There is a saying in Chinese medicine that medicine and food are of the same source (醫食同源). In Chinese medicine, pain management specialists and martial artists frequently recommend special foods or recipes to treat pain, hasten recovery, or improve athletic performance.
Here are some examples of food cure recipes from the Baijiquan (八極拳) tradition of Chinese martial arts:
Dang Gui and Ginger Stewed Lamb (当归生姜炖羊肉)
Ingredients: Lamb 250g (½ lb), Dang Gui 當歸 30g, Sheng Jiang 生薑 15g; place the three ingredients in some water, bring to a boil and stew; add some cooking wine and sea salt to taste; drink broth and eat meat once per day
Functions: Supplements qi and nourishes blood, quickens blood and stops pain, warms the channels and scatters cold; use for convalescence after traumatic injuries, injuries to tendons, or fractures
Mugwort and Angelica Chicken (艾叶当归鸡)
Ingredients: 1 medium chicken, Ai Ye 艾業 20g, Dang Gui 當歸 20g; wash and dry chicken then cut into pieces, boil together with Ai Ye and Dang Gui, simmering until chicken is falling off the bones (skimming fat periodically), add salt and cooking wine to taste; take as daily food
Functions: Warms the channels and scatters cold, quickens blood and transform stasis; treats pain and constrained movement after traumatic injury
Mei Gui Hua (Rose) Tea (玫瑰花茶)
Ingredients: Steep 5-10g Mei Gui Hua 玫瑰花 in boiled water; drink tea as desired
Functions: Rectifies the qi and resolves depression, courses the liver and fortifies the spleen; treats chest oppression, swelling and pain of the ribs
Jasmine and Rock Sugar Drink (茉莉花冰糖饮)
Ingredients: Jasmine flowers 茉莉花 5g, rock sugar 50g; steep in boiled water
Functions: Courses the liver and resolves depression, rectifies the qi and stops pain; treats injury to the chest and rib side
Here are some other dietary recipes for pain and injury management:
Tao Ren (Peach Kernel) Congee (桃仁粥)
Ingredients: Tao Ren 桃仁 10-15g, Rice 100g; grind Tao Ren to fine powder, mix with rice and cook into a congee with an appropriate amount of water
Functions: Quickens blood, stops pain; used for acute injury, chest pain, rib fracture; especially good for acute injury followed by constipation or abdominal injury due to blood stasis
Shou Wu Congee (首烏粥)
Ingredients: He Shou Wu 何首烏 30-60g, rice 100g; rinse He Shou Wu and boil in 12 cups of water (on low simmer) for about 1 hour; strain out herb, replenish water to 12 cups, add rice and cook into congee
Functions: Nourishes blood, supplements Liver and Kidney; used to treat recovery stage from fracture or severe injury
Note: These recipes are provided for information purposes only as traditional recommendations. Take only under the direction of a licensed health care professional.