Prepared Cassia Twig Classic Formulas … Natural Herb Library

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Warms and unblocks the channels and collaterals ... Zhi Gui Zhi is used for cold-damp joint pain, numbness, cold-constrained menstruation, and channel obstruction where circulation needs light warming rather than fierce interior heat.
Releases the exterior and harmonizes Ying and Wei ... it remains part of the Gui Zhi family used for Wind-Cold with spontaneous sweating, aversion to wind, and stiff neck, though the processed form is often thought of as a little less raw and dispersing than fresh twig.
Warms Yang and assists Qi transformation ... useful when cold impairs fluid movement, contributing to edema, chest fullness, or difficulty with the Bladder's transforming function.
Unblocks Heart Yang and moves chest Qi ... it can be selected when palpitations, chest discomfort, or cold-phlegm obstruction require a warming twig rather than a deeper bark tonic like Rou Gui.

Gui Zhi Tang (桂枝汤) ... foundational Shang Han Lun formula for Wind-Cold with spontaneous sweating and Ying-Wei disharmony.
Dang Gui Si Ni Tang (当归四逆汤) ... classic formula for cold in the channels with cold extremities, where Gui Zhi helps warm and unblock the vessels.
Wen Jing Tang (温经汤) ... gynecologic classic using Gui Zhi to warm the channels and dispel congealed cold.
Zhi Shi Xie Bai Gui Zhi Tang (枳实薤白桂枝汤) ... formula for chest Bi in which Gui Zhi opens Yang and moves constrained cold in the chest.

Traditional references describe Gui Zhi as warm, acrid, and sweet, entering the Heart, Lung, and Bladder and especially suited to releasing Wind-Cold while warming channels and assisting fluid transformation.
Processed Gui Zhi is a preparation-focused variation rather than a different medicinal identity ... the twig still differs from Rou Gui by acting more lightly and more superficially.
PREPARATION NOTE: Zhi Gui Zhi indicates a clinically prepared cassia twig form with the same core therapeutic family as Gui Zhi but a somewhat moderated and tidied presentation.