Blood Stasis is the most serious constitution that must be taken seriously. Most ancient and modern physicians believe that blood stasis is associated with multiple diseases and complex conditions, leading to many difficult and complicated syndromes! When blood cannot circulate normally, it stagnates in the meridians and organs, causing obstruction of Qi and blood flow, resulting in pain. Common serious diseases, such as myocardial infarction, tumors, cerebral thrombosis, and stroke, often have blood stasis as a contributing factor. Blood stasis is not merely a blood issue. When blood stagnates, Qi stagnates; when Qi stagnates, water accumulates, ultimately affecting various parts of the body. All problems are interconnected; if one issue arises and is not resolved, it can lead to more problems. Initially, you may not notice blood stasis. It could be just a minor fall; just some butterfly spots or chloasma on the face; many people consider these normal signs of aging that do not require much attention… However, in reality, as long as there is blood stasis in the body, there is a potential risk. Take cancer as an example; the foundation for cancer development is the existence of “contradictions”. Blood stasis and blood deficiency are a pair of contradictions. If you have blood stasis, your constitution is already in urgent need of adjustment, and you must not have blood deficiency, as that would be extremely dangerous. The famous Qing Dynasty physician Wang Qingren, known as the “strange doctor”, enhanced the understanding of blood stasis in traditional Chinese medicine. In his book “Yilin Gai Cuo”, there is a representative formula specifically for treating blood stasis that is still used today, demonstrating his academic thought on invigorating blood and resolving stasis. This formula is Xuefu Zhuyu Tang. Xuefu Zhuyu Tang: Chai Hu (Bupleurum) 10g, Chi Shao (Red Peony) 10g, Zhi Ke (Bitter Orange) 10g, Gan Cao (Licorice) 5g, Tao Ren (Peach Kernel) 15g, Hong Hua (Safflower) 5g, Dang Gui (Angelica) 10g, Chuan Xiong (Ligusticum) 10g, Sheng Di (Rehmannia) 10g, Jie Geng (Platycodon) 5g, Niu Xi (Achyranthes) 10g. Decoction for oral administration. If it is inconvenient to decoct the herbs, you can also purchase Xuefu Zhuyu Wan, Xuefu Zhuyu Jiao Nang, Xuefu Zhuyu Ke Li and other Chinese patent medicines, which are now very convenient. Xuefu Zhuyu Tang is contraindicated for pregnant women. Many friends may be familiar with Xuefu Zhuyu Tang. However, the author believes that before introducing the formula, it is more critical to first determine whether you have a blood stasis constitution. Giving invigorating blood and resolving stasis medicine to someone without blood stasis is like digging a road through a mountain for no reason, wasting vital energy and causing harm. How to determine if you have a blood stasis constitution? Here are some typical manifestations for initial judgment.
The most intuitive method is to look at the tongue: The normal color of the veins at the tongue’s base is light, while in blood stasis, the veins appear dark and thick, the tongue color is purplish and dark, and there may be stasis spots on the tongue surface;
Look at the lips: People with blood stasis often have purplish and dark lips due to poor circulation of blood in the body;
Look at the complexion: Individuals with blood stasis typically have a dull complexion without luster; the eye sockets may appear dark; women are prone to butterfly spots, age spots, and chloasma, which appear in small patches;
Look at the skin: People with blood stasis generally have dry and rough skin, with flakes; in severe cases, the skin may resemble snake skin or fish scales;
Look at the sensations: Individuals with blood stasis often experience fixed, persistent pain, usually in the head, chest, abdomen, back, or limbs; this pain is more pronounced at night and worsens with pressure;
Look at the mental state: People with blood stasis often feel anxious, irritable, or even manic.
