Blood Stasis
血瘀 · xuèyū
Circulation has lost its sweep — blood moves, but sluggishly, pooling in eddies that show as fixed pain, dark shadows and easy bruising.
Classic signs of Blood Stasis
- Pain that is fixed in location, sharp or stabbing, often worse at night
- Bruising easily, or finding bruises you can't explain
- Dark circles beneath the eyes that rest doesn't shift
- Dusky, purplish lips or gums; a dull, shadowed complexion
- Thread veins or spider veins on face or legs
- Rough, dry, flaky skin patches — the classics call it 肌膚甲錯, "skin like fish scales"
- For women: dark, clotted periods; sharp cramps that ease once flow starts
- A history of injuries that "never quite left"
- Tongue: purplish or dusky, sometimes with dark spots; the veins under the tongue distended and dark
The sentence that rules all of pain
Blood is moved by qi — 氣行則血行, "when qi moves, blood moves." Long stagnation, long sitting, cold (which congeals), old injuries and simple years can slow the river until sediment settles.
The single most useful sentence in Chinese medicine's understanding of pain — and the operating principle of half of what we do in the treatment room.
Lifestyle
- Break up stillness relentlessly — move for two minutes every half-hour. For this constitution, sitting is not rest; it is sediment
- Daily rhythmic movement — walking, swimming, cycling, tai chi — enough to warm and loosen, sustained rather than savage
- Keep warm, especially in cold months and around the period. Cold congeals blood; warmth here is not comfort, it is mechanism
- Gentle self-massage along calves, thighs and old-injury sites — with oil, toward the heart
Food therapy — foods that move
- More: the traditional circulators — hawthorn berry (山楂), turmeric, black "wood ear" fungus (黑木耳), onions, garlic, chives, aubergine, a little vinegar; brown sugar–ginger tea in the days before a period
- Less: iced food and drink (especially around menstruation), heavy greasy meals, excess alcohol
One to try: hawthorn tea — dried hawthorn slices steeped ten minutes after your largest meal. Sharp, bright, and traditionally taken exactly where rich food and slow blood meet.
Acupressure — two movers
Xuehai · SP10
With the knee bent, two thumb-widths above the inner upper corner of the kneecap. Its name is "Sea of Blood" — the classical point for stirring the river. Firm circles, 60 seconds each side. Avoid during pregnancy.
Taichong · LV3
Top of the foot, groove between big and second toe bones. Moves the qi that moves the blood. Avoid strong stimulation during pregnancy.
This one is treatment-room territory
A dedicated constitution blend for Blood Stasis is in development — but be candid with yourself: this is the constitution where hands-on care matters most, and it is the centre of what this clinic does every day. Acupuncture and cupping are Chinese medicine's time-honoured answers to exactly this pattern — fixed pain, old injuries, poor local circulation. Half of our patients report meaningful pain relief within two sessions.
If you live with persistent pain, skip the supplement aisle and come in.
Food supplements support general wellbeing and are not a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment, nor for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
Asked across the treatment couch
Why do you recommend cupping for this pattern?
My pain is years old — is it too late?
Is this a medical diagnosis?
Can my constitution change?
When to seek more than a webpage
- See your GP first for red-flag changes: unexplained weight loss, persistent unexplained pain, blood where blood shouldn't be, chest pain, breathlessness at rest, new severe headaches, or anything rapidly worsening.
- Pregnancy changes the rules: some acupressure points on this page are traditionally avoided in pregnancy (marked above), and supplements should be run past your midwife or GP.
- On medication? Check with your pharmacist or GP before adding botanical supplements.
This guide supports general wellbeing and is not a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment. Always consult your GP for medical concerns. Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
Not quite you? Meet the other constitutions
Most people are a blend — a primary pattern with one or two supporting actors. If parts of this page fit and parts didn't, your answer is probably two doors down.
Take this page's advice for a season — then tell us what changed
Constitution work is gardening, not surgery. And if you'd like the professional reading — tongue, pulse, history, the full craft — the treatment room is where your pattern gets read properly.
Cheuk's Wellness & TCM · ATCM-registered practitioner (FM 0220069) · 96a High Street, Staple Hill, Bristol