Qi activating therapy is usually used for dissolving swelling or masses and relieving pain.

TCM believes that most localized swelling and painful conditions have pathological changes resulted from blood and qi stagnations, and so regulating qi movements plays an important role in TCM external medicine. In additions, liver qi stagnation is a major cause for many diseases, for example goiter, breast lumps or breast cancer, physicians often use soothing liver and reliving stagnation therapy for the diseases.

Commonly selected herbs for activating qi in TCM external medicine include bupleurum root, nutgrass flatsedge rhizome, green tangerine peel, dried tangerine peel, costus root, combined spicebush root, Szechwan Chinaberry fruit and corydalis rhizome. The remedies are indicated for abnormal growths that are aggravated by emotional distress, such as goiter and breast lumps. Sample Prescription: Clearing Liver and Relieving Stagnation Decoction or Free and Easy Wander Powder.