Xuefu Zhuyu Tang is a combination of Si Ni San and Tao Hong Si Wu Tang. Tao Hong Si Wu Tang is a representative formula for invigorating blood and resolving stasis, capable of both invigorating blood and nourishing blood. Si Ni San primarily addresses Qi stagnation. Thus, we understand that Xuefu Zhuyu Tang can invigorate blood, resolve stasis, promote Qi, and alleviate pain. What are the four herbs in Si Ni San? Chai Hu, Zhi Ke, Gan Cao, and Chi Shao. As for Tao Hong Si Wu Tang, it includes Tao Ren, Hong Hua, Dang Gui, Sheng Di, Chuan Xiong, and Shao Yao. The remaining two herbs, Jie Geng and Niu Xi, along with Zhi Ke, serve as guiding herbs: Jie Geng promotes Qi and opens the chest, carrying the medicine upward; Zhi Ke has the function of breaking through obstructions in the middle jiao, while Niu Xi is good at guiding blood downward. What diseases can Xuefu Zhuyu Tang treat, which invigorates blood, resolves stasis, and promotes Qi? Let’s take a look together. First, stubborn headaches There are many causes of headaches, including wind-cold, wind-heat, and phlegm-damp headaches, which are quite common. Wang Qingren stated: “For those suffering from headaches, if there are no exterior symptoms, no interior symptoms, and no signs of Qi deficiency or phlegm retention, and the headaches come and go, unresponsive to various treatments, one dose of this formula will cure them.” This means that after excluding other factors causing headaches, if the remaining headaches are stubborn, recurrent, and resistant to treatment, Xuefu Zhuyu Tang can be used. Blood stasis headaches are troublesome, recurring, and persistent. Blood stasis headaches are often sharp, like being pricked by needles, and always hurt in a fixed location, especially at night. This pain can disrupt sleep. Why is it so painful? When blood is blocked, the body tries to increase pressure to push it through, resulting in headaches. Blood stasis in the brain can have many causes, such as trauma or stroke, and stasis can also lead to migraines. Blood stasis headaches require not only invigorating blood but also promoting Qi, as if Qi does not flow, blood cannot flow. Using Xuefu Zhuyu Tang can invigorate blood, resolve stasis, and promote Qi to alleviate pain. Second, chest and flank pain When Wang Qingren established Xuefu Zhuyu Tang, he believed this formula could “resolve the stasis in the blood mansion”. He stated that the “blood mansion” is located in the chest, so this formula is very effective for pain caused by Qi and blood stagnation in the chest. What kind of chest and flank pain can Xuefu Zhuyu Tang treat? Fixed, sharp stabbing pain in the chest and flank area, including chest pain, flank pain, stomach pain, and back pain, etc. Pain caused by blood stasis in the abdomen and chest often responds well to Xuefu Zhuyu Tang, and this pain also worsens at night and improves with activity. Those who frequently get angry and have noticeable upper-jiao pain, along with symptoms of blood stasis, can use this formula under the guidance of a physician. Xuefu Zhuyu Tang is used to treat “chest unable to bear weight”, as mentioned by Wang Qingren in his medical cases. What does “chest unable to bear weight” mean? It means that the chest cannot tolerate any pressure; even a slight weight causes discomfort and a feeling of suffocation. A 74-year-old man experienced this condition, and Wang Qingren used five doses of Xuefu Zhuyu Tang to resolve the stasis and promote Qi, curing this strange illness. Another condition is “chest needing weight”, which is the opposite; the person can only sleep if there is a heavy object pressing on the chest. A woman with this condition found relief with Xuefu Zhuyu Tang because of stasis in the chest. As you can see, blood stasis can lead to such “strange diseases”, which are actually caused by blood stasis.Third, stubborn insomnia Xuefu Zhuyu Tang can treat insomnia, especially very stubborn insomnia that is “without identifiable symptoms”.People with blood stasis find it hard to fall asleep; even if they do fall asleep, they tend to dream, and may even experience sleepwalking or talking in their sleep, possibly accompanied by poor mental state, depression, headaches, and dizziness. If you have been taking sleeping pills without effect, and calming and heart-nourishing medications also have little effect, you need to consider whether it