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Pale-Purple Tongue

How Chinese medicine reads a pale tongue with a purple or dusky cast into the 4 patterns behind it, and the points for each. Distinct from this site's own Purple Tongue page — a mixed deficiency-and-stasis presentation rather than pure stasis. Acupuncture only — no herbs.

A tongue sign is one piece of a larger picture and should be read alongside the rest of the presentation by a qualified practitioner.
General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for a pale-purple tongue — 3 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

PointKey action
SP-10Cools Blood. Invigorates Blood and eliminates stasis. Blood SP-10 SP-9 10 Xuehai
SP-6Strengthens the Spleen. Resolves Dampness. Promotes the function of the Liver and the smooth flow of Liver-Qi.
ST-36Benefits Stomach and Spleen. Tonifies Qi and Blood. Tonifies the Original Qi.
The Four Patterns

↑ reinforcing   ↓ reducing   ⊥ even method.

1. Blood Deficiency and Stagnation View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Fixed dull or stabbing pain, scanty or late menstruation with dark clots, a pale or sallow face with a dusky tinge, fatigue and low energy.
Tongue: Pale with a purple or dusky cast, thin, possible stasis spots and distended sublingual veins, thin white coat. Pulse: Fine and choppy, possibly wiry at the left Guan.
Treatment principle: Nourish Blood and gently move stasis, addressing both deficiency and stagnation.
SP-10 ↓ SP-6 ↑ BL-17 ↓

2. Blood and Qi Deficiency with Blood Stagnation View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Fixed stabbing pain that worsens with pressure, overwhelming fatigue, a pale sallow face with a purplish undertone, purple or dark lips, numbness or tingling, shortness of breath.
Tongue: Pale-purple, may show scattered stasis spots, thin white coat, distended sublingual veins. Pulse: Fine and choppy.
Treatment principle: Restore the circulatory force while rebuilding the reserves that Qi needs to propel Blood.
ST-36 ↑ SP-10 ↓ REN-6 ↑

3. Blood Stagnation in the Lower Burner caused by Cold

Clinical manifestations: Fixed, cold lower-abdominal pain relieved by warmth and worsened by cold, dark or purplish menstrual blood with clots, a cold sensation in the lower belly or limbs, an aversion to cold.
Tongue: Pale-purple or bluish-purple, possible stasis spots, white slippery coat, engorged sublingual veins. Pulse: Deep, tight, and choppy.
Treatment principle: Warm the lower burner to restore circulation and resolve the stasis that Cold has congealed.
REN-4 ↑ DU-4 ↑ SP-6 ↑
Note: Confirmed absent again: this site's own Uterine Fibroids page leaves the identically-named pattern unlinked for the same reason.

4. Toxic-Heat Stagnation

Clinical manifestations: A pale-purple tongue with a thin yellow coat, a high or persistent fever, intense thirst for cold drinks, a sore swollen throat, mouth ulcers, dark scanty urine.
Tongue: Pale-purple with a thin yellow coat. Pulse: Wiry and rapid.
Treatment principle: Clear Heat while cooling the Blood that the deep-lying toxic heat has thickened and stagnated.
DU-14 ↓ L.I.-4 ↓ SP-10 ↓
Note: Confirmed absent again: standalone Toxic-Heat-Stagnation has no matching deck slide on this site.
Related conditions
Purple Tongue Pale Tongue Coated Tongue

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Acupuncture-only reference — structure adapted (not text) from how other condition-lookup sites organize this kind of content. Let us know what to add or change.