Zheng Gu Shui Injury Recovery Liniment

Zheng Gu Shui is a Chinese herbal liniment applied to the skin, popular with athletes, sports trainers, and martial artists. The name roughly means bone setting water. It is used for temporary relief of minor aches and pains in muscles and joints, and its reputation rests on a proprietary formula more than a century old. It is for external use only.

In TCM terms Zheng Gu Shui is said to dispel blood stagnation, move Qi, open the channels, and invigorate the blood. Stagnant blood is how Chinese medicine describes the bruised, stiff, achy feeling that follows a strain, sprain, or knock. Rubbing the liniment in is meant to get things moving again so the area feels looser and less sore.

Apply it to the sore area and massage it in, 2 to 3 times a day. For more stubborn spots, soak a cotton ball in the liniment and rest it on the area for 60 to 90 minutes, loosely wrapped with gauze if needed. Do not apply more than 4 times per day, and wash your hands well afterward.

No. Zheng Gu Shui is for external use only and should never be swallowed. Keep it away from the eyes, mouth, and other sensitive areas, and store it out of reach of children. If any gets into your eyes, rinse them with plenty of clean water.

Do not use it on broken skin or open wounds, and stop if irritation or a rash develops. Avoid it during pregnancy or breastfeeding unless a practitioner advises otherwise, since it is a blood-moving liniment. If you take blood thinners or other prescription medicines, check with your doctor before using it regularly. Try a small patch first if your skin is sensitive.

Both belong to the same family of Chinese trauma liniments used by martial artists, and both are rubbed in to move stagnant blood and ease soreness after bumps, strains, and sprains. Zheng Gu Shui is a ready-made proprietary formula with a long track record, which makes it convenient to keep on hand. Dit Da Jow recipes vary widely from one school or maker to the next.

Yes, that is one of its most common uses. Besides strains and sprains, people apply it for temporary relief of backache, everyday muscle and joint aches, and the stiffness that comes with arthritis. Massage it into the area 2 to 3 times daily, staying within the 4 times per day limit, and pair it with gentle movement and rest.

Each bottle holds 3.4 oz of liniment. You only need enough to cover the sore area and massage it in, so a bottle goes a fair way for occasional bumps and strains. Daily use over a larger area, like the whole lower back, will use it faster. Many households keep one in the first aid kit and another in the gym bag.