Jade Windscreen (Yu Ping Feng San)

Jade = a precious, beautiful, solid gem

Wind = external pathogenic factors

Screen = protective blockade

When learning Traditional Chinese Medicine the first category of herbs, formulas, and acupuncture points I was taught was that relating to colds and flus. At the time, we students rolled our eyes at this (see here for my original blog post on this!). No one comes to acupuncture for a cold, we thought, we want to get to the pain! We were wrong, of course, and are now very grateful to have this knowledge in our acupuncture and herbal toolkits.

As I said before…

“2300 years ago, when our first source texts were written, THE stuff Chinese Medicine was developed for was the treatment of: coughing, wheezing, fevers, chills, sore throats, body aches, diarrhea, vomiting. The Chinese people have weathered 320 epidemics (and survived, and thrived) over the recorded centuries. EVERY seemingly minor cold symptom was taken seriously, not knowing whether it would cause a slight cold or a major devastation of the population.”

Jade Windscreen Decoction is a formula that helps to provide a barrier between us and external factors. The surface of the body is controlled by the Wei Qi. This layer of energy needs to be strong and firm in order for us to be able to resist the external pathogens (originally described as “wind” diseases, now known to be related to what is actually carried in that wind - bacteria and viruses). By reinforcing that protective layer of energy we can be better able to stay healthy in the face of illness. This simple herbal formula can be part of that toolkit!

Disclaimer: The statements made on this page are based on traditional use and modern research. However, they have not been validated conclusively by Health Authorities. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, but only for educational purposes.