{ "slug": "liver-yang-rising", "name": "Liver Yang Rising", "pinyin": "Gan Yang Shang Kang", "chinese": "肝阳上亢", "organ": "Liver", "nature": "mixed", "family": "heat", "summary": "Liver and Kidney yin are too low to hold the Liver's yang down, so it rushes to the head. A pounding or throbbing headache, dizziness, a red face, ringing ears, a hot temper, and often high blood pressure, on top of a sore back and a dry mouth. Loud above, empty below.", "picture": "A kite with a frayed string. The kite is the yang, the string is the yin. When the string wears thin the kite climbs and thrashes. You do not pull the kite down. You repair the string.", "signs": { "key": [ "Throbbing headache at the temples or top of the head", "Dizziness, a feeling of pressure in the head", "Red face and eyes, a hot temper", "Ringing in the ears", "High blood pressure" ], "common": [ "Sore low back and weak knees", "Dry mouth, insomnia", "Numb or trembling limbs", "Worse with anger, alcohol, or lack of sleep" ], "tongue": "Red, especially the sides, with little coat.", "pulse": "Wiry, thin, and rapid, stronger at the wrist than at the rear." }, "causes": [ "Years of Liver and Kidney yin deficiency", "Long anger and frustration", "Alcohol and heating food", "Late nights and overwork", "Menopause" ], "tell_apart": [ { "slug": "liver-fire", "how": "Liver fire is pure excess: a full forceful pulse, a thick yellow coat, no deficiency signs underneath. Yang rising has a sore back and a thin pulse at the rear, because the root is empty." }, { "slug": "liver-and-kidney-yin-deficiency", "how": "The same root without the rising: dry eyes, dry mouth, sore back, but no pounding head and no red face." } ], "formulas": [ { "slug": "tian-ma-gou-teng-yin", "role": "primary", "when": "Headache, dizziness, and high blood pressure from rising yang. Anchors and calms.", "pinyin": "Tian Ma Gou Teng Yin", "_links": { "self": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/api/v1/formula/tian-ma-gou-teng-yin", "html": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/formula/tian-ma-gou-teng-yin" } }, { "slug": "qi-ju-di-huang-wan", "role": "root", "when": "To rebuild the Liver and Kidney yin once the rising has settled.", "pinyin": "Qi Ju Di Huang Wan", "_links": { "self": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/api/v1/formula/qi-ju-di-huang-wan", "html": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/formula/qi-ju-di-huang-wan" } }, { "slug": "jia-wei-xiao-yao-san", "role": "with stress", "when": "When anger and stress drive the rising more than deficiency.", "pinyin": "Jia Wei Xiao Yao San", "_links": { "self": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/api/v1/formula/jia-wei-xiao-yao-san", "html": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/formula/jia-wei-xiao-yao-san" } } ], "herbs": [ { "pinyin": "Tian Ma", "role": "Gastrodia calms Liver wind and dizziness.", "herb_slug": "tall-gastrodia-tuber", "_links": { "herb": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/api/v1/herb/tall-gastrodia-tuber", "html": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/herb/tall-gastrodia-tuber" } }, { "pinyin": "Gou Teng", "role": "Uncaria settles rising yang and lowers pressure.", "herb_slug": "gambir-plant", "_links": { "herb": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/api/v1/herb/gambir-plant", "html": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/herb/gambir-plant" } }, { "pinyin": "Ju Hua", "role": "Chrysanthemum cools the Liver and eyes.", "herb_slug": "chrysanthemum-flower", "_links": { "herb": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/api/v1/herb/chrysanthemum-flower", "html": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/herb/chrysanthemum-flower" } }, { "pinyin": "Mu Li", "role": "Oyster shell anchors the yang.", "herb_slug": "oyster-shell", "_links": { "herb": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/api/v1/herb/oyster-shell", "html": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/herb/oyster-shell" } }, { "pinyin": "Gui Ban", "role": "Tortoise plastron nourishes yin and anchors.", "herb_slug": "tortoise-plastron", "_links": { "herb": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/api/v1/herb/tortoise-plastron", "html": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/herb/tortoise-plastron" } }, { "pinyin": "Niu Xi", "role": "Achyranthes pulls the rising energy back down.", "herb_slug": "root-of-twotooth-achyranthes-2", "_links": { "herb": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/api/v1/herb/root-of-twotooth-achyranthes-2", "html": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/herb/root-of-twotooth-achyranthes-2" } } ], "conditions": [ "liver-yang-rising", "hypertension", "headache", "migraine", "dizziness", "tinnitus", "insomnia" ], "habits": [ "Alcohol and anger are the two fastest ways to send the kite up.", "Chrysanthemum tea in the afternoon.", "Early nights; the string is repaired in sleep.", "Walk, do not run. Keep the energy low in the body." ], "watch": [ "The headache and flushing ease within one to two weeks.", "Blood pressure should be measured, not guessed, through the course.", "Rebuild the yin for months after the rising settles, or it returns." ], "sources": [ { "title": "Maciocia, The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, 3rd edition", "note": "Liver yang rising." }, { "title": "Bensky, Scheid, Ellis and Barolet, Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas and Strategies, 2nd edition", "note": "Tian Ma Gou Teng Yin." } ], "meta": { "status": "published", "last_updated": "2026-10-12", "reviewed_by": null }, "_links": { "html": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/pattern/liver-yang-rising", "self": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/api/v1/pattern/liver-yang-rising", "index": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/api/v1/patterns" } }