Syndrome of stagnation of blood

Stagnation of blood refers to the accumulation of blood in a local area due to hindrance of the blood circulation or to extravasated blood which has not been dispersed or immediately expelled from a fixed location in the body.

Clinical manifestations : Pain, mass tumors, hemorrhage, and ecchymoses or petechice.

Etiology and pathology : There are many causes of stagnation of blood, such as sprains and contusions, hemorrhage, retardation of qi circulation leading to retardation of blood circulation, deficiency of qi causing a weakness in the normal movement of blood, and invasion of the blood system by pathogenic cold or heat.

Pain, which is the main symptom, occurs as a consequence of obstruction by stagnant blood. The pain is fixed in location and stabbing in nature. Accumulation of stagnant blood in the local area forms mass tumors which have fixed positions and are firm on palpation. Obstruction of vessels by stagnant blood does not permit blood to circulate along the normal courses, and hence induces hemorrhage.

Hemorrhage of this sort occurs repeatedly and consists of purplish dark flow and may exhibit clots. Stagnation of blood may also manifest with purplish spots on the skin and tongue.

Cold, heat, excess and deficiency may all be causative factors of stagnation of blood, hence syndromes associated with these factors will be present along with the symptoms and signs listed above.