the harsh dispersing and warming actions of the formula's more intense wind-dampness-expelling and cold-dispelling herbs; the harmonizing herb at the smallest proportion, providing spleen qi support to ensure the middle jiao can process and distribute the formula's herbs effectively throughout the treatment course, and moderating the combined dispersing action of Qiang Huo, Du Huo, Rou Gui, and the channel-opening herbs to prevent excessive dispersal of the righteous qi alongside the wind-dampness expulsion. The honey-fried preparation (zhi) enhances Gan Cao's tonifying and moderating action over the raw form, making it better suited for sustained treatment of an established bi syndrome pattern.
Potential Drug Interactions
Jia Wei Juan Bi San contains Dang Gui, Chuan Xiong, and Ru Xiang, which have blood-invigorating and anticoagulant properties that warrant monitoring in animals on warfarin, heparin, aspirin, or other anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications. Rou Gui (cinnamon bark) has warming and blood-invigorating properties that may potentiate anticoagulant medications and warrants monitoring in animals on thyroid medications because sustained doses may affect thyroid function. Qin Jiao has anti-inflammatory properties that may interact with NSAIDs or other anti-inflammatory medications. The formula's overall character is warming and dispersing, and it is indicated specifically for cold-dominant and wind-dominant bi syndrome confirmed by the veterinarian through tongue, pulse, and channel assessment; it is not appropriate for bi syndrome presentations with prominent heat signs (hot bi, re bi), where the formula's warming herbs (Rou Gui, Qiang Huo, Du Huo) would be contraindicated.
Medication categories warranting extra caution include anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications (Dang Gui, Chuan Xiong, Ru Xiang, and Rou Gui's blood-invigorating effects), thyroid medications (Rou Gui's potential thyroid-related effects at sustained doses), NSAIDs and anti-inflammatory medications (Qin Jiao's anti-inflammatory properties), and immunosuppressive medications. Your authorizing veterinarian will determine appropriateness based on your animal's condition, current medications, and confirmation of the cold-dominant bi syndrome pattern through tongue quality, pulse character, and assessment of the cold-heat character of the joint presentation.
VETERINARY AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED: Submit Your Authorization Request or Request a TCVM Telemedicine Consultation
Frequently Asked Questions
What conditions is Jia Wei Juan Bi San used for in TCVM?
In Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, Jia Wei Juan Bi San is indicated for wind-cold-damp bi syndrome, specifically the cold-dominant (han bi) and wind-dominant (xing bi) presentations where joint stiffness, soreness, and reduced mobility increase with cold and damp weather and diminish with warmth and movement. It addresses the classic bi syndrome presentation where external wind, cold, and dampness pathogenic factors have invaded and lodged in the channels and joints, obstructing the normal flow of qi and blood and creating the channel stiffness and soreness of the bi obstruction pattern. Your authorizing veterinarian will confirm the wind-cold-damp bi pattern through tongue and pulse assessment and differentiation of the cold-heat character of the joint presentation, particularly confirming the cold-dominant nature of the pattern (worse with cold, better with warmth) that distinguishes it from hot bi (re bi) presentations where warming herbs would be contraindicated.
How is Jia Wei Juan Bi San administered to dogs, cats, and horses?
Mix the powder directly into food or grain at the dose recommended for your animal's species and body weight. Dogs and cats use the Canine Blend; horses use the Equine/Horse Blend. Dogs and cats receive the formula twice daily; horses receive two tablespoons twice daily for the first 20 days, then once daily for maintenance. If the horse initially refuses, start with a small amount mixed into grain and gradually increase until the horse is accustomed to the taste. Most horses will readily accept the herbs in their grain. Because Jia Wei Juan Bi San contains Rou Gui and multiple blood-invigorating herbs (Dang Gui, Chuan Xiong, Ru Xiang), your authorizing veterinarian will review current medications for anticoagulant interactions and confirm the cold-dominant bi pattern before beginning use.
How long does it take to see results with Jia Wei Juan Bi San?
Improvement in joint stiffness, mobility, and cold-sensitive bi syndrome signs is typically seen within 3 to 6 weeks of consistent use, as the wind-dampness is progressively cleared from the channels and yang is restored through Rou Gui's warming action. The speed of response depends on the duration and severity of the bi obstruction: acute presentations with recent wind-cold-damp invasion respond more quickly than chronic or deep-seated bi syndrome with established blood stasis and channel deficiency from prolonged obstruction. Your veterinarian will monitor tongue quality, pulse character, and joint mobility and cold sensitivity throughout the treatment course to confirm the wind-cold-damp bi pattern is resolving and to adjust the formula or dose as the pattern changes during treatment.
How does Jia Wei Juan Bi San differ from the classical Juan Bi San?
The classical Juan Bi San contains Qiang Huo, Du Huo, Qin Jiao, Dang Gui, Chuan Xiong, Rou Gui, Mu Xiang, and Gan Cao as its core herbs, addressing wind-cold-damp bi syndrome through the foundational strategy of expelling wind-dampness, moving blood, and warming yang. Jia Wei Juan Bi San adds three herbs to the classical base: Sang Zhi extends the formula's wind-dampness-expelling action to the channel network of the four limbs and extremity joints beyond the primary channel coverage of Qiang Huo and Du Huo; Hai Feng Teng provides dedicated channel-opening and wind-dampness-expelling action throughout the joint channels and channel sinews; and Ru Xiang (frankincense) adds more powerful blood and qi-moving action in the channels and joints that addresses the blood stasis component of established bi syndrome more directly than the classical formula's blood layer alone. Together, these three augmenting herbs make Jia Wei Juan Bi San better suited for bi syndrome with prominent limb channel involvement and established blood stasis in the joint channels alongside the primary wind-cold-damp pattern.