Background
In TCM, "liver" (gān) does not refer to the anatomical organ on the right side of the abdomen. It refers to the functional sphere responsible for the smooth flow of qi — keeping emotions moving, digestion flowing, and menstrual cycles regular. When this "liver qi" gets stuck, the result is a cluster of feelings Western readers might recognize: frustration, chest or rib-side fullness, frequent sighing, a sense that something emotionally is "bottled up." Xiaoyao Wan is the household name for this pattern — its name literally means "free and easy wandering." Danzhi Xiaoyao Wan adds heat-clearing herbs for when the stuck qi has "compressed into fire." Chaihu Shugan Wan targets the pain dimension — when stagnation shows up as tension and ache in the chest and ribs. All three come up under both stress and women's-health concerns, because the "liver" in TCM governs both emotional flow and menstrual regularity.