Heart Blood Stagnation or 'Stasis' - Acupuncture Points https://www.acupuncture-points.org/heart-blood-stagnation.

html

(https://www.acupunctur

Heart Blood Stagnation or ‘Stasis’

Jonathan Clogstoun-Willmott
May 15, 2020

Photo by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash

Heart Blood Stagnation  can be serious. Chinese medicine syndromes underlie many modern
conditions of ill-health and o�er a way both to understand and treat them.

Before describing it, if you haven’t done so already, please read our page on  Blood,
(https://www.acupuncture-points.org/blood.html ) and our short page on  Heart Blood.
(https://www.acupuncture-points.org/heart-blood.html ) You may also be interested in the page
on Heart Blood de�ciency, (https://www.acupuncture-points.org/heart-blood-
de�ciency.html ) because the latter, when it gets extreme, can lead to stagnation of Heart
Blood.

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What is Heart Blood Stagnation? (https://www.acupunctur

This is a Chinese medicine  syndrome (https://www.acupuncture-points.org/syndrome.html ) for
a condition de�ned by its symptoms that suggests an underlying cause, a possible prognosis
and a method of treatment. Reasoning comes mostly from TCM Theory
(https://www.acupuncture-points.org/tcm-theory.html ).

Possible causes

1. Liver Blood de�ciency (https://www.acupuncture-points.org/liver-blood-

de�ciency.html ) produces mild dizziness, blurred vision, �oaters in the eyes and a dull
complexion, all of which can, if they worsen, lead to Heart Blood de�ciency. 

Also, according to a Chinese medical theory called the ‘Mother-Child’ law which derives from
the ‘Law of Five Elements (https://www.acupuncture-points.org/5-elements-acupuncture.html )‘,
the Heart is the Child of the Liver so if the Liver su�ers, so may its child, the Heart. 

2. Heart Yang de�ciency: the Heart lacks the power to push the Blood round the body, so
Blood stagnates. What can cause Heart Yang de�ciency? Mainly two factors:

• Emotional problems, particularly those connected with loss or disappointment, and 

• Prolonged or sudden loss of blood, to make up for which the Heart has to work harder. 

3. Heart Blood de�ciency (https://www.acupuncture-points.org/heart-blood-de�ciency.html ):

insu�cient Blood to �ow smoothly leads to stagnation, just as a river empty from drought has
disconnected puddles along its riverbed and there is no movement of water along it.

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(https://www.acupunctur

Drought

4. Heart Fire (https://www.acupuncture-points.org/heart-�re.html ): because heat rises, it

prevents Heart Qi from descending.

At the same time, Heart Fire dries out both the Blood and the �uids, leading to Phlegm Fire
which blocks up the natural �ow through the Heart – just as thick phlegm in your throat blocks

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your breathing.
(https://www.acupunctur
This then – because the Heart is the residence of the Mind – disturbs the Mind.

Photo by Tim Marshall – Unsplash

Understanding Heart Blood stagnation

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The Heart and the Chest are the main areas where emotions register. Strong emotions upset
the movement of Qi (https://www.acupuncture-points.org/qi-stagnation.html ), stopping its
(https://www.acupunctur
movement or disturbing its action. If, as the Chinese suggest, your personality may be said to
reside in your Blood, and your Blood is moved by your Qi, then when the Qi fails to move, your
Blood stops moving, causing its stagnation or stasis.

Usually, or at least in health, your Heart is protected by your Pericardium, and you can recover
from emotional problems. But if the emotion is too strong, or lasts too long, (particularly
emotions such as resentment and bitter anger, long-term anxiety or long-standing grief or
sadness) it a�ects Heart Qi which ceases to �ow smoothly.

NB The emotion does not have to be over relationships; it could be over money, or loss of
security.

When Heart Blood stagnates, the personality changes, with pain and signs of old or venous
Blood. The individual seems suddenly to grow old in his thinking, fears, anxieties, outlook,
appearance and physique. Indeed, many signs of old age arise because of Heart Blood
stagnation.

Prognosis for Heart Blood Stagnation

This depends on the underlying causes of the condition and for how long they have persisted. If
one can correct the underlying cause, then the Heart Blood stagnation should cease, with
return to full health. However, in older people, it may take longer.

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(https://www.acupunctur

Tai Qi – Photo by Mark Hang Fung So on Unsplash

Symptoms – Mental
Anxiety with agitation. If severe this can border on the manic, with phobias and obsessiveness,
and considerable mental restlessness. After all, if Blood stops �owing through your Heart, you
die: no wonder you are agitated. 

In terms of Chinese medicine, agitation is caused by the Mind not having a place to reside (by
its nature, Heart Blood must move, so if it’s not moving – because stagnant – it’s not alive) that
anchors it.

Consequently the Mind moves out of its safe place into extreme restlessness, which to an
outsider looks like agitation. 

