Heart Blood Stasis
They feel a stabbing pain always in the same spot of the chest, sometimes running down the left arm, with purplish lips and a feeling of not getting enough air.
In plain words
They feel a stabbing pain always in the same spot of the chest, sometimes running down the left arm, with purplish lips and a feeling of not getting enough air.
The push that moves the blood has been weak for a while, and cold or a strong upset slows it further. Blood stops flowing freely and gets held in one spot of the chest. What is held does not move: hence pain that is fixed and stabbing, and a purple color in lips, nails and the veins under the tongue.
Characteristic symptoms
- Stabbing, fixed and oppressive precordial pain
- Pain radiating to the left arm, shoulder or back
- Palpitations with sensation of pressure in the chest
- Cyanotic or purplish lips and nails
- Pale or purplish face
- Pain can be triggered by cold or emotional stress
- Sensation of suffocation or difficulty breathing
- Extreme fatigue, especially with exertion
Key clues to recognize it
- The pain is always in the same spot and stabbing, not diffuse or shifting
- Lips, nails and the veins under the tongue dark or purple
- Cold or a strong upset triggers the episode
Tongue and pulse
- Tongue
- Purple tongue, especially at the tip; dark and distended sublingual veins
- Pulse
- Choppy (sè), irregular or intermittent (jié or dài) pulse
Treatment principle
Move Blood, eliminate stasis, activate meridians and relieve cardiac pain
Common points
Reference formula
Dan Shen Yin (Salvia Decoction) or Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang
What not to confuse it with
What aggravates it
- Cold and abrupt temperature changes
- Sitting for many hours without moving
- Tobacco
- Upsets and emotional shocks
Lifestyle advice
Avoid sedentary lifestyle: walk slowly but regularly. Avoid extreme cold and sudden temperature changes. Manage stress through meditation and deep breathing. Anti-inflammatory diet: turmeric, ginger, omega-3, garlic. Avoid tobacco and alcohol.
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.
