Qianghuo is the root of the umbelliferous plant Qianghuo. It has a warm nature, a bitter taste, and enters the bladder and kidney meridians. It has the effects of dispelling exterior cold, expelling wind and dampness, and promoting joint health.
It is commonly used to treat wind-cold colds, wind-cold arthralgia, bone and joint pain, wind-water swelling, abscesses, and sores.
Qianghuo is divided into several varieties, such as Canqiang, Zhujieqiang, Datouqiang, and Tiaoqiang, based on their medicinal parts and morphology. These are all genuine products, with Canqiang being the highest quality.
In the market, there are sliced roots of the Rosaceae plant Deyu mixed with genuine Qianghuo, so be careful when using it.
Genuine Canqiang: It has a shape similar to a silkworm, cylindrical or slightly curved, about 4-10 centimeters long and 1-2 centimeters in diameter. There are remnants of stem leaves at the top. The surface is brownish-brown, with many closely spaced and raised segments, and the segments have densely packed wart-like root marks. It is light and easy to break, with an uneven cross-section, distinct chrysanthemum patterns, and multiple scattered cracks. The bark is reddish-brown, the xylem is light yellow, and there is yellow-white marrow in the center, all with cinnabar spots (oil ducts). It has a special and strong aroma when smelled, and a slightly bitter and numbing taste when tasted.
Fake Deyu: It is irregularly spindle-shaped or cylindrical, with a dark purple-red or dark brown outer skin, longitudinal wrinkles, and horizontal cracks. Sometimes there are ring patterns at the top. It is hard and not easy to break, and the cut surface is gray-brown. The transverse section shows fine radial texture, and the characteristic surface of the longitudinal section shows "vein" stripes, without the characteristics of genuine Qianghuo. It has a slight odor and no special fragrance, and tastes bitter and astringent, without a numbing sensation on the tongue. Deyu can also be used as medicine, as it has the functions of clearing heat, detoxifying, cooling blood, and stopping bleeding, but it does not have the effects of Qianghuo. If the fake Deyu is mistakenly used, it may delay treatment, so it should be carefully identified.
