The Healing Benefits of Evil Bone Water

Evil Bone Water, or Zheng Xie Gu Shui, is an herbal liniment made with Chinese herbs to relieve pain and inflammation. It was created by Dr. Mark Brinson, an acupuncturist and herbalist from Georgia. Based on a 500 year old Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) recipe initially intended to heal broken bones, his Evil Bone Water is made with the highest quality Empirical Chinese herbs for optimal healing. Evil Bone Water is known for its analgesic properties, as well as for soothing inflammation. This recipe is rooted in the martial arts tradition of China and is used to treat bumps and bruises from the practice, meaning Evil Bone Water is great for athletes to use to heal injuries.

Common Treatments

• Sports and accidental injuries

• Sprains

• Muscle cramps

• Insect bites

• Tick repellant

• Broken bones

• Bruises

• Inflammation

• Carpal Tunnel

• Arthritis

• Mild topical anesthetic

• Stop bleeding

• Prevents Facial Staph

• Antiviral and Antifungal

How to Use

• Lightly moisten a cotton ball or gauze, or spray directly on the affected area if you have a spray nozzle.

• You should experience relief fairly quickly and a numbing effect for around 45 minutes. Repeat 2-4x a day.

• Do not apply to open wounds.

• For topical use only. Do NOT ingest.

• EBW changes skin permeability, meaning that it quickly penetrates the skinand also draws other things in with it. If you are using anything else topically, like essential oils, they will permeate the skin faster if used with EBW.

• EBW can be used on the entire body or in foot baths, and again will enhance absorption of anything else used in the bath. If using a muscle soak formulated with magnesium and essential oils, the healing properties of the ingredients will reach the muscles faster when paired with EBW.

• Bathe dogs in a bath with a small amount of EBW to repel ticks and soothe skin irritation.

Super Ingredients and their Benefits

• San Qi (Notoginseng, Pseudoginseng): stops bleeding, reduces swelling, relieves pain.

• Gui Pi (Cinnamon Bark): relaxes the muscles, promotes circulation, and warms channels.

• E Zhu (Zedoary Rhizome, Rhizoma Curcumae): promotes the circulation of qi and blood, alleviates pain.

• Bai Zhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma): anti-inflammatory, decreases swelling, alleviates pain.

• Hu Zhang (Knotweed Rhizome): invigorates blood and stops pain.

• Bai Nui Dan (Inula Cappa DC): reduces joint pain, dispels wind, reduces dampness.

• Qian Jin Ba (Philippine Flemingia Root): strengthens connective tissue, decreases inflammation, relieves arthritis and bone pain.

• Huang Qin (Scutellaria Root, Radix Scutellariae Baicalensis): decreases inflammation, reduces swelling.

• Zhang Nao (Camphor): topical analgesic, helps improve circulation.

• Bo He Nao (Menthol): topical analgesic, cooling, heat clearing, and allows other herbs to permeate the skin.

Limitations and Contraindications

• Since EBW is a topical analgesic, it works best for treating more surface level injuries or ailments than deep internal injuries or ailments.

• EBW is considered broad-spectrum, but if you use it repeatedly enough and notice little effect, it might not be the proper treatment.

• Do not use over sacrum or abdomen while pregnant.

• Do not wrap in plastic and use as a compress

• Is safe for use on children, but watch for irritation. Can be used on the face with care.

Resources

Brinson, Mark. “Evil Bone Water”. Retrieved from http://podcast.tcmstudy.net/podcast/evil-bone-water.

Budiash, Elyse. “Evil Bone Water—Chinese Herbal Liniment Magic for Pain Relief”. Retrieved from https://www.cherryblossomhealingarts.com/chronic-and-acute-pain/evil-bone-water.

“Evil Bone Water”. Retrieved from ttps://www.evilbonewater.com/.

“Evil Bone Water (Zheng Gu Shui) FAQ”. Retrieved from https://valleyhealthclinic.clarkfivedesign.opalstacked.com/evil-bone-water-zheng-gu-shui-faq/.