is a problem of stasis obstructing the meridians. Consult a physician to see if this medicine is suitable for you. Fourth, palpitations Why do palpitations occur? First, we need to understand that the normal functioning of the heart depends on three conditions: the propulsion of heart Qi, unobstructed blood vessels, and sufficient blood volume. Without elaborating, the key point is the second condition: unobstructed blood vessels mean that blood cannot be blocked; otherwise, blood cannot circulate normally.Now that blood is stasis, the heart cannot function normally. What does it do? It beats faster to try to increase its pumping capacity, which gives you the sensation of palpitations. Using Xuefu Zhuyu Tang to resolve blood stasis and invigorate blood restores the conditions for normal heart function, naturally alleviating palpitations. Fifth, stubborn skin diseases Stubborn skin diseases caused by emotional issues are a major component of blood stasis-type skin diseases. Why? Many people experience emotional stagnation and liver Qi stagnation, leading to Qi stagnation and blood stasis. Blood stasis manifests on the skin, resulting in conditions such as chloasma, dermatitis, and alopecia areata. On the other hand, the lungs govern the skin and hair; liver Qi stagnation can easily lead to Qi stagnation and fire, which can affect the lungs, causing skin issues. Therefore, when facing stubborn skin diseases with obvious symptoms of blood stasis and liver Qi stagnation, using Xuefu Zhuyu Tang often yields good results. Sixth, emotional disorders Feelings of depression and irritability. Wang Qingren stated: “Depression, where even small matters cannot be resolved, is blood stasis; three doses can help.” If you often feel a sense of oppression in your chest and find it hard to let go of small matters, it may be due to blood stasis. Some people may appear calm on the surface, but their inner feelings of frustration and dissatisfaction may be deeper. Prolonged liver Qi stagnation can lead to blood stasis, causing sudden emotional irritability. If you notice such emotional issues accompanied by symptoms of blood stasis, you need to invigorate blood and resolve stasis. Long-term mental unrest, anxiety, irritability, or even mania can also be due to Qi stagnation and blood stasis. Using Xuefu Zhuyu Tang can help resolve blood stasis. Seventh, spontaneous sweating and night sweats Sweat is the fluid of the heart. If there is blood stasis in the chest, the body will try to release stasis heat through sweating. If you experience long-term spontaneous sweating or night sweats, and have tried formulas like Yu Ping Feng San without resolution, along with symptoms of blood stasis, you can consider trying Xuefu Zhuyu Tang. Eighth, “lantern disease” Xuefu Zhuyu Tang can also treat “lantern disease”. What is “lantern disease”? Wang Qingren believed that “the body is cold outside but hot inside, hence the term lantern disease, indicating internal blood stasis.” The body may feel hot internally but cold externally, which could be due to internal blood stasis. This term may sound unfamiliar, but many people today experience similar symptoms, making clinical diagnosis challenging and exacerbating symptoms.Wang Qingren stated, “If you think it is deficiency heat, the more you tonify, the more stasis; if you think it is excess heat, the more you cool, the more it condenses.” Therefore, when you find that methods of tonifying deficiency or clearing heat are ineffective, you must consider whether the issue lies in “stasis”. If there is blood stasis, it needs to be resolved, and using Xuefu Zhuyu Tang is appropriate. In summary, diseases are varied and complex, and Xuefu Zhuyu Tang has a wide range of applications. Here, only a few examples are provided. If your symptoms match, you can use it under the guidance of a physician.
-
Copyright statement: Copyright belongs to the relevant rights holder. If there are any improper uses, please feel free to contact us.
-
Disclaimer: All content in this public account comes from the internet. We maintain neutrality regarding the views expressed in the text and do not provide any explicit or implicit guarantees regarding the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the content, nor do we take responsibility for the views expressed in the article.
(All comments are displayed internally)View comments