1、Blood Activating and Stasis Resolving Herbs（1）Definition：Herbs that primarily function to promote blood circulation, eliminate blood stasis, and are used to treat blood stasis syndromes are called Blood Activating and Stasis Resolving Herbs, or simply Blood Activating Herbs. Those with stronger blood-activating effects are also referred to as Blood Breaking Herbs or Stasis Eliminating Herbs.（2）Properties and Effects：Blood Activating and Stasis Resolving Herbs are generally pungent, bitter, and warm in nature, with some animal-derived herbs being salty, primarily entering the Heart (Xin) and Liver (Gan) meridians. The pungent flavor disperses and moves, while the bitter flavor promotes drainage, both entering the blood aspect, thus facilitating blood flow and resolving stasis. This aligns with the principle stated in the Suwen: Treatise on Yin and Yang that “stagnant blood should be resolved.” Blood Activating and Stasis Resolving Herbs produce various effects through their blood-activating and stasis-resolving actions, including alleviating pain, regulating menstruation, reducing swelling, healing injuries, resolving abscesses, and breaking up masses.（3）Indications：Blood Activating and Stasis Resolving Herbs are suitable for all conditions of blood stasis obstruction.（4）Classification：Based on their action characteristics and clinical applications, they are classified into four categories: Blood Activating and Pain Relieving Herbs, Blood Activating and Menstruation Regulating Herbs, Blood Activating and Injury Healing Herbs, and Blood Breaking and Mass Resolving Herbs.（5）Cautions：This category of herbs has a strong dispersing effect, which can easily consume and move blood, thus they are not suitable for women with excessive menstrual bleeding or other bleeding disorders without blood stasis; caution or avoidance is especially advised for pregnant women. 2、Compatibility of Blood Activating and Stasis Resolving Herbs（1）Chuan Xiong (Ligusticum chuanxiong) combined with Chai Hu (Bupleurum) and Xiang Fu (Cyperus rotundus)Chuan Xiong is pungent and warm, functions to activate blood, move Qi, dispel wind, and can ascend to the head and descend to the blood sea; Chai Hu is bitter, pungent, and slightly cold, good at soothing the liver and relieving depression; Xiang Fu is pungent and neutral, good at soothing the liver, regulating Qi, and alleviating pain. The combination of these three herbs can both soothe the liver and relieve depression, as well as regulate Qi and blood, suitable for conditions of liver Qi stagnation causing chest tightness, flank pain, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, and irregular menstruation.（2）Yu Jin (Curcuma aromatica) combined with Shi Chang Pu (Acorus tatarinowii)Yu Jin is pungent, bitter, and cold, functions to relieve depression, open the orifices, and cool the blood; Shi Chang Pu is pungent, bitter, and warm, functions to open the orifices, awaken the spirit, and transform dampness to resolve phlegm. The combination of these two herbs can transform dampness and resolve phlegm, as well as clear the heart and open the orifices, treating conditions of phlegm-heat obstructing the orifices causing confusion and epilepsy.（3）Pu Huang (Typhae Pollen) combined with Wu Ling Zhi (Flying Squirrel Feces)Pu Huang is neutral, used raw to activate blood and stop bleeding, and fried to astringe and stop bleeding while slightly transforming stasis; Wu Ling Zhi is warm, used raw to excel in activating blood and relieving pain, and fried to focus on transforming stasis and stopping bleeding. The combination of these two herbs, whether used raw or fried, can activate blood, relieve pain, transform stasis, and stop bleeding, effectively treating blood stasis-related pain in the chest, flank, and abdomen, as well as bleeding due to blood stasis. 3、Comparison of Similar Functions of Blood Activating and Stasis Resolving Herbs（1）Xiang Fu and Yu JinBoth can soothe the liver and relieve depression, applicable for liver Qi stagnation. However, Xiang Fu is warmer, primarily entering the Qi aspect, good at soothing the liver, moving Qi, regulating menstruation, and alleviating pain, excelling in treating menstrual irregularities due to liver Qi stagnation; while Yu Jin is colder, entering both the blood and Qi aspects, good at activating blood, relieving pain, and resolving depression, excelling in treating pain syndromes due to liver Qi stagnation and blood stasis.（2）Yu Jin and Jiang Huang (Curcuma longa)These are different medicinal parts of the same plant, both can activate blood, disperse stasis, and relieve pain, used for Qi stagnation and blood stasis. However, Jiang Huang uses the rhizome, which is pungent and warm, with strong dispersing power, best for treating cold-congealed Qi stagnation and blood stasis, and can also dispel wind and relieve pain in rheumatic conditions. Yu Jin uses the tuber, which is bitter and cold, with strong Qi-moving power, cooling the blood, suitable for treating blood-heat stasis, and can also promote bile flow, relieve jaundice, and clear the heart to resolve depression in conditions like damp-heat jaundice and febrile diseases with confusion.（3）Mo Yao (Commiphora myrrha) and Ru Xiang (Boswellia carterii)The therapeutic effects of Mo Yao are similar to those of Ru Xiang. They are often used together to treat traumatic injuries, stasis, swelling and pain, abscesses, and all stasis-related pain syndromes. The difference is that Ru Xiang is more focused on moving Qi and relaxing tendons, often used for bi-syndromes. Mo Yao is more focused on dispersing blood stasis, often used for severe blood stasis-related stomach pain.（4）Yi Mu Cao (Leonurus japonicus) and Ze Lan (Lycopus lucidus)Both can activate blood, regulate menstruation, dispel stasis, and reduce swelling, commonly used for gynecological blood stasis conditions and traumatic injuries, stasis-related pain, abscesses, and edema. However, Yi Mu Cao has a stronger dispersing and bitter draining effect, is cold, and can clear heat and detoxify, making its blood-activating, detoxifying, and diuretic effects stronger than those of Ze Lan, with broader clinical applications.（5）Chuan Niu Xi (Cyathula officinalis) and Huai Niu Xi (Achyranthes bidentata)Both can activate blood, promote menstruation, tonify the liver and kidneys, strengthen tendons and bones, promote urination, and guide fire (blood) downward. However, Chuan Niu Xi excels in activating blood and promoting menstruation, while Huai Niu Xi excels in tonifying the liver and kidneys and strengthening tendons and bones.（6）Ji Xue Teng (Spatholobus suberectus) and Dang Gui (Angelica sinensis)Both can move blood and tonify blood, regulate menstruation, and alleviate pain. Ji Xue Teng is more focused on moving blood, while Dang Gui is more focused on tonifying blood; Ji Xue Teng can relax tendons and activate collaterals, while Dang Gui cannot; Dang Gui has the effect of moistening the intestines and promoting bowel movements, which Ji Xue Teng does not.（7）E Zhu (Curcuma zedoaria) and San Leng (Sparganii Rhizoma)Both can break blood, move Qi, dispel accumulation, and relieve pain, treating masses, amenorrhea, abdominal pain, and food accumulation. However, San Leng is more focused on breaking blood, while E Zhu is more focused on breaking Qi. 4、Specific Herbs（1）Blood Activating and Pain Relieving Herbs
（2）Blood Activating and Menstruation Regulating Herbs
（3）Blood Activating and Injury Healing Herbs
（4）Blood Breaking and Mass Resolving Herbs