“Pain Relief: Evil Bone Water”. Retrieved from https://theacupuncturistni.com/pain-relief/evil-bone-water.

“Stop Pain With Evil Bone Water”. Retrieved from https://optimal-movement.com/evil-bone-water/.

Acupuncture for Medication Withdrawal

By: Amanda Gawrysz, L.Ac, MSOM

Have you been told about the effects of eliminating your psychiatric medications? Detoxing from medication can be a very uncomfortable and sometimes debilitating experience. People are not often offered much for withdrawal support, which leaves individuals “white knuckling” through a rollercoaster of physical, emotional, and psychological distress. Not to mention, the psychological aspect that comes along with the decision to stop taking a medication that can be terrifying. Life may feel like an eternity as each moment passes during a medication taper experience. Utilizing acupuncture can help achieve a state of harmony during this process and promote a level of balance in your body that minimizes the intensity of these symptoms.

Acupuncture is an under utilized modality that can help ease the emotional, mental, and physical manifestations during this time. The body is in a state of disharmony and shock from the absence of certain chemicals that it was accustomed to receiving. It needs time to return back to its homeostasis. There is a real sense of urgency when in the transition period of a tapering plan and acupuncture can make this transition less intense.  

Acupuncture ultimately helps restore balance through the stimulation of specific points. By stimulating these points, we improve the movement of Qi (energy) and of blood to help relieve pain, increase circulation, stimulate the liver, and speed up lymphatic drainage to ease the negative effects of withdrawal. Your practitioner will target specific meridians and acupoints that are connected to your specific withdrawal symptoms and bodily imbalances.

Acupuncture during medication withdrawal can help with agitation and restlessness, muscle aches and pains, insomnia, nausea, vertigo and dizziness, headaches, depression, temperature fluctuations, and what patients describe as “brain zaps.” A rebound effect may also be experienced during tapering where the original symptoms return and are worse than they were before.

Many are unaware that endorphins are released from the brain during acupuncture. Endorphins are our natural pain killers which also have a calming and positive effect on our mood. The release of endorphins also help relieve those pesky body aches that may be experienced. Using acupuncture, you can take advantage of the body’s natural chemicals to calm your brain and provide relief that will promote staying sober.

Withdrawal can cause uncomfortable body temperature changes, especially from alcohol and opiates. Alcohol usually causes an increase in temperature while opiates may cause fluctuations between sweating and feeling cold. A study has demonstrated that in combination with electrical stimulation acupuncture reduced this unpleasant withdrawal side effect.

Acupuncture has been known for centuries to help relieve nausea and vomiting from pregnancy, chemotherapy, and postoperative cases. Medication withdrawal is no different. Acupuncture speeds up the elimination process and improves detoxification pathways to allow the chemicals from medications to be expelled out of the body more efficiently.

In the case of experiencing depressive symptoms from alcohol, opiates, or even antidepressant withdrawal is common. In Chinese Medicine, depression causes a stagnation or seizing up of liver energy. These drugs falsely stimulate the energy from the liver causing it to flow more freely throughout the body. Once these drugs are stopped, that liver energy once again becomes constrained based on the Chinese Liver System. Additionally, your Liver energy can move erratically when these medications are stopped causing something called “internal wind” in Chinese Medicine. Internal wind is a sense of movement where there should be stillness. This internal movement is similar to akathisia and is also considered to be a rebound reaction. This effect manifests symptoms such as dizziness, vertigo, restlessness, tremors, and the brain zaps.  

The current common approach to medication elimination sets us up for failure. The process of medication tapering can feel overwhelming, discouraging, and impact our mental and physical body’s to a point where we decide it is not worth the effort. Acupuncture is built upon a foundation of ancient knowledge that can promote balance in your body and provide you with the stability that you need to take your withdrawal head-on and minimize the impact of resulting physical symptoms. Psychiatric medications can have an enormously positive impact on an individual’s life.  When a person is ready to move on without those medications, it is crucial that there is support provided to create a confident and successful transition toward independence.