Nourishing the blood is one of the strategies that I use most often in my clinic. It is an underlying and often missed issue in multiple disease conditions, especially those related to inflammation and circulation. Any body tissue, vessel or organ that is in distress depends upon a healthy supply of fresh blood to heal, so this strategy is used as part of many healing regimens.

Common symptoms of what is called "blood deficiency" by TCM doctors, and ojaskshya by Ayurvedic doctors include low blood pressure, cold fingers and toes, and fatigue (high blood pressure for other reasons may also be present). Other slightly less common symptoms include thinning hair,  heart palpitations, dizziness upon standing (postural hypotension), falling asleep of arms, restless legs, menstrual cramps, headaches, slow healing, ringing in the ears, nails that break easily or grow slowly, and low blood sugar.

Nerve tissue is especially sensitive to blood deficiency, and so nourishing blood is  a very important strategy for many neurological issues, including mild anxiety, nervousness, dryness syndromes and tremors or spasms (sometimes severe). Pain syndromes after injury that seem to persist without cause may occur also, as the tissues and nerves cannot heal properly in this deficiency state.

Common causes of blood deficiency include dysbiosis (digestive problems), side effects of chemotherapy, digestive weakness or poor appetite, blood loss due to fibroids, severe stress and overwork, and thryoid problems. However, even otherwise healthy athletes can get this condition, one sign in women being scanty or absent periods. Poor digestion or dieting is another culprit.

It is important to understand that the many herbs that affect circulation are not all the same. Ginkgo leaf, for example, while excellent for circulation, does not provide the same nourishing qualities found in shou wu or  dang gui root.

TCM doctors have a unique application that demonstrates the power of this herbal treatment.  They use herbs to nourish the hair roots and treat alopecia (hair loss).  At our clinic we have seen many, many women and some men restore hair loss using herbs over the course of three months to a year or more.

TAM doctors differentiate conditions and the appropriate herbal treatment by determining what is causing the hair loss.  If the hair is simply falling out it is more of an inflammatory condition, and should be treated as such.  If the hair is fragile and breaks off, it is more of a deficiency condition that requires nourishment.

The same herbs used to nourish and bring healthy blood to the hair roots are beneficial direct or adjunct treatments for cold fingers and toes, as well as eyes (including glaucoma and macular degeneration), sense of taste, smell or hearing, skin (including acne), and muscles. They are also very beneficial when there is stagnant or insufficient blood contributing to blocked or inflammed arteries or veins, wounds that do not heal, dry skin, vision problems, constipation, chronic infections, weak functioning or chronic inflammation (including autoimmune inflammation) in any internal organ or body area. Breathing often improves with these herbs due to effects on oxygen delivery to the lungs.  Connective tissue problems also respond to these herbs, because ligament and tendons receive an indirect blood supply.

Recommended Herbal Treatments for Hair Loss

• I use a base formula of eclipta, shou wu root, raw rehmannia, cooked rehmannia, salvia root, schisandra fruit, dang gui root, mu gua fruit (Chaenomelis lagenaria), chiang huo rhizome (Notopterygium species) and dang shen root (Codonopsis pilosula) to nourish the hair roots.  The dose is two grams of concentrated granules twice per day. This can be given in concentrated herbal granule extracts, or with pills.

• If the patient is hypothyroid or has a tendency toward coldness (Yang deficiency), I add deer antler to the base formula, as well as DHEA and thyroid gland extracts.  Alternately, supplements for the thyroid can be used.

• If there are signs that the condition is more inflammatory, I will add herbs to clear liver heat to the base formula, such as scute root, burdock root or dandelion root.

• Essential oils can be a good adjunct treatment for alopecia.  In a study published in the Archives of Dermatology, 44% of patients who massaged essential oils (thyme, rosemary, lavender, and cedarwood) in a mixture of carrier oils (jojoba and grapeseed) into their scalp daily had improvement (Hay et.  al 1998).

• Alternatively, various Ayurvedic hair oils can be applied a few times a week at bedtime, usually consisting of sesame oil with gotu kola leaf and/or eclipta herb.

• Herbal treatments for hair loss based upon nourishing blood usually work better for women than men.  The reason may be related to DHT, an inflammatory testosterone metabolite.  Herbalist David Winston, AHG, and Dr. James Duke, Ph.D. both report theoretical and anecdotal evidence that using saw palmetto berry can be of help due to its effect on the inflammatory DHT, which apparently kills off or otherwise compromises hair follicles (Winston, 1999, Duke, 1997). Small amounts of progesterone cream may be another way to do this.