↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.
Clinical manifestations: Fixed, stabbing pain anywhere; a dark purple or dusky complexion and nails; dark menstrual blood with clots; rough dry skin.
Tongue: Purple or dusky with stasis spots, distended dark sublingual veins, thin white coat. Pulse: Choppy, or wiry.
Treatment principle: Invigorate Blood and dispel stagnation, move Qi and alleviate pain, open the chest.
Clinical manifestations: Stabbing chest pain in a fixed location, palpitations, purple or dark lips and nails, cold hands, a suffocating chest tightness.
Tongue: Dark purple with stasis spots, distended sublingual veins, thin white coat. Pulse: Choppy or knotted, especially at the left Cun.
Treatment principle: Move Blood in the chest, relieve stasis, calm the Heart.
Clinical manifestations: Fixed stabbing pain that worsens with pressure; distending chest or rib pain; irritability and emotional tension; mood swings; dark purplish lips; painful periods with clotted blood.
Tongue: Dark purple with stasis spots, distended sublingual veins that may look tortuous and dark. Pulse: Wiry and choppy.
Treatment principle: Unblock the stuck Liver-Qi, invigorate Qi and Blood, ease the chest pressure.
4. Qi Deficiency Causing Blood Stagnation
Clinical manifestations: Fixed stabbing pain that worsens with pressure, fatigue and weakness, shortness of breath with reluctance to speak, a dark dusky complexion with a pale greyish undertone.
Tongue: Pale with a purplish tinge, possible stasis spots, teeth marks, thin white coat. Pulse: Deep, fine, and choppy.
Treatment principle: Tonify Qi and activate Blood circulation, addressing both the root deficiency and the stasis.
Note: Confirmed absent again: no deck on this site names a Qi-Deficiency-causing-Blood-Stagnation category on its own.
Clinical manifestations: Cold hands and feet, fatigue and low energy, a bright pale or white face, palpitations that worsen with exertion, shortness of breath with activity.
Tongue: Pale, puffy, tender with teeth marks, white slippery coating. Pulse: Deep, weak, often notably weak at the left Cun, may be knotted.
Treatment principle: Warm Heart-Yang to restore the warming fire and rekindle circulation.