Blood Stasis
They have a pain that is always in the same spot, sharp like a jab, worse at night and no better for pressing on it; lips and nails look purplish.
In plain words
They have a pain that is always in the same spot, sharp like a jab, worse at night and no better for pressing on it; lips and nails look purplish.
Blood flows well as long as something pushes it and nothing holds it back. A blow, surgery, sustained cold, a long emotional standstill or a chronic lack of drive leave it moving slowly in one specific area. Stopping there, it takes up room: that is why the pain no longer travels, it lodges in the same spot every time, sharpens at night when everything else settles, and over time may be felt as a lump that does not shift.
Characteristic symptoms
- Fixed, stabbing pain like a knife wound, worse at night
- Purple or purplish lips and nails
- Dark menstrual blood with clots
- Fixed and palpable masses or tumors
- Skin with purplish spots or petechiae
- Pain that worsens with pressure
- Dark, dull face or visible capillaries
- Sensation of distension and blockage in the chest or abdomen
Key clues to recognize it
- The pain is fixed and stabbing, not vague or wandering, and pressing does not relieve it: often it makes it worse.
- The tissues give away the colour: lips, nails or tongue tending to purple, and thick, dark veins under the tongue.
- It worsens at night, and there is a history of a blow, surgery or a problem that has sat in the same place for years.
Tongue and pulse
- Tongue
- Purple tongue or with purple spots and petechiae; thickened and dark sublingual veins
- Pulse
- Choppy or rough (sè) pulse, irregular or wiry; may be intermittent
Treatment principle
Move Blood, eliminate stasis, unblock the meridians and relieve pain
Common points
Reference formula
Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang (Drive Out Stasis in the Mansion of Blood Decoction)
What not to confuse it with
What aggravates it
- Staying still for hours: a sedentary routine and long journeys without getting up.
- Cold on the affected area, above all the abdomen and lower back.
- Prolonged emotional tension with no outlet and no rest.
- The night: it is almost always the worst part of the day.
Lifestyle advice
Practice moderate aerobic exercise to move Blood: walking, swimming, Tai Chi. Avoid prolonged sedentary behavior. Eat foods that activate circulation: turmeric, saffron, hawthorn, eggplant, rice vinegar, red wine in moderation. Keep the body warm, especially the abdomen and lumbar region. Avoid extreme cold.
When to see a doctor
Health notice. Educational and study content. It describes concepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine and does not replace diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional. Needling, medicinal herbs and invasive techniques must be applied by trained professionals. Safety guide.
