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Valley Health Clinic, Acupuncture Clinic in Albany, Oregon
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13 minutes read

Zheng Gu Shui (Evil Bone Water)

Will Sheppy, Founder and Acupuncturist at Valley Health Clinic
Willard Sheppy Dipl. OM, LAc, BS

Willard Sheppy is a licensed acupuncturist (LAc) and Founder of Valley Health Clinic specializing in using Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat acute injuries and chronic conditions, and to improve sports performance and rehabilitation.

DR-Joshua

Table of Contents

ZHENG GU SHUI · ZHENG XIE GU SHUI · 正骨水

The Finest Zheng Gu Shui Ever Made

Introducing Evil Bone Water — the imperial-grade Zheng Xie Gu Shui spray. For 500 years, Zheng Gu Shui has set bones, cleared bruises, and eased pain. Evil Bone Water restores the original formula — all eight herbs, double-extracted with 190-proof grain alcohol — the way traditional Chinese medicine intended.
Buy Evil Bone Water – $40
How It Compares
  • Imperial-Grade
    Herbs
  • 500-Year
    Formula
  • Double
    Extracted
  • Ships in
    3 Days
  • Clinic-Tested

What Is Zheng Gu Shui?

Zheng Gu Shui (also written Zheng Xie Gu Shui, 正骨水) is one of the oldest and most celebrated liniments in traditional Chinese medicine. Developed over 500 years ago by a master herbalist, its name translates as “bone-setting liquid” — a formula born in martial arts clinics to heal bruises, fractures, sprains, and joint injuries fast.
For centuries, families and martial arts lineages guarded their Zheng Gu Shui recipes like fighting secrets. The formula spread through practitioners across China, each version slightly different, each adapted to local herbs and techniques.
Today, most commercially available Zheng Gu Shui has been stripped down to just 7 of its original 26 ingredients to meet mass-market demand. Evil Bone Water is different. It restores the full formula with imperial-grade sourcing and a traditional double-extraction process.

What Does Zheng Xie Gu Shui Mean?

Insoluble Fiber: The “Water-Repelling” Fibers

Zhèng (正)

To rectify, to correct

Xié (邪)

Something that must be expelled (the “evil” that must leave the body)

Gǔ (骨)
Bone
Shuǐ (水)
Water, liquid

What Does Zheng Gu Shui Treat?

  • Sprains, strains & impact injuries
  • Arthritis & chronic joint pain
  • Muscle aches & stiffness
  • Bruises & contusions
  • Bone fractures (applied above the break)
  • Plantar fasciitis & bursitis
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Bug bites & skin irritation
  • Tension headaches (temples & occiput)
  • Menstrual & stomach cramps

"As an acupuncturist with years of clinical practice, Evil Bone Water is the topical I reach for first — because it works for the widest range of pain conditions of anything I've used."

— Willard Sheppy, M.S. Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine, Valley Health Clinic

Zheng Gu Shui vs. Evil Bone Water vs. Biofreeze

Not all Zheng Gu Shui sprays are equal. Here’s how the mass-market version compares — and why practitioners consistently choose Evil Bone Water for real healing.

 

Biofreeze Gel

Zheng Gu Shui

Evil Bone Water

Typical Price (3–4 oz)

$11–$15+

$20–$35+

$40–$42+

Active Ingredients

Menthol 4%

Camphor 5.6%, Menthol 5.6%

Natural camphor, natural menthol

Herbal Components

Aloe, arnica, burdock (supporting extracts)

Blood-moving trauma herbs: knotweed, swallowwort, prickly ash, zedoary

Chronic injury & healing herbs: San-Qi, Gui Pi, E Zhu, Bai Zhu, Hu Zhang, Huang Qin, more

Alcohol Base

Yes (isopropyl alcohol)

Yes (alcohol + water)

Yes (high-proof alcohol)

Residue / Sensation

Cooling; can leave a tacky film; won’t stain

Cooling; dries clean; may stain

Warming + cooling; dries clean; may stain

Healing Support

Short-term symptom relief

Traditional support for acute injury

Enhanced support for inflammation & chronic pain

What’s actually happening with functional dyspepsia isn’t one single issue, but several overlapping systems breaking down:

Slow Stomach Emptying

Food lingers too long in the stomach instead of moving along normally. This delayed emptying causes bloating and that “stuffed” feeling even from small meals.

Oversensitive Stomach Nerves

Nerves in the stomach overreact to normal signals, turning mild fullness into pain, cramping, or nausea.

Low-Grade Inflammation

Chronic irritation in the stomach lining interferes with normal function and keeps symptoms coming back.

Disrupted Gut-Brain Communication

Stress worsens digestion, and poor digestion amplifies stress, creating a feedback loop where anxiety and stomach upset feed off each other.

Digestive Enzyme Problems

When the body doesn’t produce or release enough digestive enzymes, food breaks down poorly, leading to gas, fermentation, and bloating.

