Blood Stasis

Blood Stasis represents obstruction of normal blood circulation, characterized by sluggish flow, local accumulation, or extravasation of blood. The pathomechanism involves either insufficient qi to move blood, direct trauma causing local stagnation, or chronic qi stagnation transforming into blood stasis. This pattern underlies many chronic and acute conditions, particularly those involving fixed pain, masses, or vascular disorders.

Clinical Presentation

  • Fixed, stabbing, or boring pain that worsens at night
  • Pain refuses pressure and has a fixed location
  • Masses, nodules, or palpable lumps
  • Dark purple or blue-black facial complexion
  • Spider veins, varicose veins, or visible dark vessels
  • Chronic headaches with fixed location
  • Menstrual blood with dark clots or black color
  • Dry, scaly skin or chronic skin conditions
  • Memory problems or mental cloudiness
  • Tongue: Purple, dark red, or with purple spots/petechiae
  • Pulse: Choppy (se), slow, or intermittent

Pattern Differentiation

vs. Qi Stagnation

Qi stagnation presents with moving, distending pain that fluctuates with emotional state. Pain location shifts and symptoms vary in intensity. Tongue appears normal or slightly red with thin coating. Blood stasis shows fixed, boring pain with purple tongue and choppy pulse, plus visible vascular signs.

vs. Phlegm Stagnation

Phlegm stagnation produces soft, moveable masses with heavy, oppressive sensations and sticky discharge. Tongue has thick, greasy coating. Blood stasis creates hard, fixed masses with stabbing pain, purple tongue with spots, and no pathological discharge.

vs. Yang Deficiency with Cold Coagulation

Cold coagulation shows pain relieved by warmth, cold limbs, and preference for warm drinks. Tongue is pale with white coating. Blood stasis pain persists regardless of temperature, presents with heat signs in affected areas, and shows purple tongue with potential red coloring.

Treatment Principle

Invigorate blood circulation, transform stasis, regulate qi to move blood, resolve masses and nodules.

Formulas for Blood Stasis in Our Catalog

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Related Patterns

Blood DeficiencyBlood HeatQi and Blood Deficiency

Frequently Asked Questions

Acute blood stasis from recent trauma responds within 2-4 weeks. Chronic blood stasis requires 3-6 months of consistent treatment, with constitutional patterns potentially needing longer courses. Progress markers include pain reduction, improved circulation signs, and tongue color changes.
Blood stasis frequently develops secondary to qi stagnation, yang deficiency, or blood deficiency. Address the root pattern simultaneously - regulate qi for qi stagnation-induced blood stasis, warm yang for cold-induced stasis, or nourish blood for deficiency-induced stasis while using blood-moving herbs.
Avoid strong blood stasis treatments during pregnancy, active bleeding, severe blood deficiency, and in patients taking anticoagulant medications. Use gentle blood-moving herbs with caution in these cases, focusing on qi regulation and gradual circulation improvement.
Track pain intensity, location, and quality changes. Monitor tongue color progression from purple toward normal pink. Assess pulse changes from choppy toward smooth. Observe reduction in visible vascular signs and improvement in local circulation indicators.

Professional Reference Disclaimer

This page is provided by Acu-Market (Medical Technology Products, Inc.) as an educational reference for licensed acupuncturists and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. It is not medical advice and is not intended for use by the general public.

The clinical information on this page is a general summary compiled from traditional Chinese medicine sources and is provided for reference only. It is not exhaustive, may contain errors or omissions, and may not reflect the most current clinical research or guidance. Acu-Market makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness, reliability, suitability, or availability of this information.

Practitioners are solely responsible for their own clinical decisions. Nothing on this page substitutes for independent professional judgment, formal TCM training, current authoritative reference texts, or direct evaluation of an individual patient. Pattern differentiation, formula selection, herb combinations, dosing, contraindications, drug-herb interactions, and patient-specific safety considerations must be independently verified by the prescribing practitioner before any clinical application. Use of this information is at the practitioner’s own risk.

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