Memory is poor. Our blood is where our memories can be sourced: but if it’s not moving, it
can’t bring the information. 

Can be obsessive in their thinking, resentful, judgemental. 

Depression, when extreme can be suicidal. 

Delusions, hallucinations as the condition becomes more extreme. As the Mind loses contact
with its habitat, it �oats into places without basis in reality. 

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Aggression or anxiety: depends on the individual’s constitutional makeup. Not everyone with
Heart Blood stagnation will be aggressive: many will be extremely anxious.  (https://www.acupunctur

Easily startled: the Mind isn’t securely anchored in healthy Heart Blood so is easily dislodged.

Photo by Tyler Nix Unsplash

Symptoms – Physical
Chest pain: which is pricking, stabbing, oppressed, constricting, �xed.

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This is the main physical symptom of this syndrome, and the intensity of the pain can vary
from very mild to intense and sti�ing. The chest can feel as if all ‘stu�ed up’. (https://www.acupunctur

These symptoms can be brought on by anything which increases Blood stagnation (such as
cold weather or conditions) or weakens Heart Yang (such as cold or over-exertion).

It may be worse at night. The pain may radiate to the left arm (inner side) or shoulder.

Many of these symptoms are similar to those of the Western condition

described as angina pectoris (http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases
/facts/angina.htm ). However, although the Heart has various other
syndromes in Chinese Medicine, eg  Heart Fire
(https://www.acupuncture-points.org/heart-�re.html ), Heart Yin
de�ciency (https://www.acupuncture-points.org/heart-yin-
de�ciency.html ) etc, Heart Blood stagnation is the only one with these
symptoms in the chest.
Palpitations: The Heart meets no resistance so races ‘out of control’, just like an electric
blender speeds up when it’s removed from the mixture. Racing like this eventually strains the
heart muscle. 

Heartbeat or pulse is sometimes felt inferior to the xiphoid process: in the upper abdomen.

Complexion: purple or red-purple across the bridge of the nose, or over the whole face. This is
because new Heart Blood isn’t being pumped round the body, so old, dark, venous blood
collects.

Lips: purple, cyanosis. The Heart can’t pump new blood round, so the lips turn dark blue or
purple.

Nails: cyanosis. The Heart can’t pump new blood round, so the nails turn dark blue or purple.

Hands: cold. The Heart can’t circulate new warm blood.

Tongue (https://www.acupuncture-points.org/tongue-diagnosis.html ): purple unless caused by

Heart Fire, when it will be reddish-purple. The purple colour may be across the whole tongue, or
in the chest area, or on the sides beside the chest area on the tongue. The veins on the
underside of the tongue may be purple and engorged.

Pulse (https://www.acupuncture-points.org/pulse-diagnosis.html ): slow, knotted, meaning that

it stops, or pauses at irregular intervals either from Heart Yang de�ciency or from Cold. If due
to Heart Fire it may be hasty, but also stop occasionally or at irregular intervals.

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To read how someone overcame heart problems diagnosed at 17 and has written a site to help
you get to grips with it, click on  Heart Health Guide. (http://www.heart-health-guide.com
(https://www.acupunctur
/index.html )

Other pages you may like:

• Yin and yang (https://www.acupuncture-points.org/yin-and-yang.html )

• Heart Yin de�ciency with empty Heat (https://www.acupuncture-points.org/heart-yin-

de�ciency-with-empty-heat.html )

• Heart and Kidney yin de�ciency with empty Heat (https://www.acupuncture-points.org

/heart-and-kidney-yin-de�ciency-with-empty-heat.html )

• Books to read (https://www.acupuncture-points.org/reading-list-for-acupuncture-

study.html )

(https://www.acupuncture-

points.org/video-consultation.html )
Book here
(https://www.acupuncture-points.org/video-consultation.html )

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Check my collection of books: (https://www.acupuncture-

(https://www.acupunctur
points.org/books.html )

(https://www.acupuncture-points.org
/books.html ) (https://www.acupuncture-points.org
/books.html )

(https://www.acupuncture-points.org
/books.html ) (https://www.acupuncture-points.org
/books.html )

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Tags: chest pain (https://www.acupuncture-points.org/tag/chest-pain ), (https://www.acupunctur

cold hands
(https://www.acupuncture-points.org/tag/cold-hands ), cyanosis (https://www.acupuncture-

points.org/tag/cyanosis ), palpitations (https://www.acupuncture-points.org/tag/palpitations ),
stasis (https://www.acupuncture-points.org/tag/stasis )

Categories: Heart Energy (https://www.acupuncture-points.org/category/energy

/heart_energy ), Syndromes (https://www.acupuncture-points.org/category/theory

/syndromes), Theory (https://www.acupuncture-points.org/category/theory ), Zangfu
(https://www.acupuncture-points.org/category/theory/zangfu )

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