Why Conventional Drugs Fall Short

If you’ve tried the usual treatments for functional dyspepsia (chronic indigestion), you already know they don’t work very well. Here’s why:

Acid Blockers Have Limited Success (And Serious Side Effects)

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) like Prilosec and Nexium are the most common prescriptions, but research shows they only work 7–10% better than placebo. If 30% of people feel better on a sugar pill, only about 37–40% feel better on acid blockers. Long term use of these medications can also come with severe side effects, including nutrient deficiencies, kidney problems, increased risk of stroke or cardiovascular disease, bone fractures, infections, and dementia.

H. pylori Treatment Rarely Helps

Doctors often test for Helicobacter pylori bacteria and prescribe a combination of antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors (called “Triple Therapy”) to eliminate it. But this only helps 6–14% of functional dyspepsia patients, meaning 85–94% still have symptoms afterward.

Motility Drugs Are Inconsistent

Prokinetic medications that help food move through the stomach can work for some people, but not reliably. Many of the most effective ones, like cisapride, were pulled from the market due to dangerous cardiac side effects.

Antidepressants Come with Heavy Costs

Tricyclic antidepressants are prescribed for functional dyspepsia when other treatments fail. Although some studies have shown they may help up to 64–70% of patients, their side effects, which can include sedation, dry mouth, weight gain, constipation, heart problems, anxiety and sexual dysfunction, make them difficult to tolerate long-term.

Single-Target Treatments for a Multi-System Problem

Functional dyspepsia is caused by overlapping dysfunctions: delayed gastric emptying, inflammation, nerve hypersensitivity, enzyme issues, and gut-brain disruption. Conventional drugs only address one piece at a time, leaving the rest untouched which is why so many patients stay stuck with symptoms.

How Microgard Works For Chronic Indigestion (Functional Dyspepsia)

Microgard addresses functional dyspepsia (chronic indigestion) by restoring function across digestion, inflammation, barrier integrity, motility signaling, and the gut–brain axis.

Direct Stomach Protection

  • Fu Ling (poria): Supports repair of the gastric mucosa and balances immune signaling (Th1/Th2, Th17/Treg) through TLR and JNK pathways. Improves gut–brain peptide regulation, helping calm inflammation and reduce hypersensitivity in functional dyspepsia. Calms the low-grade inflammation that keeps the stomach lining reactive.
  • Huo Xiang (pogostemon): Active compound pogostone protects the gastric lining by enhancing antioxidant defenses, boosting protective prostaglandin E2, and preventing cell death. This reduces burning or nausea from irritated mucosa.
  • Cang Zhu (atractylodes lancea): Reduces TNF-α/NO activity and promotes protective mucins. Fortifies the gut wall against irritation and bloating triggers.
  • Bai Ji Li (tribulus): Inhibits NF-κB/iNOS-NO pathways involved in chronic irritation, has been shown to be mucosal protective with anti-H. pylori activity.

Gastric Motility Enhancement

  • Ge Gen (pueraria root): Modulates PI3K-Akt–linked metabolism and smooth muscle tone. This reduces cramping and tension in the abdomen and digestive tract after eating.
  • Bai Zhi (angelica dahurica): Reduces NF-κB/COX-2/iNOS signaling and inflammatory pain, easing inflammation and smooth-muscle tension that disrupts motility and produces burning discomfort in the stomach.
  • Mu Xiang (aucklandia): Sesquiterpene lactones with demonstrated gastroprotection; also eases spasm. Shields the stomach mucosa and reduces that tight, crampy “stuck” feeling.

Digestive Enzyme Support

  • Shen Qu (medicated fermented mass): Fermented preparation supplying enzymes, B-vitamins, and beneficial microbes. Supports digestion of carbohydrates, promotes gastric secretions, and helps balance gut flora while reducing inflammation. Eases that swollen, slow, after-meal feel.
  • Shan Zha (hawthorn fruit): Classically used for for “food stagnation,” especially fats and proteins; modern data supports lipid-metabolism benefits. Helps heavy meals clear without the brick-in-the-stomach sensation.
  • Gu Ya (germinated barley): Broad enzyme spectrum and prebiotic fibers aid digestion. This helps reduce heaviness, gas, and post-meal bloating.

Anti-Inflammatory Mechanisms

  • Yi Yi Ren (coix seed): Supports intestinal barrier integrity and mucosal repair while moderating inflammatory cascades. Reduces “leaky gut”, leading to fewer flare ups of symptoms.
  • Tian Hua Fen (trichosanthes): Anti-inflammatory and immune support; traditionally “heat-clearing.” Helpful when the system runs “hot” and irritable.
  • Hua Ju Hong (exocarpium citri grandis): Flavonoid-rich antioxidant activity helps soothe upper-GI oxidative irritation that can stall digestion.
  • Bo He (mentha): Menthol-rich volatile oils are anti-inflammatory and induce smooth-muscle relaxation to ease digestive reactivity and gas. Comforts “hot,” irritated digestion.

