Gout is condition that often causes swelling, tenderness, and hot, inflamed tissues, mostly in the toes but in other joints of the body, according to the Mayo Clinic. The condition is caused by a build-up of uric acid or urate crystals that form around a joint. The kidneys are responsible for producing and excreting proper levels of uric acid, but malfunctions produce either too much or too little uric acid in the blood, leading to crystalline build-up, pain and swelling in an affected area of the body. Medications and diet may help relieve symptoms, as well as a few ancient Chinese herbal remedies.
Si Miao Wan
Si Miao Wan is known as the Four-Marvel Pill in Chinese, and is a common herbal remedy used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to treat symptoms of gout such as painful, numb and swollen lower extremities and 'dampness' in the body, restoring adequate levels of heat for relief of painful joints by decreasing levels of uric acid in the blood.
Gout Chi
Gout Chi is also an ancient Chinese herbal remedy that helps reduce high levels of uric acid in the blood and increases urine flow, excreting excess uric acid from the body.
Meadow Saffron
Meadow saffron is often used to treat limited areas of gout in individuals, producing a component called colchicine. Mixtures or tinctures containing licorice root (gan cao), cassia twig (gui zhi), safflower (hong hua) and Chinese angelica (dan gui wei) are often created to treat varying symptoms of gout. Alkaloids found in meadow saffron, primarily colchicine and colchicoside, which act as analgesics and emetics in the body, reduce edema or swelling and water retention and relieve pain and discomfort caused by gout.
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