Gut–Brain Axis Modulation

  • Gou Teng (uncaria): Serotonergic/neuromodulatory effects with anxiolytic properties. In other words, it soothes stress, calming the gut-brain axis and reducing flare ups of functional dyspepsia.
  • Shi Chang Pu (acorus): Reduces neuroinflammation and improves gut–brain signaling. This makes stomach sensations feel normal again instead of painful.
Microgard

Microgard

Microgard, an imperial grade herbal formula from Botanical Biohacking, is expertly crafted to enhance digestive health and balance. Microgard gently stimulates gastric motility, aiding in smoother intestinal movement and elimination. This synergistic action restores the diversity of the gastrointestinal microbiome and decreases the prevalence of biofilm.
Get Now

Why Microgard Is Different

Most treatments for chronic indigestion (functional dyspepsia) work like using a single wrench on an entire engine. They might tighten one bolt, but they leave the rest of the system broken.

Multi-System Approach

Microgard works through enzyme support, inflammation, barrier repair, gut-brain signaling, and mucosal protection so you're not left with half your symptoms still bothering you.

Built on Proven Formulas

Microgard evolved from Bao He Wan and Po Chai Pills, trusted for centuries. The difference is that Microgard has been refined for functional dyspepsia using modern biomedical insight.

Gentler Than Pharmaceuticals

Prescription drugs often bring side effects like nutrient deficiencies, infection risk, and heart complications. Herbs in Microgard have centuries of safe use. You get broad relief without the side effect burden.

Addresses What Drugs Miss

Conventional meds don’t provide digestive enzymes, regulate the gut-brain axis, and hit multiple inflammatory pathways at once. Microgard does, by working with your body's natural systems instead of overriding them.

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Will Sheppy, Founder and Acupuncturist at Valley Health Clinic
Willard Sheppy
Willard Sheppy is a licensed acupuncturist (LAc) and Founder of Valley Health Clinic specializing in using Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat acute injuries and chronic conditions, and to improve sports performance and rehabilitation.

FAQ's

Common Questions About the Gut Brain Axis
How do I know if my anxiety is from my gut?
If you notice mood swings, irritability or anxiety when life is calm, look for digestive clues: bloating, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn or food sensitivities. Research shows the gut can send signals to the brain that trigger emotional changes . Keeping a food and symptom diary, getting a stool analysis to assess your microbiome and working with a practitioner to address inflammation can help you determine if your gut is the culprit.
There isn’t a single lab panel that measures this connection. Clinicians use a combination of history, stool tests (to look at microbiome diversity and pathogens), breath tests (to assess SIBO), inflammatory markers, cortisol and vagal tone assessments. The simple thought experiment described above is a useful mental check. Ultimately, treating the gut or calming the mind or both is more effective than relying on a single “test.”
A high‑fiber, plant‑rich diet promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria . Whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables feed your microbiome and encourage production of neurotransmitters. Fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut and kimchi provide natural probiotics . Limiting refined sugars, alcohol and processed fats reduces inflammation. In Chinese medicine, warming, cooked foods like soups and porridges nourish the Spleen and calm the mind.
Probiotics are live bacteria that can help rebalance the microbiome. Small clinical trials have shown that taking specific probiotics for six weeks can improve both IBS and anxiety symptoms . Prebiotics nondigestible fibers that feed beneficial bacteria have also been shown to reduce cortisol levels . Not all probiotics are the same, so work with a practitioner to choose strains appropriate for your condition.
Yes. Diet directly alters the composition of your microbiome . Eating a diverse array of fiber‑rich foods increases short‑chain fatty acids, which support gut lining integrity and have anti‑inflammatory effects. Processed foods and alcohol can encourage growth of microbes that produce endotoxins, which may cross the gut barrier and affect the brain..

How to Support Your Gut–Brain Harmony

Eat for your microbiome

Focus on whole, unprocessed foods. Include plenty of fiber (vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains) and fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut. I am not a fan of yogart, too much sugar and milk.

Limit irritants

Reduce alcohol, sugary drinks, processed seed oils and ultra‑refined carbohydrates. These can disrupt your microbiome and promote inflammation.

Manage stress

Practice deep breathing, meditation and tai chi. These activate the parasympathetic nervous system and calm gut motility. Studies show mind‑body therapies improve IBS symptoms and mood .

Use targeted supplements

Prebiotics (soluble fibers like inulin), probiotics (such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species) The digestive products in this collection are designed to support gut health thoughtfully, safely, and effectively

Get moving

Regular, moderate exercise improves gut transit time and increases microbiome diversity. Here are six simple, low intensity activities for less pain, less risk, and more comfort in your body

Sleep well

The gut microbiome follows circadian rhythms. Poor sleep can disrupt microbial balance and increase cortisol. Establish a consistent sleep schedule.

Seek professional

If you’re ready for support consider joining the Chorus Circle community. This guided support group blends traditional Chinese medicine wisdom with modern neuroscience to help calm the gut, clear the mind, and restore steady energy. Led by experienced herbalists and practitioners, members gain access to free classes, practical gut–brain education, Synchrony Training using EEG and HRV, mindful practices, and botanical support so you can feel lighter, clearer, and more at ease as you rebuild balance from gut to brain and brain to gut.

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